2015's Top Ten Summer Travel Destinations

Travel and Leisure has chosen this year's Top Ten Summer Travel Destinations, as follows:

Number 10 - Rome, Italy

With their free museums, fountains, and The Pantheon, Rome has a number of free things to see while traveling to the ancient city.

9. Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Playa del Carmen has beautiful white sand beaches that offer free admission

8. London, England

London has more museums than most any city, and the majority of them offer free admission.

7. New York City, New York

The first time you step into New York City the sight alone is breathtaking! Some amazing free things to see include the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and much more!

6. Paris, France

Although there's a fee to climb to the top, you can a view of the Eiffel Tower is free.

5. Punta Cana, Domican Replublic

4. Cancun, Mexico

3. Orlando, Florida

2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Plan your trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina around one of their free festivals, the city has almost 50!  The Annual Cruise to the Coast Car Show is one of my favorites.

1. Las Vegas, Nevada

Ranked #1 in TravelandLeisure.com's Listing, Las Vegas has a number of free things to do and see!

Feel free to list your favorite vacation destinations and where you'll be traveling this year in the comments below.

Virginia

Virginia City List                                                               Virginia State Park Admission Fees

Richmond

Virginia Beach 

Interesting fact about Virginia, eight United States Presidents were born in Virginia:

• George Washington 
• Thomas Jefferson 
• James Madison 
• James Monroe 
• William Harrison 
• John Tyler 
• Zachary Taylor 
• and Woodrow Wilson.

FREE to See Virginia Beach

Interesting fact about Virginia Beach: The Guinness Book of Records lists Virginia Beach as having the longest pleasure beach on the planet.

Virginia Beach is also the largest city in Virginia.

FREE Music Festivals:

• PANorama Carribean Music Festival
• SonRise Music Festival
• Last Night on the Town
• Salute to Summer

Cape Henry Lighthouse

The Cape Henry Lighthouse at Fort Story is free to see, however they do charge admission if you want to go inside and climb to the top. One thing to keep in mind, since it is inside of a military base, be prepared for a complete vehicle inspection upon arrival and have photo id, vehicle registration and proof of auto insurance with you.

Museums and More offering free admission:

• Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum - located inside the 1895 De Witt Cottage
• Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment
• Beachstreet USA - free entertainment during the summer

Virginia Legends Walk

What else is FREE to See:

• Virginia Legends Walk
• Grommet Island
• 14 miles of Free public beaches
• King Neptune Statue - intersection of the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and 31st Street

Budget Travel in Virginia Beach:

• Old Coast Guard Station - Adults $4/Children $2
• Ferry Plantation House(1740) - Adults $5/Children free
• Adam Thoroughgood House (1680) - Adults $4/Children $2
• Lynnhaven House(1725) - Adults $4/Children $2
• Francis Land House(late 1700s) - Adults $4/Children $2 

Other Attractions:

• Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
• Military Aviation Museum
• False Cape State Park
• Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• First Landing State Park

Free to See Richmond, Virginia

Interesting fact about Richmond, it is one of 38 Virginia cities that are considered to be independent, and not located within a county.

Monument Avenue is a must see Richmond, Virginia. Monuments include:

• Robert E. Lee
• J.E.B. Stuart
• Jefferson Davis
• "Stonewall" Jackson
• Matthew Fontaine Maury
• Arthur Ashe

Monument Avenue is the only street in the U.S. to be designated a National Historic Landmark.  Visit Branch House and the other mansions on Monument Avenue from Birch Street to Roseneath Rd.

Visit the Federal Reserve Bank for The Fed Experience, an educational tour which includes simulations and interactive exhibits.  Admission is free.

Tour Virginia's 18th Century Historic Capitol Building.

Hollywood Cemetery is the resting place of over 18,000 confederate soldiers, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, President James Monroe, President John Tyler and several Virginia Governors.

