Yeah, has it been a rough year for you? Me too. The economy has taken bites out of two of my jobs this year, but that hasn’t stopped me. I’ve boarded five planes, have driven over 3,000 miles, and biked, well, a countless amount of roadways. What I have discovered this summer is that travel does not always have to be expensive.

Prior to this summer, it had been over ten years since I had visited the Windy City. Since June, I have been back three times. I mean, honestly, it’s that good. The best part is that I wasn’t stuck inside all day while I was there — I was out having a great time and experiencing the city. All of this, amazingly, was free.

Sound too good to be true? Okay, maybe a little. But aside from the act of getting to the city (gas money, plane or train ticket) and a place to stay (I am fortunate enough to have some great friends that let me annoy them by couch surfing), you really can have an amazing time without spending a dime.

Chicago Skyline by Jessie Barber

Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory – The zoo and conservatory are both free every day, 365 days per year. Check out hundred of animal and plant species while soaking in the awesome atmosphere of Lincoln Park.

Museum of Contemporary Art – Every Tuesday you can explore the four floors of this modern museum. It’s in the heart of the Magnificent Mile, but in the summer you can relax on their lawn and enjoy many exciting events that include picnics, live music, and even a Farmer’s Market.

The Art Institute of Chicago – Now for one of the big players in the Chicago museum game. Free admission is from 5-8pm on Thursdays, which is a steal considering that they recently opened the modern wing. It sits just to the south of Millennium Park, so after enjoying some sculpture outdoors, hop across the street and enjoy everything from Edward Hopper to early Egyptian sculpture. Remember that scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off where they are exploring famous art? Yeah, this is it.

Not enough free for you? Don’t forget the Chicago Cultural Center (free every day), the Buckingham Fountain, The Chicago History Museum (free on Mondays), The Museum of Contemporary Photography (free every day), or Navy Pier’s firework shows. There are beaches along Lake Michigan that can keep you entertained for hours (trust me, it’s prime people-watching). Check out some video from my trip while you’re at it.

In you’re interested in keeping your cost (and stresses) even lower, take along your bicycle. Chicago is not only a very flat city, but you’ll find bike lines on almost all streets. Be sure to brush up on your bicycle safety beforehand! If you don’t have a bike or can’t get yours to the city, you can rent one, grab the El Train, or a bus.

Alright, Magellan, now that you have the tools, run out and explore your favorite cities for free. You will be surprised how much you find when you take a look!

Jessie Barber is a free travel expert, photographer, graphic designer and all around artists. Check out her photos and portfolio.

Earlier in April, we asked our readers for their suggestions of the cheapest spots for summer travel. Originally, we were going to add 20 of the suggestions to our initial list of 10, but with 180 responses, we decided to make an entire list from your suggestions.

Without further ado, here are the top 30 cheapest summer travel spots – in no particular order – according to our blog readers:

Lima, Peru (Suggested by Garrett) – “The city is filled with history and cheap accommodations.”

Great Smoky Mountains (Suggested by Daniel Plinska) – “Expect to pay less than $20 a night for your campsites.”

Nashville, Tennessee (Suggested by Alyssa Browning) – “The state capitol and other historic sites, such as old Civil War battle lines, are other economical attractions.”

Apparently, It is Quite Dangerous to Ride a Bike in the Smokies

Iowa (Suggested by Laura) – “There are several arts festivals in the summertime including the free Des Moines Arts Festival in June and Jazz in July.”

Austin, Texas (Suggested by Linsey McCullough) – “Then head into downtown on Austin’s famous 6th Street and enjoy the music capital of the world while the streets are blocked off at night to take part in great people watching, shopping and cheap to near free entertainment.”

Wellington, New Zealand (Suggested by Nicole Gustas) – “The exchange rate now has the New Zealand dollar at just over 58 cents; it’s like getting the entire country at a half-off discount.”

Budapest, Hungary (Suggested by Noemi) – “Unlike Western Europe…it is very cheap!”

Portland, Oregon (Suggested by Katie MacDougall) – “Where else can you watch a movie for $3 while drinking micro-brew beer?”

Medellin, Columbia (Suggested by Sevenreds) – “Street vendors and cafes offer national and local dishes at more than reasonable prices.”

Boston, Massachusetts (Suggested by Tori) –  “Boston is known as the “walking city,” so no rental car needed.”

Prague, Czech Republic (Suggested by Caroline Slocum) – “I am currently spending the semester in Prague, Czech Republic and it is the most fun and cheapest place ever.”

Australia (Suggested by Rosie) – “..flights to Australia are DIRT CHEAP!”

Washington, D.C. (Suggested by Julia) – “The only problem with meals is fitting them in between all the free sights, such as the National Monuments, the Capitol Building, the Smithsonians, Arlington Cemetery, the Holocaust Museum, and all of the other fascinating things this city has to offer.”

In Boston, Some Cars are Also Boats. Quack!

Cape Town, South Africa (Suggested by Jarrad) – “The culture is rich and exhilarating, the people are inspiring and the weather is temperate…”

Seattle, Washington (Suggested by Stephen Alvarado) – “…riding the bus downtown is free!”

Puerto Rico (Suggested by Melissa) – “Get to experience the Latin flare of Central/South America for the price of visiting a U.S. territory hassle-free.”

