Travel Tip #48 - Keep an eye out for fun Holiday outings

     I've mentioned before that you don't need to travel far or spend a lot of money to have an enjoyable family outing. There are many fun things to do right in your own backyard. This is especially true during holidays. We've been able to do several fun, cheap activities during various holiday seasons just by checking out what is going on around town. Some of the fun things we've done are: taking a "Halloween cruise" down a small section of the river that is decked out for the holiday; getting apple cider and apple sauce donuts after shooting apple blasters and other fun activities at an apple farm during the harvest; visiting a scarecrow festival; participating in a reenactment of the first Thanksgiving; visiting a Festival of Trees decorated for Christmas; driving through neighborhoods or public centers decked out with fun Christmas lights; exploring ice castles in winter; participating in Easter egg hunts; watching free pageants about Easter; visiting hot air balloon launches, fireworks shows, parades, and reenactments of colonial days for Independence Day. Those are just some of the things we've done.

Walking down the path to our boat for the Halloween Cruise

Visiting the local Ice Castles

     There is a holiday practically every month of the year, which means that there is often something going on locally that you can participate in without putting out much effort or money. We used to get a local newspaper before I realized that their internet site was easily accessible, free, easier to navigate, and didn't stain your fingers black. Ever since I started accessing it daily, I became a lot more up to date on different events going on in the area. Another easy way to find out about things is word of mouth. With all the social media sites, you often see friends' pictures about fun things they're doing. It's easy just to respond and ask details so that you can enjoy that activity too.
     With so many wonderful opportunities out there, take time to smell the roses all around you and enjoy the holiday season!