Pedestrian Bridge to Belle Isle

What else is FREE to SEE:

• Canal Walk
• Browns Island
• Belle Isle
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts  - includes a sculpture garden
• Virginia Historical Society
• Maymont - 100 acres of gardens, a wildlife exhibit, and more

Festivals:

• Richmond Bluegrass Jam
• Annual Mardi Gras Parade
• Innsbrook's St. Paddy's Palooza
• Richmond Jazz Festival
• Richmond Folk Festival

Budget Travel Nearby:

• New Kent Winery - $8 Tasting and Tours
• Chesterfield County Museum and Old Jail - Admission only $3
• Fort Stevens Park - The Second Battle of Drewry's Bluff
• Chesterfield Virginia is full of historic places to visit, a number of them are free to see!

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is named for Ebenezer Bryce, who was said to have remarked "It's a hell of a place to lose a cow", upon showing the canyon to visitors.

The night sky at Bryce Canyon is so dark 7500 stars can be seen on a moonless night.  The best time to see it is during the week of the new moon or the week prior to the new moon.

Hikes: Easy to Moderate

• Mossy Cave: .8 mile streamside walk up to a mossy overhang and small waterfall, which flows May to October.
• Rim Trail: 5.5 miles one way from Fairyland to Bryce Point. Several steep elevation changes. *Note: Section between Sunrise and Sunset Points is considered an "easy" hike with minor elevation changes, and only .9 miles.
• Bristlecone Loop: 1 mile loop Bristlecone Pines up to 1800 years-old, blue spruce, douglas firs, and white fir.

Queen's Garden

Queen's Garden can be seen from Sunrise or Sunset Point.  Best viewed at sunrise, as the hoodoo-laden cliffs of the Clarion Formation face eastward.

Hoodoo was the name 19th century explorers gave to the odd looking rock formations. These rocks seemed to cast spells of enchantment over those who gazed upon them.

The hoodoos are formed by the more than 200 freeze-thaw cycles that occur annually. 

Thor's Hammer is probably the most famous of Bryce Canyon's hoodoos.

What's Nearby:

• Capitol Reef National Park
• Kodachrome Basin State Park
• Grand Staircase -  Escalante National Monument
• Scenic Byway 143 
• Anasazi State Park Museum
• Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
• Scenic Byway 12

Tunnel on Scenic Byway 12

FREE to See Green Bay, Wisconsin

When we think of Green Bay, Wisconsin, football fans most often think of the Green Bay Packers. As a matter of fact, Green Bay is the smallest city to host a NFL team.

However, there is a lot more to see and do in Green Bay, than just football, even on a budget!

Fun fact about Green Bay: The world's first slinter-free toilet paper was invented in Green Bay in the early 1900's.

What's FREE to See:

• Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
• Oneida Nation Museum 
• Historic Washington House - ice cream sundae invented here in 1881
• Cofrin Memorial Arboretum 

FREE Tours and Trails:

• Historic Broadway District
• The Walk of Legends
• Packers Heritage Trail
• Fox River State Recreational Trail - 25 mile bike trail
• Mountain Bay Trail - 83 mile bike trail

FREE Festivals and entertainment of Green Bay:

• Artstreet - held in August every year
• Waterboard Warriors Ski Show - throughout the summer on Fox River
• Friday Night entertainment on CityDeck
• Fire over the Fox - Festival and Free Fireworks display

Things to Do and See on a Budget:

• NEW Zoo -  admission is only $7 adults/$5 children
• Neville Public Museum - $5 adults/$3 children
• Lambeau Field Stadium Tours - $11adults/$10 youth

Of course, you can't visit Wisconsin without some type of cheese experience. Here are the cheeses of Green Bay:

• BelGioioso Cheese
• Renard's Cheese
• Scray Cheese
• and Nala's fromagerie - gourmet cheese shop

What Else to See and Do:

• Bay Beach Amusement Park
• Comedy City
• Green Bay Botanical Garden
• National Railroad Museum

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier is an active volcano, ascending 14,410 feet above sea level.  Mount Rainier National Park was established by Congress in 1899. Although the park appears close in distance from Seattle, allow a couple of hours driving time.

