By Bob Difley
When trying to save a little money on the road, it is not enough to just look at expenditures for campgrounds and eating out. What you spend for entertainment can also mount up, especially when you visit expensive venues like theme parks, high-profile concerts, and other heavily-promoted events and locations.
When traveling keep an eye out for those entertainment and attraction options that do not have big advertising budgets that catch your eye, opportunities like small town and community events like fairs, parades, chili cookoffs, local historic reenactments (photo – Civil War reenactment at Fort McAllister State Historic Park, near Savannah, Georgia) and art shows. Also look for local museums, historic sites, and parks.
Scenic locations, trails, wildlife viewing spots, and viewpoints in national and state forests and on other public lands also usually do not have big enough advertising budgets to command your attention if you do not have your curiosity antenna up.
The following, Number 18 in the list from my ebook, 111 Ways to get the Biggest Bang for your RV Lifestyle Buck, shows how to find low cost or free entertainment wherever you travel–some of which may just turn out to be among the most memorable.
18. Attractions, oddities, the joys of curiosity
Many RVers focus on the destination and forget the trip. Think of all the great attractions you pass when you have the blinders on barreling down the interstate. Many of these attractions, whether scenic, historic, or of unique interest, are free, and as so, do not have big advertising budgets like large commercial attractions. So you have to either look for them or find out about them in another way.
One good way is to ask at visitor centers, welcome centers, federal agency offices (BLM, NFS, etc.), park entry stations, etc. You could otherwise miss a stunning scenic view or other site worth seeing—as well as missing out on free entertainment. And often, when you are visiting smaller attractions or local museums, they will let you stay overnight in their parking lot.
For more RVing articles and tips take a look at my Healthy RV Lifestyle website, where you will also find my ebooks: BOONDOCKING: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America’s Public Lands (PDF or Kindle), 111 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang for your RV Lifestyle Buck (PDF or Kindle), and Snowbird Guide to Boondocking in the Southwestern Deserts and my newest, The RV Lifestyle: Reflections of Life on the Road. NOTE: Use the Kindle version to read on iPad and iPhone or any device that has the free Kindle reader app.