Shelburne Museum – Americana by the Acre

Located near Lake Champlain, the Shelburne Museum houses a pretty spectular collection of Americana.  Included is the steamship Ticonderoga, pictured above, which, in an amazing feat of engineering, was moved overland the two miles from Lake Champlain.  There is also a lighthouse from Lake Champlain that was disassembled and moved to the museum and a miniature circus that is pretty amazing.  These attractions are just the tip of the iceberg.

This is a great family adventure.   The price of admission is good for two days, which will be necessary.  The price for Vermont residents is the best deal at 1/2 price, but the family fare — $50 for two adults it their children — is pretty fair for the rest of us.

Photo credit: pdbreen

Boston Travels: Enjoying Quincy Market

There is enough budget wise stuff to do in and around here to fill a day.  Boutique window shopping, street performers, amazing food (or pack a lunch), and room for kids to leap and hop are just some of the attractions.  Planning a trip to include Quincy Market (Faneuil Hall Marketplace)?  Make it on a Saturday, bring shopping bags and include a trip to the nearby Farmer’s Market.  There are good deals all day, but visiting at the end of the day is best for two reasons — you’re not toting fresh produce all day AND the vendors are more willing to deal, because they don’t want to tote that produce back home.

Also, the Freedom Trail passes by Quincy Market and the remarkably moving Holocaust Memorial is right there as well.

Photo credit: fuzzcat

Concord Coach Lines – Affordable and comfortable

When it comes to traveling to Boston from Maine or New Hampshire, one option stands head and shoulders above the others, in my humble opinion.  That option is the highway coaches run by Concord Coach Lines.

Concord’s routes all end at either South Station or Logan Airport.  The price is reasonable — $25.00  same-day round trip ticket through 3/31/10 — and the amenities are stellar.   Some buses have power outlets in the seats, some have WiFi.  Some offer water and a snack at the beginning of the trip.  All have complimentary headsets for watching a movie or listening to one of four types of music.  I have found these coaches always to be clean and comfortable, non-smoking, and equipped with bathroom.

Another point of note is that these coaches run on time!  Portland, Maine, to walking around Boston in two hours.  That is not going to happen with any other means of transport.

Boston, Mass, is not an easy city to navigate by car if one is not familiar with it.  My suggestion?  Make the most of your day by taking a Concord Trailways bus and walk it when you get there.

Need cheap travel gear? Consider these contractor’s bags!

Always on the lookout for affordable travel tips, I was thrilled to find these sturdy, zippered bags normally used by plumbers and other contractors to keep their gear organized. Read more

The Magic Lantern – Bridgton, Maine

The old-fashioned charm of a roomy, plush home town movie theatre with hundreds of seats is the stuff of nostalgia for a lot of people.  Those theatres  often have been restored and used for different purposes or have been replaced with sterile, non-descript multiplexes that are synonymous with cinema to at least one or two generations of movie goers.

On Route 302 in Bridgton, Maine, the best of both worlds exists in the Magic Lantern theatre.  The original Magic Lantern, where Steven King’s “Carrie” premiered in 1976, was leveled in 2006, rebuilt and reopened in 2008.  It contains 3 theatres. Each theatre includes a small balcony only accessible to adults age 21 and older.  There is ample parking behind the theatre.

There is also a cinema pub on the premises, making dinner and a movie virtually seamless.  Sometimes in the same room!   Movies are always first-run, and the price of admission is unbelievable.  Adults pay $6.50. Children, seniors and matinees are $5.00.

If you find yourself in Bridgton, Maine, with time to spare, consider a movie at the Magic Lantern.  It’s an experience you’ll remember at a price you can’t forget.

Dirt Cheap Travel Shopping at Dollar Tree

Picking up all the incidentals you need for a trip can result in a rather hefty shopping tab. Fortunately, there are several items you can pick up for cheap at your local Dollar Tree. Read more