Myrtle Falls at Mt. Rainier

The Mount Rainier National Park has a number of hiking trails, ranging from less than one mile to the 93-mile Wonderland Trail.
Short trails include:

• Emmons Vista Trail - .5 miles round trip
• Trail of the Shadows - .7 mile round trip trail
• Nisqually Vista Trail - 1.2 mile loop
• Grove of the Patriarchs Trail - 1.5 miles round trip
• Kautz Creek Trail - 2-miles round trip

Michelle on the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail

If you are interested in climbing above 10,000 feet or on glaciers, you are required to register and pay a fee. Ask at visitor centers for more information.


Visitor Centers in the park include:

• Longmire
• Paradise 
• Ohanapecosh
• and Sunrise

Two of the best views of Mount Rainier can be seen at the Paradise and Sunrise locations in the Mount Rainier National Park. Paradise is the most heavily visited area in the park. Sunrise is only open from July to late September.

Wildlife that can be seen in the Mount Rainier National Park include:

• chipmunks
• squirrels
• marmots
• pikas
• Steller's jays
• Clark's nutcrackers
• gray jays
• ravens
• black-tailed deer
• black bears
• mountain goats
• and elk

For more information on Mount Rainier National Park, visit the National Park Service's web page for Mount Rainier!

Buffalo Trace

The Buffalo Trace distillery sits on over 200 acres in between Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, in Frankfort. The address is 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY 40601.

This distillery has been in business for over 200 years, and offers something for everyone! Each tour lasts about 1 hour and includes a complementary tasting.

Buffalo Trace Distillery offers five different tours:

The Trace Tour:
Monday through Saturday: 9am - 4pm
Sunday (April through October only): 12pm-3pm

Bourbon Barrel Tour:
Monday through Friday:9:30am
Reservations Required

Hard Hat Tour:
Monday through Friday:10:30am - 1:30 pm
Saturday: 10:30am
Reservations Required

National Historic Landmark Tour:
Monday through Friday: 11:30am
Reservations Required

Ghost Tour:
Thursday through Saturday: 7pm
Reservations Required

For more information about Buffalo Trace Distillery Tours, visit their web site at www.BuffaloTrace.com or call 1-800-654-8471 or 502-696-5926.

Free to See Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Searching for something that's free to see as you travel to Lake Havasu City, Arizona?  Search no more.  Moore Free Travel has researched and found these free things to do and see for your budget travel to Lake Havasu City and nearby!

You'll most definitely want to visit the London Bridge!  And the information center doubles as a museum with artifacts, pictures, and even blueprints of how the bridge was moved from London, England to Lake Havasu.  Best of all, admission is free!

Free souvenirs in the desert...or as the locals might call it 'rockhounding'. Collect gems as you wonder around the desert.  We found lots of turquoise during our visit!

A number of people like to hike the desert, and it's easy to find a trail.  Here's a list of some of the best trails.  If you would prefer hiking with someone who is experienced, contact one of the popular hiking clubs in the area.

One rare find in Lake Havasu City is 23 lighthouses. Each lighthouse is a 1/3 replica of a famous lighthouse on the West Coast, East Coast or the Great Lakes.

Annual FREE Events:

• Check out the Havasu Balloon Festival - January
• Buses by the Bridge - VW Bus Festival - January
• Annual Winterfest - February
• London Bridge Model Boat Race - February
• Annual Geocache Desert Bash - March
• Desert Storm Street Party/Poker Run - April
• July 4th Fireworks Show
• Relics & Rods Run to the Sun - October
• Main Street Halloween Fright Night
• Veterans Day Parade
• Boat Parade of Lights - December
• Festival of Lights November - January

Free parks, beaches and fishing docks:

• Rotary Park
• London Bridge Beach
• Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge/Catfish Pardise
• Havasu Springs
• Mesquite Bay
• Site Six
• Natical Beachfront Resort: Pool is free, non-guests must be 21+

What's close by:

• Visit Oatman, Arizona on Route 66.  Watch as the wild burrows wonder the streets and see a live gunfight.
• Parker Dam 
• Havasu Landing Resort and Casino
• Historic Route 66 Museum -Kingman, AZ 

Free to See in New York City

New York City, ah, The Big Apple!  What an exciting place to visit.  And even though you know you're going to want to pay a few bucks to visit those must see places like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, there are a number of things that are still free to see!

