Freebies: LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory in Livingston, Louisiana offers free group fieldtrips to their facility and science outreach center with projects, activities and exhibits designed to celebrate the science being conducted the observatory. LIGO also hosts an open-to-the-public science event on the third Saturday of each month. Outreach personnel create activities suitable for children of all age levels, using materials that can easily and affordably be purchased at regular discount stores if the kiddos want to recreate their projects after your family visit. Information on registration requirements, access protocols and group size is available on the LIGO web site.

Other science venues are free as well, and offer exceptional programming. The London Science Museum for example offers complimentary access, as does the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. For stargazing fans, the Flandrau Observatory at the University of Arizona in Tucson offers free guided telescope viewing to the public Wednesday through Saturday of every week from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Memberships: Annual memberships work as well for science museums as they do for theme parks, and much more affordably as well. For example, The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania charges only $99 per year for a full-access membership for a family of four, which includes free access to more than 250 additional science museums. Similarly, the Museum of Science in Boston offers an annual membership for a family of five for just $10 more than the regular one-time admission price for the same number of people. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo also has a great annual pass program that includes several educational experiences for children. Also in Tampa is MOSI, Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry, which offers hands-on science exhibits, movies and outdoor experiences for science fans of all ages.

Parks: The America the Beautiful pass, available through the National Parks Service, provides access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites for all occupants riding in a personal vehicle, costs only $80 per year. Allowable venues include national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. So pack your little pumpkins in the van to participate in hands-on science experiences such as the tidal pools of Maine’s Acadia National Park or California’s Channel Islands. The geysers of Yellowstone National Park are also of note, as is the junior ranger enrichment program at Shenandoah National Park, where budding young naturalists can pair up with park rangers to learn about the park’s plants, lichens, peregrine falcons and more. Travel tip: National parks are also a great resource for affordable family reunions.

Photo Credit: This image was photographed by the Trek Hound team, and is available for creative commons use through our sister site, PictureofTravelPlaces.com.

Trade:

Volunteering in exchange for accommodation is one of the best ways to control overhead expenses, according to Dunn. She’s taken care of dogs, painted murals, cooked and cleaned at retreat centers, milked goats, managed marketing plans and even led ecological treks on llamas. Another perk with volunteering she says, is the sense of home she receives from being off the beaten track and away from the hostel scene.

Transportation:

A self-proclaimed frequent flyer mile junkie, Dunn saves up her program points in order to upgrade her long-haul flights to business class. This strategy has previously cost her less than the price of an economy-class ticket! When she can’t manage to pull that off that minor miracle, Dunn enjoys traveling by train. The price is often less, and she prefers the extended scenery enjoyment that train travel provides.

Streamlining:

While it can be tempting to accumulate souvenirs and activity gear while you’re on the road, the reality of lugging those items around often destroys the fantasy of the extra comfort you hope they’ll provide, according to Dunn. When it comes to gear such as bicycles, snorkeling gear or similar equipment, Dunn chooses to rent if possible. If at the end of your research, you feel you need to buy a particular item, try to buy used. You may or not be able to sell it quickly when you move on she advises, and donating something you didn’t pay a great deal for anyway doesn’t seem to pinch as much.

Speed:

Moving at a breakneck pace is not only exhausting says Dunn, but it can wreak havoc on the long-term travel budget. Slowing down and getting to know the locals a bit before rushing off to the next destination will assist greatly in ferreting out the best deals. It’s also a sanity saver. Says Dunn, “In 2010, I traveled through over 10 countries on a whirlwind itinerary. Never sleeping longer than five nights in one bed, I emerged from the year completely exhausted. I had to simply stop moving for about six months to catch my breath.”

Photo Credit: Oakley Originals

Activities: Forgotten beach towels and misplaced shower shoes are replaced for a song at places like Dollar Tree, or even Goodwill. These are also great locations to restock those sand toys that Susie left at Grandma’s two days ago. Coupons printed from the hotel business center provide savings on everything from extra sunscreen to pizza delivery.

Weather: Packing light means you have to make your best guess as to what the temperature will be at your vacation destination. Stop at the nearest thrift store for sweaters and gloves if it looks like that drive into the mountains will be unexpectedly crisp, or grab some light-weight items if the weather at your beach cottage becomes unseasonably warm. There’s no need to pay full price for items you’ll only be using temporarily.

