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!

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

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!

Snoqualmie Falls

"The 270 foot drop off a ledge of volcanic rock inspired Charles Baker's vision of the world's first fully underground hydropower plant."

Snoqualmie Falls, actually only 268 feet, is Washington State's most popular waterfall.  The park offers free parking and a free viewing area.

There is an easy hiking trail, 1.2 miles round trip, to the bottom of the falls.

Tip: As you are driving towards the park, watch for overflow parking on the opposite side of the road.  It kind of jumps up on you, but will easier to get into than the parking lot right in front of the park.

Shakamak State Park

Shakamak State Park is located at 6265 W. State Road 48, Jasonville, Indiana 47438.

Donated abandoned mines, are now the result of 400 acres of water in the form of 3 manmade lakes in this park.

Four hiking trails exist in the park ranging from 1.4 miles to 3.95 miles in distance, and moderate in skill.

The park was named from Kickapoo Indians meaning "River of Long Fish".

Onsite:

• waterpark
• swimming pool
• camping
• boating
• fishing
• hiking
• horseback riding

What's Nearby:

• Terre Haute Children's Museum - admission $7
• Pioneer Village in Fowler Park
• Boot City Opry

What's FREE to See!

• Swope Art Museum
• Clabber Girl Museum
• Candles Holocaust Museum
• Irishman's Covered Bridge

Check out the city of Terre Haute's Calendar of Events to see what's FREE to see during your visit!

Indiana State Parks

Potato Creek State Park

Potato Creek State Park is located at 25601 State Road 4, North Liberty, IN 46554, just 12 miles southwest of South Bend, Indiana.

Located in Potato Creek State Park is the 327 acre Worster Lake. 

Hiking trails in the park range from easy to rugged, and from .5 miles to 2.5 miles.  There are also two biking trails in the park, one 3.3 miles moderate trail and one 6.6 beginner mountain bike trail.

Events in the park include everything from an Egg Hunt in the Spring to a Prairie Grass Maze in the Fall.  Check out the Calendar of Events page for more information.

Onsite:

• fishing
• swimming beach
• camping
• hiking
• horseback riding
• bicycling
• cabins
• boating
• cross-country skiing
• birdwatching

Nearby:

• Ride The Dixie - Dixie Sternwheeler 75 minute Cruises only $7!
• The Studebaker Museum
• University of Notre Dame
• South Bend Chocolate Company - only $1 for kids $4 for adults

What's FREE to See!
Snite Museum of Art
Civil Rights Heritage Center
Shiojiriniwa Gardens
Notre Dame's Grotto

Indiana State Parks