Traveling with kids can be expensive, which is why parents are most likely to be trolling the budget columns of travel magazines for ideas on cheap and free things to do on vacation. A perennial favorite on those frugal lists? City parks. A city with a great park system is often very child friendly, and the park is just the start.

5 Great City Parks Worth Visiting

Pittsburgh – Frick Park

This 5-acre park hosts municipal sporting events and free theater. It also features an 18 “hole” fitness course with exercise pit stops along the route.

New York City – Central Park

The mother of all parks, Central Park is practically a city unto itself, complete with interesting citizens and busy intersections.

Savannah – Forsyth Park

Tourists flock to the fountains, but locals are more likely to be spending their weekends in the park’s cafe and splash park.

Cleveland – Cleveland Metroparks

Enjoy river hiking or just watching the waterfalls in the Metroparks, a network of parks that circles the city of Cleveland.

Chicago - Millennium Park

The sleek, reflective surfaces of The Bean is just steps away from wide lawns and beautiful flower gardens along the shores of Lake Michigan. Better still? You’re a short cab ride away from the shopping on Michigan Avenue.

Photos Britt Reints

The Creole Choir of Cuba perform at the Chicago World Music Fest

Visit the Windy City this week and you can grab the added bonus of traveling around the world without any extra cost. The annual Chicago World Music Fest presents rhythms from around the globe , transporting listeners to  exotic places like Mali, Cuba, Finland and Egypt.  The 13th annual event takes place city-wide in multiple venues including museums. parks, theaters and clubs. Read More »

A display of hand-crafted carvings at the African Festival of the Arts

Every Labor Day weekend, thousands of  Chicago visitors travel to a bustling African village and experience the richness and diversity of the continent.  Expensive plane tickets and complex itineraries aren’t even required because this village is conveniently located on the lush grounds of historic Washington Park, in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. This 22nd annual event is Chicago’s largest neighborhood festival and attracts 300,000 attendees during four days of festivities. Read More »

This is the easiest Where in the World: Public Art contribution yet. I like to start the month with a gimme.

Here are some clues to help you guess where this public art is located:

1. The town is known for pizza.

2. It’s windy.

3. Wilco and Harry Caray.

4. Da Bears.

I really hope you’ve figured it out by now, but if not the answer is Chicago, which is my kind of town.

Chicago is one of the coolest (and often coldest) cities in America. Any visit should include a ride on the world’s first Ferris wheel, a pint from Goose Island Brewery and a boat tour of the city.

The public art shown above is called Cloud Gate, but everyone knows it as The Bean. I’m not sure why it isn’t called Da Bean, but what do I know from art? It is located in Millennium Park and was created by artist Anish Kapoor by welding 168 stainless steel plates together. The wonderful thing about this piece is that the view is always different — not that it moves, but the skyline and people reflected in it are always in flux. If art can be considered fun, The Bean is it.

This post is part of UpTake’s Public Art Series.

Photo: Bosc d’Anjou via Flickr