(NEXSTAR) – Summer is winding down but there's still plenty of time to take advantage of the so-called "shoulder season," a vacation strategy that comes with major perks, travel experts say.

If you've never heard the term before, it refers to the period before and after a destination's peak travel season that are like the "shoulders" on either side, according to AAA. Prices tend to be a little lower and the crowds more sparse, but the weather is still comfortable.

U.S. national parks, for instance, have shoulder seasons in the spring and fall when children are in school and demand dips, offering "less crowds, but also cooler weather and fewer services," the Park Service notes.

"Shoulder season differs for destinations but for the most part, for most of the popular places you are trying to visit,........

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