Storage: Lost luggage or an unexpected windfall of family gifts can create storage stress. Why dish out retail dollars when a $6 replacement piece from the Salvation Army will work just fine for the drive home? Drawstring mesh bags and zippered pencil pouches from the dollar store are extremely affordable ways to organize damp beach laundry and other vacation incidentals like snorkeling gear.  Inexpensive carry-on totes provide overflow storage for extra items accumulated on the trip.

Delays: If unforeseen circumstances force you to extend your trip by a few days, there are ways to keep the costs from spiraling completely out of control. Vacation dining expenses can be culled by purchasing dime store utensils and other items to prepare simple meals in the room, and entertainment activities can be handled with a laptop computer, area parks and the hotel pool. Use the downtime to research the best gas prices available for the drive home, and to stock a cooler with meal items that can be consumed easily at highway picnic areas.

Photo Credit: iStock

Destinations:

Choosing a cave-rich destination extends your long-distance travel dollars. Virginia for example, has eight large cavern systems, making it a paradise for parents of budding speleologists. Of note are Mirror Lake and Giant’s Hall in Luray Caverns, as well as Shenandoah Caverns’ bacon formations and handicapped accessibility. Missouri is another speleological smorgasbord, with explorable caves and caverns throughout the state.

Access:

Hiking is a free way to access caves suited to your ability level. If there are several in a wilderness area you’d like to explore, plan to pitch a tent. Whether you choose to stay where there’s a site fee or not, camping is a fun and frugal way to control your accommodation costs.

Tours:

Tours provide an affordable way to discover if you are interested in moving forward with a caving hobby, and are available at many impressive caverns around the world, including Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona and cable-car-accessible Jeita Grotto in Lebanon. Guided experiences are available to wild caving newbies as well, providing practice, equipment and skill development. Travel writer Gretchen Kelly had just such an experience in Wales, in a cave called Porthyr Ogof. During a day-long preparatory class with a local adventure company, Kelly learned techniques for safely negotiating tight spaces at an off-site, constructed practice cave. These skills, along with the required caving suit, lighted helmet and gloves, were critical to her successful experience at the actual cave on the following day.

Training:

Theactiveexplorer.com’s Erika Wiggins, a 14-year vertical caving veteran and high-angle rescue technician, stresses training for conservation as well. Every caver, says Wiggins, should learn to avoid damaging the environment they will be exploring. Touching a growing formation can stop its development forever, and even a dropped sunflower seed shell will remain for generations. Wiggins advises beginners to contact the National Speleological Society to find a local caving organization – called a grotto – where you can meet and learn from other cavers.

Photo Credit: Tolomea

This simple street scene was photographed on the islet of Sirmione, along the shores of Italy’s Lake Garda. It’s a popular destination for tourists to take a boat ride, go for a swim, tour ancient Roman ruins and catch a romantic Italian dinner.

Leisure: The Miami Beach Botanical Garden provides a free tropical oasis in the heart of South Beach totaling more than four acres. More of an art fan? The Miami Art Museum offers free admission on the second Saturday of each month. Exercise enthusiasts on the other hand, will want to visit Bayfront Park, which hosts free outdoor yoga classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m., and Saturdays at 9 a.m.

Dining: Bayfront Park is also a popular hangout for numerous food trucks selling frugal lunch fare.  Visitors looking for affordable mid-day food can enjoy cart food by the bay, or take a short stroll up Flagler Street to the Paul S. Walker pocket park, one of several small green spaces in the city suitable for a money-saving sightseer’s picnic. Tobacco Road, Miami’s oldest bar, offers $5 lunch specials on Monday through Wednesday which include hot, hearty sandwiches, hand-cut fries and a soda. The establishment is also known for its live music, and one of the best Friday-night happy hours around, featuring 99-cent drinks for 99 minutes starting at 6 p.m.

Transportation: As any local can tell you, parking in Miami isn’t usually cheap. That makes the Metromover, downtown Miami’s above-ground rail system a popular choice for visitors and locals alike. The Metromover is free for anyone to ride, and stops at all major downtown destinations. Boarding times are convenient, with cars arriving every ninety seconds during rush hours, and every three minutes during off-peak times.