Chicago, Illinois (Suggested by Renee O.) – “…don’t forget the free entertainment; this year’s line-up includes the Counting Crows, the Wallflowers, Barenaked Ladies and Ne-Yo.”

Bar Harbor, Maine (Suggested by Meghan Martin) – “I mean, come on, they have vacationland posted on their license plate.”

Granada, Nicaragua (Suggested by Shae) – “It’s very European, but you’re in a country where you can get a private room at a hostel for only $15.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota (Suggested by Alli Bloom) – “The attitude is hip and funky, and there are tons of cheap college places to eat, see music and just hang out!”

Michigan (Suggested by Carol Bontekoe) – “It’s a great state and needs the tourism to stay afloat.”

El Salvador (Suggested by Michelle Rios) – “Add inexpensive meals averaging $3 and hotels starting as low as $17 a night and you will be wishing summer lasted longer.”

Jersey Shore (Suggested by Katie Ryan) – “Another benefit of a beach house is having a kitchen so you can avoid eating out every night.”

Turkey (Suggested by Gina) – “I spent a month there on $500, traveling all around the country.”

An Artist's Wall in Krakow

Krakow, Poland (Suggested by James) – “The currency is not yet the Euro and it makes for a cheap, wonderful vacation.”

Memphis, Tennessee (Suggested by Megan) – “Memphis has something for everyone – and cheap! It was good enough for Elvis.”

San Francisco, California (Suggested by Alex) – “Little Italy and Russian Hill are only a few of the culture soaked districts in this North California gemstone.”

Cajon del Maipo, Chile (Suggested by Hannah) – “Get a group of friends to stay in cabanas or check out the cheap hostel options.”

Burlington, Vermont (Suggested by Josie) – “…it’s only about an hour to Montreal and The Ben and Jerry’s factory.”

Honduras (Suggested by Sarah) – “The food is amazing and cheap, offering the most amazing produce.”

To see STA Travel’s recommendations, click here.

Krakow Photo Credit: 13bobby on Flickr

Sign Photo Credit: xq311z on Flickr

Duck Boat Photo Credit: Pathfinder Linden on Flickr

After the election of Chicago native Barack Obama as President, Chicago has become quite the hot spot for tourists. From frequenting the same barber shop as the President to eating at his favorite restaurants, people are swarming to the Windy City.

But there is much more to do than just sit at the same table the President and First Lady had their last Chicago Valentine’s Day dinner.

Here are my recommendations for the best ways to spend some time in Chi-Town:

5. Enjoy breathtaking views of the city from the Hancock Observatory or save the Observatory fee and have a drink at the Signature Room Lounge on the 96th floor. (Hint: The view from the woman’s bathroom is the best! Sorry guys.)

4. Think Rod Blagojevich was corrupt? Investigate old gangster hot spots and hit spots as part of a Chicago Gangster Tour and see where Chicago corruption really began!

3. Educate yourself - Check out Chicago’s Museum Campus and all of the great museums Chicago has to offer. Visit the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium, and the Shedd Aquarium. But don’t forget to order your Chicago City Pass before you go to save you time and money.

2. Stroll around Millennium Park. See what Chicagoan’s refer to as “the bean,” play in the interactive Crown Fountain, and visit the nearby Art Institute to view priceless works of art. (Don’t forget your ISIC for discounted admission!)

1. Enjoy a Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza and then make your way to Kingston Mines to listen to some Sweet Home Chicago Blues. (Your ISIC card can get you a discount at Kingston Mines, too.)

You could also choose from shopping the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, taking an architectural tour on the Chicago River, visiting historic Wrigley field, or, if you wanted to focus on celebrations, Chicago goes insane for St. Patrick’s Day, including turning the river green and numerous parades.

See you soon!

P.S. – Today’s destination in the Travel Bailout is the Windy City!

Photo Credit: Flipped Out on Flickr

While all those fat-cats on Wall Street take awesome vacations and have crazy parties after getting a government bailout, you’re sitting at home, right? Is that fair?

We don’t think so at STA Travel, so we came up with our own bailout, a Travel Bailout.

Instead of sitting at home while executives jet around the country, you can get your hands on roundtrip tickets to one of five destinations each day next week for just $100 round trip including taxes, fees and fuel surcharge.

The five destination cities offered will be:
– New York City, New York
– Los Angeles, California
– Denver, Colorado
– Miami, Florida
– Chicago, Illinois

At 10 a.m. CST each day February 9-13, on STATravel.com, the destination city for that day will be announced. Then at 12 p.m. CST, you can score a round-trip ticket for just $100 by being one of the first 20 people to call (800) 360-9273.

To qualify for the $100 ticket, you must:
– Be one of the first people to call (800) 360-9273
– Be a full-time student, teacher or under 26 years-of-age
– Own or purchase a $22 International Student Identity Card (ISIC), International Youth Travel Card (IYTC), or International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC) (These will be available at the time of purchase.)

That’s it. And if you miss the first 20, we aren’t going to leave you high and dry. STA Travel is also offering a limited time, online-only sale on one-way flights to the same destination offered in the offline sale for that day. One-way flights will be as low as $25 and round-trip flights as low as $50, depending on the destination and departure cities.

Thanks for reading,

Patrick

Marketing Communications @ STA Travel

Beach Photo Credit: doolittle1989 on Flickr

Money Photo Credit: tracy_olson on Flickr