(FORTUNE Small Business) – When Scott and Susan Murray went shopping for a vacation home three years ago, they didn't look for a beach house in Miami or a cottage on Key West. "We wanted a place where we could really get away," says Susan, who together with her husband owns a contracting business. But finding the perfect getaway wasn't easy in a state overrun by tourists and overpriced oceanfront condos. So rather than house hunt in all the usual places, the Murrays drove down several roads less traveled and ended up in Big Pine Key, a more remote and more affordable island in the Florida Keys.

As the Murrays will tell you, finding an out-of-the-way retreat isn't as easy as it used to be. Flush from years of a strong economy, a growing number of Americans are buying vacation homes. Sales are up nearly 30% since 1995, says the National Association of Realtors. But if you've shopped for one, you know the collective second-home fantasy has pumped up prices and created overbuilding in popular areas.

It is still possible, however, to find an affordable getaway spot that isn't trampled by tourists or saturated with neighbors. First, bypass hot vacation-home havens like Nantucket, Mass., and Aspen, Colo., where prices continue to soar. Instead, look for communities whose local laws prohibit out-of-control growth. Limited development helps preserve an area's natural beauty and keeps prices in check. Also, when you begin your hunt, don't go looking for a chalet during ski season or a beach house in August. Peak season tends to inflate prices. Finally, search for something near your primary residence to avoid pricey airfares, cutting your costs even more.

We've found four locales within driving distance of major metropolitan areas where your money can still buy you a little R&R.

Big Pine Key could be described as the place where Margaritaville meets Mother Nature. Approximately a two-hour drive from Miami and just a few islands east of Key West, it is famous for its Key deer, which roam free throughout the 2,300-acre National Key Deer Refuge. For those who would rather worship the sun than watch the wildlife, there's Bahia Honda (Spanish for "deep bay") State Park. Big Pine Key has its share of visitors from the north, but the pace here is slower than it is on neighboring islands. "Most of the tourists are just passing through on their way to Key West, so we don't get the huge crowds some of the other Keys get," says Susan Murray. Development on the island has been restricted to preserve the deer population and other wildlife, and Monroe County has recently outlawed the short-term rental of vacation homes in Big Pine Key. What effect the ban will have on housing prices isn't clear, but it may deter investors, making prices more attractive for buyers who actually plan to use rather than rent out their houses.

Recently on the market: a two-bedroom, two-bath home with screened-in porch, on the canal, $210,000; and a three-bedroom, two-bath beach home with open water view, $439,000.

Who needs Aspen or Nantucket when you can experience a bit of each in this quaint New England village? Chester, a tiny hamlet on the Williams River in southern Vermont, offers history, charm, and quaint shopping all within a short drive to some of the state's best ski resorts. About 2 1/2 hours west of Boston, the town is home to many artists and boasts two historic districts, including the well-preserved Stone Village. A cluster of private residences, a church, and a school built in the 1830s and '40s, Stone Village is constructed from the snecked ashlar masonry characteristic of the era.

For a panoramic view of the area there's the Green Mountain Railway, a vintage train that still carries passengers on scenic excursions through the countryside during the summer and throughout the fall foliage season.

Just 12 miles away is Okemo Mountain, a ski resort in the midst of a major expansion project. Okemo's developers are planning to transform the resort into a one-stop recreation area, complete with horseback riding, golf courses, and improved ski slopes.

"The people who don't have the big, big bucks can stop off in Chester, buy something more affordable, and drive to the slopes," says Realtor Phil Atwood, one of the town's 3,000 residents. "It's going to be a boom area, and we'll see real estate values increase because of it."

Recently on the market: a two-bedroom home overlooking a brook for $105,000; a three-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath home on three acres for $125,000.

Perched high on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean along Northern California's Mendocino Coast is Elk. The town's 1,000 residents are surrounded by beautiful ocean vistas, redwoods, and farm pastures. Located three hours from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Elk and surrounding towns are an easy drive to the wine country of Sonoma and Napa Valleys. "But most people are not going to get there that fast because they get to meandering down the winding roads with [wine] tasting rooms, and they get distracted," says Jim Hay, a broker for Sea Cottage Realty in Mendocino, Calif. While housing inventory is low, some houses with an ocean view can be had for as little as $350,000. A larger selection--albeit at slightly higher prices--is available up the coast in busier and more populated Mendocino. In general, the highest price tags are on properties "where there's nothing between you and Japan except the ocean," says Hay.

Recently on the market: a two-bedroom, one-bath cabin on an acre dotted with redwoods goes for $140,000; an oceanfront duplex for $630,000.

In the 1930s, South Haven, Mich., functioned as the Catskills of the Midwest. Dozens of celebrities--among them singer Martha Ray--performed here or frequented the cottages along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. The celebrities are gone now, but the beach cottages and other homes of South Haven remain a popular lure for vacationers from nearby Chicago and Detroit. Depending upon your preferences, you can choose houses surrounded by woods, ravines, or beaches in South Haven and the neighboring area. Country estates and beachfront condominiums are available in subdivisions and in older, well-established neighborhoods. Saugatuck, a nearby artist's colony dotted with galleries, gift shops, and more expensive vacation homes, is a mere 15-minute drive away. Also nearby is Holland, Mich., a Dutch colony that holds a nationally renowned tulip festival each spring.

Recently on the market: a 2,000-square-foot home with a two-car detached garage for $121,000.