Friday Fun: Summer Festivals

Summer has arrived! And with it, the influx of many local fairs and festivals. What better way to spend a Friday or Saturday afternoon? Since many of these festivals are free, its a great date idea, or even a family outing!

Bring your lunch and have a picnic near the event (this will prevent you from buying expensive festival food). Take pictures of the unique costumes and events going on.

Click here for a directory of more than 40,000 festivals world-wide. Another good place to look is your local newspaper. Try searching through its online listings, or get the Sunday paper which usually lists the week's events.

Friday Fun: Camping

How many of you own a tent? A sleeping bag? When was the last time you dug them out? If its been a while, now, more than ever, is the time to shake out the dust and get camping again!

Right now, my husband and I are busy planning a road trip to the Grand Canyon. To save money as well as get the most of the experience, we will be camping each night at a National Park. Many other Americans seem to be thinking the same thing. A recent CNN article explored this issue:

"With the economy in a slump, camping seems to be grabbing a new foothold in the travel industry. Once considered by many to be an activity for nerdy families, nature geeks and Boy Scouts, sleeping outside in a tent has become chic -- likely because it is so much cheaper than paying for a hotel room. The activity also strikes a new chord with Americans who want to get back to basics after an era of excess and overspending...(click here to read the rest of the article)"

Campgrounds usually run around 10-25 dollars a night, with State Parks being the cheapest at around 10 dollars a day. What a great way to save money while going on vacation! Since my husband and I love to travel, a tiny budget isn't going to stop us, and it shouldn't stop you either. Sleeping and experiencing the outdoors together as a family or group of friends is a great way to build and strengthen bonds with loved ones.

If you plan on taking a camping vacation this year, be sure to try and reserve a spot at reserveusa.com or recreation.gov. Popular National Parks fill up quick, so don't wait til the last minute or they might all be gone. I just recently reserved three nights at the Grand Canyon for the month of June and discovered over 2/3rds of the campground was already filled up! Less popular national parks might be less of a problem, but it never hurts! To find a national or state park near you, click here!

Friday Fun: The Great Outdoors

My husband and I love being outside. We have visited just about every park and hiking trail within a 1 hour drive. Its a way for us to connect with each other and with nature. Going on a hike is one of our favorite dates, and we are quite pumped about the warmer weather that will allow us more opportunities to go. With spring's arrival, perhaps you have an itching to get outdoors too. The great thing about parks, trails and nature is that no one can charge you for it (except for perhaps a one-time parking pass, which is usually less than 5$ for a year)! Have you discovered the parks around where you live? What about the best hiking trails in the area? I encourage all of you to get outside with a loved one sometime and let nature heal your soul. This is also a great time of the year to watch life begin anew in the woods- flowers peek out, trees sprout buds and streams rush with fresh spring rains.

For more information on finding parks near you, click here.

*Photo by Rachel Campbell