Vacations Blog

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is the author of the critically acclaimed book Broke-Ass Stuart’s Guide To Living Cheaply In San Francisco. Stuart has been busy the past year writing another ‘living cheaply’ guide – for New York.

He lived in NYC and tramped the streets, put up with friends, hunted down cheap eats and bars with happy hour drinks and free food, and in general, experienced how it feels to be ‘young, broke and beautiful’ in the Big Apple. The book is due out in November. I asked him a few questions which might help you out if you’re stuck in a bad spot in NYC. Even if you have no such problems, follow his tips and your New York vacations will be memorable, to say the least. Read More »

What can a family of four can do in New York City with a budget of $20? Before we get to all the cheap, free and fun family things to do in New York, there’s the question of getting around New York City.

Best bet for local transport is get a MetroCard. The MTA has a 1-Day Fun Pass, good for unlimited Subway and Bus rides until 3 am, which costs $7.50. These cards are for individual use only, but this is the cheapest way to get around NYC as a family, if you’re planning to visit a lot of places. Obviously, the cost of the MetroCards is in addition to our $20 cheapskate budget.

Ok, let’s get down to the attractions. The latest addition to NYC’s pantheon of free attractions are the New York City Waterfalls, created by Olafur Eliasson, and presented by the Public Art Fund. The waterfalls are made up of four scaffoldings, set up along the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Governors Island waterfronts, with water cascading down from a height of 90 to 120 feet. A temporary park has been set up on Pier 1 for free viewing, and ‘paid’ boat and bike tours are also available. Special free tickets for a free 30 minute cruise from Circle Line Downtown can be availed of by calling (866) 925-4631. More details here.

You can also watch the waterfalls from the free Staten Island ferry, which will additionally show you the other sights (including the Statue of Liberty), plus you can visit the free Staten Island Botanical Garden. The Grand Central Partnership offers free 90 minute tours with an expert guide who will show you the wonders of famous landmarks like Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building.

Central Park is another place which has an amazing array of free attractions for people of all ages and stripes. Enjoy the shows and music at SummerStage, take a free guided and themed walking tour, visit the Loeb boathouse, and stroll the park enjoying impromptu street shows. Bon Jovi is scheduled to play at a free concert in Central Park on July 12.

NYCVisit.com, the City’s official tourism website, has a comprehensive list of free attractions including museums, parks, attractions and events.

In addition to all the above mentioned, some more famous NYC landmarks and places worth visiting (for free), include Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the New York Public Library, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Rockefeller Center. Two of the best of NYC attractions which you’re going to miss, because the tickets are priced out of our $20 budget, are the Observatory on the Empire State Building, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

But we have a problem. We haven’t spent a single penny. So what say we order meals for less than $5, so all four of you can eat without spending more than $20? Visit Gray’s Papaya for their recession special (two hot dogs and a drink for $3.50), or Dumpling house at Eldridge Street in Chinatown for some cheap dumplings and sesame pancakes. I could whip out a lot more restaurants in Brooklyn and Harlem which could fill up your tank for less than $5, but that’s another post altogether…

Photo by Nexeus Fatale via Flickr (Creative Commons)

As the summer wears on, and the economy continues to lag, I strive to find some family friendly activities in San Francisco that leave my wallet unscathed. In order to maximize our entertainment dollars, I make sure we leave home well fed and rested, and bring along a couple snacks in my bag for the kids. Here are some ways that we would spend $20 on a family activity in San Francisco:

Two well-known San Francisco attractions offer free admission on certain days of the month. On the first Tuesday of the month, you can visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and on the first Wednesday of the month, the San Francisco Zoo is free to all attendees. That means I can spend my $20 on treats at Beard Papa (right down the street from SFMOMA) or on the Dentzel Carousel ($2 a ride) or Little Puffer Steam Train ($3 a ride) at the Zoo.

For a little San Francisco culture, I like to take my family to Chinatown, and explore the area on foot. Several websites offer self-guided walking tour directions – the area around Chinatown and North Beach is rich in California history. We all bring our cameras and take pictures of the many old and interesting buildings along the way. Our final stop? A stop at Golden Gate Bakery for egg custard tarts. At $1.10 a piece, we can afford enough for a great snack.

If anyone in your family is interested in the history of shipping and boats in San Francisco, head over to the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, located just west of Pier 39. The museum has several kid friendly options, including a great little activity book available at the Visitor’s Center. Tickets are $5 per person, with no charge for kids under 16. That would leave you $10 for treats at Ghiradelli Square across the street, or perhaps you might like a souvenir from one of the many vendors along the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood.

And Golden Gate Park is always free, and if you bring a picnic lunch, some outdoor games and toys, you and your family can have a great afternoon in one of the nicest open spaces in Northern California.

What is your favorite (free and cheap) destination in San Francisco?

If you’re not from Texas and you’re thinking about taking a little traveling vacation through West Texas, then I have a few tips for you. By the way, when I say travel I mean from one little town to another (or even city to town) but I’m predominantly talking about highway travel here.

For hard and fast state laws and regulations you can find a wealth of information at Findlaw or the Texas DPS website. But I’m going to tell you about a few things that aren’t official but will take the mystery out of your cross-country trip.

1. Friendliness: People really do drive friendly in Texas. If you are driving on a two-lane highway do not be surprised if as a car comes towards you and passes you the driver raises a finger (or even the whole hand) to wave at you. Please note that unless you are driving erratically or the gesture is accompanied by a honk and yell this is normally a very friendly gesture. Try it out for yourself (just make sure to use the correct finger – index versus middle) and you’ll be amazed at how many waves you get back!
2. Strange Passing Rituals: If you happen to be traveling along a two lane highway and find yourself quickly gaining on a car in front of you, please do not panic if you see that car suddenly veer off to the right and drive on the shoulder. Texans are very considerate for the most part and the person in front of you is giving you the opportunity to pass them so that your travel is not slowed and you are not inconvenienced. Granted this can be a bit disconcerting when you are driving at speeds in excess of 70. Your best bet is to get past them quickly before a curve appears or they veer just a tad bit too far and gravel begins flying up at your car. Is this legal? Who knows! But it is a fact of life on Texas two-lanes. Now you will also understand why that car that just flew up behind you is flashing their lights, tailgating, and honking. They are expecting you to pull over so that they can pass.
3. Do Not Run Out Of Gas: Pay very close attention to your map and know the distances your car can travel…even when sitting on empty. It is entirely possible to go hundreds of miles on country roads and not pass an open gas station. If you are driving late at night the odds double that the stores will be closed in the little towns that you are passing through.
4. Make Sure You Have In-Car Entertainment For The Kids: Do not count on the passing scenery to entice your little ones for very long. If you are in West Texas you will find miles and miles of flat country with little to no variety in the scenery. Texas has a wild and beautiful feel to it but it is also a wide and long state and it literally takes hours to get from one location to another.

Well those are all the tips I have for now, hopefully it will be enough to make you feel like a Texas native while you are traversing our rugged countryside. Have you ever driven across Texas on a trip? If so, do you have any additional tips you would like to see here? Or possibly something happened while driving that you did not understand at the time and still puzzles you? If so, just let me know and I will do my best to take the mystery out of driving across Texas!

Until next time . . .

Paige aka PJsTravelinTexas