It's hard to budget travel; the price of gas leads people to stay home. The Top 10 tips of Reader's Digest's 25 cheap vacations in the USA include free, fun activities.
As air fares increase and airlines institute charges for even one checked bag, vacation lovers get more and more frustrated. Add the ghastly price of gas these days, and it's a wonder anyone travels at all. Taking time off work and having the chance to see other parts of North America shouldn't be an impossibility: It's too important. Reader's Digest understands this, apparently; the July 2008 issue offers tips on budget travel in the USA. Their list of bargain vacations include their Top 25 free destinations - yes, travelers pay the gas money, but once there, each United States destination has many fun and free activities. Of the Reader's Digest unranked Top 25, these are the recommended Top 10 of this column.
Top 10 Bargain Vacations for Budget Travel
Music Appreciation - New Orleans, Louisiana. The French Quarter is one of the most culturally interesting, lively, idiosyncratic parts of North America. A visitor can hear jazz, blues, and zydeco performed during a simple walk down Bourbon Street. The sightseeing is free (a budget travel fan's favorite word) and the state could use the tourism business to help recover from Hurricane Katrina.
Flight Check - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The museum at Kitty Hawk is free for kids up to age 15, and of course the beach is public as well.
Gallery Tour and Panda Party - Washington, DC. Almost every museum and monument in Wash., DC has free entry, such as the Smithsonian and the National Portrait Gallery. THe National Zoo has no entrance fee either - and the panda cub Tai Shan turns three years old this summer.
Afternoon in the Park and Ancestor Search - NYC, New York. Central Park has 21 children's playgrounds, Sheep Meadow, and open-air concert for everyone to enjoy (not to mention the lake, the reservoir, and more). There is a ferry charge to get to Ellis Island, but 40% of the US population can trace its heritage to the immigrants who arrived through that National Monument. It is free to visit the Statue of Liberty.
Natural Wonder - Niagara Falls, New York. Admission is free to Niagara Falls State Park, but there is $8 parking.
Time Travel - Millersburg and Berlin, Ohio. In Amish Country, a budget vacation can include the modernity of free wireless access in a coffee shop, and watching the traditional Mennonites work together in their communities.
Urban Enjoyment - Chicago, Illinois. Plenty is free for cheap travel in "my kind of town," such as tickets to the Oprah Winfrey Show, strolling or biking along Lake Michigan, and entry to the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Tree Gazing - Humboldt County, California. The Redwood National Park on California's northern coast are free to appreciate.
Seals and Swimming - San Diego, California. Should a budget vacation involve travel along California's southern coast, check out Redondo Beach and Huntington Beach before heading even further south. Seals and sea lions are very comfortable hanging out on the beaches of Orange County.
Red Rock Climbing - Sedona, Arizona. Sedona's famous Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, both in the Coconino National Forest, have to be seen to be believed. And it's free to do so, minus the $5 parking fee. The redness of the monumental boulders against the bright blue desert sky is truly inspiring.
Being on a tight budget doesn't necessarily entail forgoing vacations. Cheap travel is not only possible, it's fun with these free activities. These are just this column's Top 10 tips to cheap travel. Thank you, Reader's Digest, for the 25 bargain destination list!
The copyright of the article Budget Travel with Free Activities in Budget Travel Destinations is owned by Jennifer W. Miner. Permission to republish Budget Travel with Free Activities in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
