This is from the Howl! Festival’s Art Around the Park back in 2009, but it’s still awesome!

The Howl! Festival is held in New York City, and it’s a great time. Take the kids, spend the day.

This post is part of the UpTake Public Art Series. If you see an interesting piece of public art, snap a picture and send it in. We’ll feature it on UpTake!

Photo: Ralph Hockens via Flickr

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

Major metropolitan areas don’t often cater to the nature-loving crowd, but that doesn’t mean you can’t camp while getting your urban fix. Why would you try, especially when visiting New York City? Because camping in the NYC area is about a quarter of the cost of your average Manhattan hotel room, and that’s a room that’s likely going to include one bed and not near enough room for a family.

My family of four is 3 months into our year-long RV tour of the United States and we recently made a 2 week stop in the Big Apple. We were surprised to find that New York City actually offered the most convenient big city camping experience thus far, and camping allowed us to experience a big bite of the city without breaking our itty-bitty budget.

The secret? We didn’t actually camp in New York City.

Short of pitching a tent in Central Park and hoping you don’t get busted by park security, the closest camping is going to be found outside of Manhattan. (OK, there is camping in Long Island, but that doesn’t count, nice as it is.) Jersey City, New Jersey is home to the Liberty Harbor Marina and RV Resort. The word Resort really should be in quotes. It’s a parking lot.

Actually, it’s a parking lot with a small lawn near the restrooms where you can pitch a tent if you’re camping old school style.

The real appeal of this location is its, well, location. It’s a five-minute walk from a PATH station, the subway system that connects New Jersey and lower- and mid-Manhattan. A ride is just $1.75 per person, even less than a genuine subway ride on the MTA system. The trains come often day and night and deposit riders at the World Trade Center or at several stops throughout midtown. At $60 a night, this is a great way to experience the city with a family.

Photo by Britt Reints

We love freebies, but sometimes you have to spend a little money to have a great time – emphasis on a little. Once you’ve made the rounds of New York City’s finest freebies, pull out the piggy bank and pamper yourself with these cheap treats.

1. Get a massage in Chinatown.

Don’t expect scented candles and aromatherapy, but you can get an hour-long massage for $30 at places like the Relax Foot Spa. I recommend waiting until your feet have swollen to twice their normal size from all the urban hiking to really get your money’s worth.

2. Eat dumplings in Chinatown.

OK, it doesn’t have to be dumplings, but if you’re local Chinese takeout joint doesn’t offer these deliciously inappropriate-looking yummies, take this opportunity to try them out. Anything you eat in Chinatown is going to be cheap and (most likely) the best Chinese food you’ve ever tasted. Joe’s Shanghai is a tasty experience and a great place to try dumplings for the first time.  Read More »