FREE to See:
St. Patrick's Cathedral - on 5th Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets

In the fall, check out the leaf foliage in one of the city's renowned parks:

• Central
• Prospect
• Van Cortlandt
• or Alley Pond!

If you're in the city on Halloween, be sure and check out the Halloween Parade!

New York City is amazing at Christmas time. FREE Things to see include:

• The Tree at Rockefeller Center
• Channel Gardens - between the Empire State Building and Maison Française
• Saks Fifth Avenue - whole first floor is transformed into a Winter Wonderland
• Window Shopping - at Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, Fendi, Escada, Henri Bendel, The Disney Store, Godiva, Gucci, Fortunoff and more all within 10 blocks of Rockefeller Center.

Free Admission to Museums and More:

• The Paley Center
• Forbes Galleries
• National Museum of the American Indian
• Sony Wonder Technology Lab
• Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
• Socrates Sculpture Park
• Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
• The Federal Reserve Bank
• The Harbor Defense Museum
• The Bronx Museum of the Arts

District Sculptures, please let me know if you are aware of others:

• Diamond District - Two Torches at 47th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues
• Financial District - Wall Street Bull - Bowling Green Park 
• Garment District - Needle threading a Button - Information booth

Something unique to see if you are an art enthusiast is the over 130 bronze sculptures at the 14th Street/Eight Avenue station. The art is part of the Art for Transit program and the artist is Tom Otterness.

Transportation tips:
If you are flying in to the Newark Liberty International Airport, use the AirTrain Newark Monorail system. The system connects the airport with Manhatten (Penn Station) via the New Jersey Transit lines Northeast Corridor (red) and New Jersey Coast Line (blue).  Visit the Penn Station NJT or New Jersey Transit. Fee at the time of writing this is only $5.50.

Here is a map of the Manhattan Districts, that might come in handy.

Check out TimeOut.com's list of Cheap eats NYC. They've broken it down by neighborhood, categories and even a list of free food deals at NYC bars!

Free Festivals and Parades:

• Three Kings Parade  - January
• Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival - February
• Groundhog Day -Staten Island Zoo - February 2nd - free ceremony admission
• New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade - St. Patrick's Day each year since 1762
• Tartan Week - Celebrating Scotland in NYC - April
• Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival
• Earth Day at Union Square
• Brooklyn Zine Fest
• Bike Expo New York - May - Midtown Manhattan
• Dance Parade - May - ends at Dancefest in Tompkins Square Park
• Ninth Avenue International Food Festival - May
• 4Knots Music Festival - July
• India Day Parade - August
• Washington Square Music Festival - September
• Unicycle Festival - September
• Halloween Parade
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

More FREE to Do and See:

• Winter Village at Bryant Park - free ice skating
• Fusion Film Festival  - Free admission - New York University's Tisch School of Arts - February
• Macy's Flower Show - Visit The Secret Garden the end of March and beginning of April each year
• Metropolitan Opera in the Park
• Shakespeare in the Park - the Delacorte Theater in Central Park - June
• Feast of O-Bon - July - Riverside Park
• Movies in Central Park - August

More to see:

• Concourse at Rockefeller Center - great underground area to visit, especially if it's cold outside.
• Olympic Tower - waterfall, free Hellenic Art museum, Parthenon Marble Casts Collection
• Abandoned City Hall Subway Station
• FREE New York City Tours 

Where to Eat:
Katz's  Delicatesssen - Established in 1888, located at 205 East Houston Street (corner of Ludlow St.), New York, NY 10002
Grimaldi's Pizza - 1 Front Street, Brooklyn, NY (under the Brooklyn Bridge)
Burger Joint New York, 119 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019

Check out Thrillist.com for information on where to eat for free in NYC!


Visit New York City's Official Web Site and NYCGo.com for more things to see and do during your vacation to New York City!