Finding the Free Things to Do on Your Next Trip!
Travel can get really extreme. And by extreme I’m not referring to activities like swimming with sharks or zip lining over vast forests and expansive lakes, even though I would agree that is extreme! The extreme I’m referring to deals only with the extremes of travel as far as distance, time, and money. Dictionary.com defines travel as to go from one place to another. So when one is going from one place to another, the distance traveled can mean you’re halfway across the world or you could just be an hour away from home. The amount of time you spend going from one place to another can mean entirely different things too. You could be away for a year or you may just be away for a day trip, and in both scenarios, travel has occurred. And whether you spend your time under the stars camping or choose to stay in a luxurious resort as you go from one place to another, how you travel or the dollar amount you spend while traveling is a mute point. Regardless of your accommodations, you are still, in fact, traveling.
Of the three (time, distance, and money), I feel money is the main determining factor influencing how we travel. It often determines how far one will be going and how many days they will spend away. I can most definitely say that’s been the case for my family and I. The amount of money we have available determines where we go, how long we stay, and what type of lodging arrangements we make, which is why I am convinced it is essential to stretch those vacation dollars!
One way (my favorite way) to stretch my vacation budget is to search for free activities in and around the place I’m visiting. Every city we’ve visited has had either free museums, free parks, free gardens, free beaches, free activities, free something!! These free attractions and activities allow us to have a day or days where we spend little to nothing or considerably less than we would have normally spent during a day on vacation and the great part about these activities is that they have been lots of fun!
Visiting the National Naval Aviation Museum , a museum devoted to the history of naval aviation in Pensacola that offers free admission, was both educational and fun! Finding a beach with no entrance fee and zero parking cost like the beaches in St. Simons Island, GA was definitely a highlight for us! Walking the area and posing with colorful, eye-catching murals always makes for a fun day similar to the one we had in Flagler Beach, Florida! Even wandering around The Battery, a mixed-use site comprised of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues that is adjacent to Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, and focusing on all of the sightseeing and photo ops can be turned into a free and fun day!
Fun and free! My two favorite words when it comes to travel!
So if you’re planning a trip and you want to lower the costs or want to stretch your trip out for a few more days, I recommend checking and seeing what free tours, museums, beaches, gardens, lakes, state parks, entertainment areas, the list just goes on and on! Google free stuff to do where you’re going, ask locals if possible, watch videos, and if we’ve been Off Our Couch™ at that particular destination, check out our youtube channel! We’re always on the lookout for what’s free and affordable wherever we travel! Stay on the lookout for no-cost activities! That’s the gist of what I’m saying! Seek out what’s free in or around the area and see how far those vacation dollars can go!