Accommodations: On Airbnb.com, a web site listing guest spaces available with local home owners, I found a number of overnight accommodation options for two in Miami Beach offered at less than $100 each. For Beyoncé spotters on more of a backpacking budget, South Beach Hostel provides dorm-style sleeping with complimentary breakfast and free Wi-Fi for less than $30 per night.

Photo Credits: Trek Hound and Art Explosion

Packages: A pretty penny can be saved by participating in package deals, and concierge services are a great way to find them. Northwest Golf Adventures assembles affordable packages to Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia based on the type of lodging, amenities and budget limits golfers want. Typical cost savings range from 10 to 20 percent. Similarly, Golf Maine helps travelers plan affordable golf getaways throughout the state.

Public: Private courses cost markedly more than public ones, many of which offer a comparable experience for a fraction of the price. Denver’s city park for example, offers a municipal 18-hole golf course located near the city’s science and nature museum. The Jekyll Island Club in Georgia is a popular public golf resort featuring 63 holes and a club hotel that is a national historic landmark.

Planning: Book a cottage or condo within easy driving distance to one or more golf courses at your chosen destination. The National Trust Holiday Cottages of Wales provide money-saving kitchen access in idyllic settings near several quality courses within the country. To save money in Scotland, the birthplace of golf, use Green Fee Savers for half-price savings at courses throughout the country. Golfholiday.com’s Chris King recommends later tee times and replays as two of the top ways golfers can save money. Afternoon and early-evening golf rounds routinely come with reduced fees compared to early morning sessions, and courses tend to offer discounted rates when you play a course for a second time.

Pairings: A single trip with multiple family activity options makes the most of your vacation dollars. For example, the Algarve region of Portugal offers beaches, thermal spas and historic architecture in addition to numerous golf courses. Golfing in the wine country of Washington state or California’s Napa Valley on the other hand, will bring numerous wine tasting opportunities. Lovers of tall, historic ships will enjoy the golf and sail getaways offered by the Samoset Resort in Rockland, Maine. For all-inclusive packages starting at $400, you can enjoy a round of golf along with a three-day windjammer cruise.

Photo Credit: Fevi Yu

Destinations: Choose a place that’s rich in bird life with affordable day-to-day expenses to maximize your money. For example, Uganda is home to half the bird species in Africa, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Numerous national parks offer spotting opportunities there, including the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Murchison Falls. Vanessa Townsend, tour guide for Volcanoes Safaris in Uganda, favors Queen Elizabeth National Park in particular, for the more than 600 species of birds that call the refuge home. However, according to Amos Wekesas, owner of Great Lakes Safaris, the entire nation is fair game. Says Wekesas, “In Uganda, birding starts at the airport and continues throughout the country.” Adios Adventure Travel’s Jacquie Whitt, recommends Mindo, Ecuador with more than 350 bird types, and rooms as low as $50 per night.

Gear: Sheridan Samano of Reefs to Rockies, a conservation tour company, advises purchasing the best pair of binoculars you can afford. It will make a difference in the level of details you’ll be able to see. Samano says it isn’t so much the size, but rather the glass quality and light-capturing capabilities that are important. Audubonguides.com sells affordable mobile field guide apps for smart phone users, while traditional paperback guides are available from both Sibley and National Geographic.  A few sun-protective clothing items should also be included. Tilley makes an Audubon hat for example, that provides protection from solar rays and includes a hidden security pocket.

Parks: Wildlife refuges offer free and inexpensive bird-spotting opportunities. McCurtain County, Oklahoma has three, including Beaver Bend State Park, Little River National Wildlife Refuge and Red Slough Wildlife Management Area. Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources has a first-time campers program which includes two-night park stays with the use of all necessary gear for $20.

Share: Carpool and share accommodations with other birders to save money. The Blue Heron Inn in Darien, Georgia offers a four-bedroom cottage at $250 per night with a three-night minimum stay. The inn is minutes away from the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, part of Georgia’s drivable Colonial Coast Birding Trail. Similar trails exist in Maine, Oregon and Texas.  Of note is the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail, linking Minnesota to the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Photo Credits: These images were photographed by the Trek Hound team, and are available through a creative commons agreement with our sister site, Pictures of Travel Places.

