Best for Families: Free & Easy Family Vacation Activities With a High Fun Factor

[Nancy Nelson-Duac]

Free and easy is a magic phrase for moms and dads balancing work and play. Enjoying time together and making memories matters and when it can happen while staying within budget it is even better.

Family vacation planning has always been a balancing act between fun, time and dollars invested. So, I think it is always a benefit to discover ways to increase vacation value but not exhaust the budget. The economic crunch has made each of us pay closer attention to vacation budgets and to consider the value of time with our children.

In reality fun does not need to have a monetary price tag. Sometimes the best things in life are free. The FamilyTravelFiles.com “Free or Almost Free” series highlights unique experiences meant to be shared without breaking the bank. What can be free and still fun? Are you wondering what’s on the list?

Kissimmee, Florida in the Orlando area hosts weekly free classic car cruises in Old Town – music included. At Lake Kissimmee State Park amid the headwaters for the Florida Everglades park rangers conduct free “Cow Camp" living history sessions.

In Alexandria, Virginia, ride the King Street Old Town Trolley with 20 stops for free or take to the streets for a do-it-yourself urban adventure using a scavenger hunt provided by the Alexandria Archaeology Museum.

Near San Diego, the Nature Center at San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve home of Lorenzo Lizard, join one of the fun and free guided seasonal walks conducted for families or head for Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to take advantage of a wide variety of free year-round programs including educational hikes, workshops, and awesome stargazing.

Connect with Colonial Virginia in Richmond. Step back in time and meet Patrick Henry, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson on the street or pack a picnic dinner and plunk down and enjoy free family-friendly music on the grass terrace of Wilton House on the James River.

The complete menu of Free or Almost Free destination options may be viewed at theFamilyTravelFiles.com by clicking on the special lifestyle folder within the e-zine. To expand the list for the future, parents or grandparents are encouraged to “Tell Mom” about their favorite free or almost free family activity activity.

www.theFamilyTravelelFiles.com is one of America's top-rated online family travel resources offering more than 1000 pages of timely family vacation ideas. The user friendly website specializes in displaying family vacation experiences, road trip getaways, destination information, ideas and advice about family travel. Unique lifestyle folders contain articles and vacation ideas with a narrowed focus. The list includes Family Tours, Reunions, Beaches, Soft Adventures, Mountain Tops, Cruises, Theme Parks, Snow Places, Green Spots, City Takes, Secret Places, Camp Out, and Free or Almost Free.