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So, August is upon us and some of you, I know, haven’t taken a vacation yet this Summer. If that’s because you’re saving for your Fall vacation, like me, that’s cool. If you wanted to take a trip, but couldn’t figure out how it would fit into your budget, what with the crazy high airfares and stupid long lines for everything, then I’m here to give you some tips on trips that are still doable and also affordable. If you can drive you will save more, but if you have to fly, there are a lot of airfare sales going right now that you might be able to take advantage of. Follow me on Facebook or Twitter to see them all as they come up.
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Only a few weeks until the kids
are back in school, so if you have them, you better start planning your trip
yesterday! Just kidding, but really, get on it so you actually have TIME to go
there before they are putting on their backpacks and you’re fixing their
lunches.
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San
Francisco – Yes, the city can be expensive if you don’t plan your
outings properly, but there are lots of ways to save. One of the smartest things you can do when heading
to a city that has expensive hotels and food is to stay outside the city. You
can take public transportation or even rent a car. With the difference in hotel
prices between San Francisco and,
say, Oakland, Albany or Richmond, you’ll see how this could
potentially save you hundreds off a vacation. Here are more ideas:
- Golden
Gate Bridge –
No trip to San Francisco is complete without at least driving
across this beautiful bridge, but it is also open to pedestrians and cyclists
during daylight hours. At almost 2 miles long, it’s a great way to get
exercise while also seeing amazing views of the city. Take a break to
browse the gift shop and visitor’s center on the southeast side. There is a $6
toll coming back into the city though.
- City
Guides –
Local volunteers take tourists on free walking tours of the city. Find
locations and schedules of tours online, by just searching for
“free San Francisco walking tours”.
- Exploratorium – This is another hands-on
science museum that teaches young and old alike about electricity and
other scientific principles. Admission is free the first Wed of every
month and it can take up around 4 hours of your day, or more, depending on
how fun you find it.
- California Academy of
Sciences –
Free admission is available on the third Wednesday of every month. Explore
exhibits at the academy, including the African Hall, Swamp exhibit, T-Rex
skeleton and aquarium. You can also get to
the CAS through Golden Gate Park. Parking is free on
nearby streets if you drive yourself.
- Cable Car Museum – Just what it claims
to be, you can plan to spend about an hour and a half in this free museum.
Learn the history of cable cars while observing full-size cars and photos.
Spend some bucks that you saved on admission on funky souvenirs made from
cable car tracks.
- Boudin
Demonstration Bakery – Almost everyone enjoys some good sourdough bread, and San
Francisco is famous for it. Watch bread being made through
observation windows and right upstairs from the bakery is a free museum
that gives you the history of sourdough in the Bay Area.
- San
Francisco Botanical Garden – Located in Golden Gate Park,
spend an hour or two in the garden that’s open all year long. There is
also a library and bookstore to browse after you’ve taken in all 55 acres
of more than 7,500 plants. Every day, there are free guided tours
at 1:30 as well. If you’re looking for something to take home,
you can purchase plants at the nursery every Saturday. They claim
there is a $7 entry fee for non-residents, but no one will ask if you just
walk in.
- Lost
Canyon Winery –
In nearby Oakland, taste some of California’s best wines for
free Friday and Saturdays from 1-6pm.
- San
Francisco Lawn Bowling Club – Sure this is obscure, but it’s also fun.
Get free lessons from club members in Golden
Gate Park every Wednesday at noon.
This photo of The Alamo is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Pike Place Market is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Seattle is the birthplace of grunge rock, Starbucks, Nordstrom
and Microsoft. Seattle is steeped in history and tradition, but that doesn’t
mean that you’ll go broke visiting. Do some of the offbeat tourist attractions
for a whole different view of The Emerald City. It isn’t full of
convenient freebies, but you can do it for cheaper if you plan – and if you
can’t visit on any of the following days look into getting a Seattle
CityPASS for a big discount:
- Seattle Art
Museum
– Thursday is a great day to visit some awesome free venues in Seattle,
including the Art Museum. The first Thursday of every month, SAM is free
to visitors.
- Experience Music
Project
(known as EMP) – This interactive museum of music is free from 5-8pm on
first Thursdays.
- Science Fiction
Museum & Hall of Fame – The first museum devoted to
Science Fiction shares a building with EMP and also has free admission on
first Thursday from 5-8pm.
- Pike Place
Market
– The market is one of the oldest in the country and is fun to shop or
simply walk around and marvel at the stalls, especially the “flying fish”
at the fish stall.
- Coast Guard
Museum
– Located at Pier 36, explore the free museum of Coast Guard memorabilia.
- Bainbridge
Island Vineyard and Winery – While you’ll have to pay for a
ferry ride (which can be super fun) across the Puget Sound, you can take a
free guided tour of the vineyards every Sunday at 2pm.
- Chateau Ste.
Michelle Vineyards is a short 15 mile drive from Seattle and offers a
free wine tour and sampling.
- Redhook Brewery – For the
beer-lovers among you, take a short drive northeast to Woodinville and
take a brewery tour with 3-4 samples. You only pay $1 for a souvenir
tasting glass.
- Freeway Park – This amazing
park in downtown Seattle sits on 5 acres, overlooks the city, free Wi-Fi,
a walking loop and in the summer offers free concerts and theater.
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Las Vegas is also a great
money-saving option in August. You can read more about affordable options in my last Sin City post.
If
Los Angeles is on your list of must-visit destinations, you can look
forward to a post on that on the 11th. I’ll be giving you my ideas for a fun
2-day trip in the next 48 Fun Hours on a
Budget post.
Do you have a favorite budget travel location for the end of
Summer?
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