If your budget can't include Disney World, consider something close-or a "staycation"
So you're looking for somewhere to take the kids, or just yourself, but this year's budget is a bit too tight to consider jet setting to other parts of the country, or beyond? One needn't journey too far to take in sights, have fun or just relax.
Aurora Cruz, who spoke recently at the behest of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp., mentioned Michigan City, Ind.; Galena, Ill.; and Lake Geneva, Wis., as nearby places she's visited that don't have to blow a hole in your budget.
"My goal is to encourage and inspire people to travel even if it's a small trip and to show them how to look for deals," Cruz told DNA Info. "I just want to encourage them to think outside of the box and not necessarily think 'OK, I just want to go to Vegas,' but think of something that might be closer, but it wouldn't cost as much money," she said.
Indiana Dunes State Park provides just such an opportunity, with camping site prices of as low as $19 per night-although mostly weekday availability only for this summer. The park includes three miles of beaches at the southern end of Lake Michigan, dunes that reach 200 feet high, and a wide range of habitats and plant and animal species.
Starved Rock State Park, about two hours southwest of Chicago, has sites for about $25 per week and appears to have greater availability for summer weekends in 2015. The park offers hiking up to scenic bluffs and through narrow canyons, horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking, eagle watching and more.
For those seeking an urban adventure, the city of Milwaukee offers somewhat more affordable accommodations than travelers to Chicago might find and at least some of the same cultural amenities. Most notably, the nation's largest music festival, Summerfest, will fill the air from June 23 - July 5, with a kickoff concert by the Rolling Stones, and the city offers a variety of ethnic festivals at the same lakefront facility.
Of course, living in a world-class metropolis like Chicago means that you don't necessarily need to leave your backyard, and such "staycations" within the 312 and 773 area codes are becoming increasingly popular. CCLT staff and board members offered up their suggestions on how to spend summer in the city on a shoestring.
Kara Breems, Executive Director of the Chicago Community Land Trust, loves exploring Chicago-and other cities like Milwaukee-on her bike. "Besides being very affordable (no parking! No gas! No rental fees!), there's something about being on a bike - especially when you're not in a hurry to get somewhere - that feels very adventurous," she says. "Because you're going slower than in a car, you see so much more, and you can stop anytime you see something that looks like it may be interesting. Or tasty!"
Breems notes that in Chicago, one can rent a Divvy bike pass for 24 hours for just $7-the only catch is, trips have to be 30 minutes or less. "I think that would make for a fun "vacation" day: download the divvy app so you know exactly where all the stations are, and then spend the day riding Divvys for 30 minutes stretches -- see where you end up, hang out there for awhile or keep riding," she says. "You could plan out your trip to hit a bunch of highlights - or you could just start riding and see where you end up!"
Lawrence Grisham, Managing Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, recommends the city's museums as a place to travel on a dime. "Chicago has among the best, and most diverse, museums of any major city; not just the major ones, but many wonderful neighborhood museums," he says. "Most of them have free days." (For a comprehensive list please click here.)
Teresa Lambarry, Outreach Director at CCLT, adds the (always free) Lincoln Park Zoo to Grisham's suggestion about free museum days. "I love frequenting the Lincoln Park Zoo with my grandchildren," she says. "The museums are a great resource for activities for the children and a lot even for an adult to see and learn. Pack lunches so that you don't spend so much money on food."
CCLT Board Member Robert McGhee, Vice President and Community Development Manager at Citi, suggests "the great architecture tour on the Chicago River," looking into Groupon local hotel and excursion deals, and attending one or more of the city's "tons of local neighborhood festivals...several of which are free of charge." (Click here.)
CCLT board member Guacolda Reyes, Vice President of Real Estate Development at The Resurrection Project, agrees that neighborhood festivals are wonderful but adds that Chicago's neighborhoods are great places to visit on any given day. "They offer ethnic food, art, culture, music, languages, and much more," she says. "Come to Pilsen, Little Italy, Greek Town, etc.!"
In Pilsen, Reyes says, on a nice day one can easily walk down the main drag of 18th Street from Halsted to Harrison Park. "I can visit some of the art galleries, eat a bite of trendy Mexican food, visit some of the cultural stores that showcase artesanias de Mexico, and visit the National Mexican Art Museum," she says.
CCLT board member Timothy Hughes, Director of Real Estate at ComEd, points out to families with children that Chicago's beaches are all free-as are the picnic areas in City of Chicago parks and Cook County forest preserves.
Along those same lines, CCLT Board Member and Economic Development Consultant Joel Bookman suggests the (also free) North Park Village Nature Center as "a great place to walk, relax, meditate, learn about beekeeping, treekeeping, maple syrup collecting, nature and wildlife." He notes that the center was one of 18 "places to recharge in Chicago" featured in the Huffington Post.
Places to visit in and around Chicago on a budget also has been chronicled on the Choose Chicago site, Trip Advisor,USA Today, Huffington Post and more. There are really no shortage of ideas for places to go in and near Chicago that can fit just about any family's budget!
Showcase