Purchase Presents at Your Location:

You can pick up warm scarves with matching gloves in Berlin, perfume in Paris and fun children’s toys nearly anywhere. This keeps the luggage space concerns in check. Utilize gift wrapping services at the stores where you shop to help make things feel festive.

Try Not to Get Too Serious with Regards to Supplies:

A few party hats, candles, birthday cupcakes and noisemakers can pack discreetly in the back of the minivan without giving the surprise away. Filled balloons and a giant sheet cake? Not so much really. You don’t have to bring everything but the kitchen sink with you. Pull off at a rest stop for lunch and have one parent head into the restrooms with the birthday boy or girl while the rest of you set out sandwiches and surprise party supplies at the nearest picnic table to have ready when they walk around to the other side of your vehicle.

Traditions Can Be Transported Nearly Anywhere:

My husband has enjoyed Wednesday night pasta dinners since he was a child. Remember that vintage Prince Spaghetti commercial? Well, we’ve celebrated it every Wednesday night throughout our entire marriage. Even on the day we lost our home to a flood and had to make a flying trip to the emergency room to deal with an evacuation injury. Granted, it was fresh tortellini and a simple spinach salad with wine as opposed to a hearty sauce that simmered for a day with homemade garlic bread. But the point is, we pulled it off. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s OK with lo mein or pad Thai when we’re traveling in Asia. Give him noodles on Wednesday, and he’s a happy man.

Stay Someplace Special:

If you’ve been trekking from hostel to hostel for months, consider upgrading to a posher place for your anniversary or the birthday of your significant other. Privacy’s hard to come by when you’re staying in two-dollar-per-night dorm room accommodations. A short-term splurge can light a spark and commemorate the occasion nicely.

These are our favorite simple tips for celebrating special occasions from the road. What are yours?

Photo Credit: Will Clayton

Offer Assistance:

It’s certainly not your responsibility to function as a free cleaning service if you’ve been invited to stay. That being said, offering to help with dishes or to include additional household items in a load of laundry you might be doing is sort of guest etiquette 101.  Also, if a snag occurs due to your presence and your host is off at work for the day, you should do your best to try and fix the issue. For example, when we were hanging with a friend of ours for the Thanksgiving holiday in Quito, Ecuador, the gas canister used to supply the oven and stovetop with heat ran dry.

Since we knew our host had handled extra cooking duties to prepare for our arrival and that she would also be hosting a dinner party later that evening, we took it upon ourselves to flag down the gas truck when it made its morning rounds in her neighborhood. The issue was solved before she ever arrived home from work.

Respect Your Host’s Schedule:

Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean your host is. Hopping in the shower when breadwinners need to be getting ready for work and asking a million questions during morning rush hour when Mom is getting the kids ready for the school bus is definitely annoying, regardless of whether or not your host bothers to point it out to you. If the people you are staying with work at home, it isn’t appropriate to interrupt them there anymore than it would be to call them at a traditional office to ask for tourist support. If you’re visiting people who live in a popular tourist destination, chances are they’re used to hosting guests on a regular basis. That means you’re likely to find informational packets in your guest room, or a home manual for visitors.

Try Not to Make Too Much of an Impact:

If you’re landing with a large group, letting your teenagers run rough shot with the hot water and electricity is a no-no. Certainly, your hosts will want you to feel welcome and comfortable. But finding a load of sopping wet laundry in the dryer that’s already run through five times because a pre-teen wasn’t supervised may result in you never being invited again. Ditto with the open window in the guest room while you run the heating or air conditioning to extremes. If you feel like it would be appreciated, and the length of your stay has been significant, discreetly restock things like toilet paper, laundry detergent and pantry staples prior to your departure.

Gifts Are a Nice Gesture:

People like to feel appreciated when you visit, which is why I have a repertoire of hostess gifts that I personally like to give when I visit friends, family and acquaintances. Kitchen candles, dinner wine and unisex spa supplies are great for consumables, and when we visit expat friends abroad we’re always sure to bring a supply of items they are unable to purchase in their host country. Chocolate chips, peanut butter and even a favorite facial cleanser have all made the wish lists of numerous hosts over the years.

These are some general rules of thumb and by no means serve as a comprehensive guide to guest etiquette. They will however get you on the right track if you are new to traveling in general.

Photo Credit: Evil Erin