As a homeschooling family living on one income, I know that the budget often doesn’t allow for special outings. You may be surprised that even now that we spend our time on the road with my husband’s job, we still don’t spend a great deal of money on our activities. In fact, it’s rare that we pay much for a day out, because we find so much available for free.
We’ve discovered many sites by accident, as we’ve learned about various communities over the course of our travels. And though we’ve traveled to some pretty neat places with my husband’s job, it’s the locations ‘near home’ that we miss the most. With that in mind, my suggestion to you is that when planning a trip; don’t overlook what you have in your own backyard.
Take a look at your community with fresh eyes. Pretend that you are visiting your area for the first time. Stop by the Visitor’s Center or Chamber of Commerce to collect brochures, ask about discounts they could offer and ask for recommendations of free or low cost outings. By staying close to home, not only will you save on travel expenses, you’ll learn about the community in the process and if you homeschool, you should be able to count your outing towards your state history requirements. Allow me to give you an idea of where to begin as you start to explore your hometown.
Have you ever noticed the Historical Markers that you see in front of buildings or alongside the road? Did you know that the markers are placed there to commemorate the people, places and events that have contributed to local, state, or our countries history? There are even some markers that are of global significance. I love reading the markers because they give tidbits of historical information. Normally, that’s about all I’m interested in learning at the time, but sometimes, we may find something really interesting and we’ll make a note to research it further. You can find the complete list of markers by state and by category at this website. You’ll be amazed to find the history that was made right near you!
Last year, I decided that the kids and I would begin to explore each of our city parks. Surprisingly, there were 33 parks for our city of 51,000 residents! We were pleased to find a historical blockhouse, butterfly garden, protected wetlands and monuments of historical significance to the community. I had no idea that all these treasures lay within our city limits! Not only did we have many city parks, there were also many county parks that included a bird sanctuary and haven for injured wild animals. You’ll be surprised by the diverse habitats you’ll find nearby. You’ll find a complete list of city parks in your own phone book or city website under parks and recreation.
While traveling, we also always check out the state park websites. You’ll find many parks offer free or low-cost events and programs that are appealing to families that love to learn about the world we live in. In the past we’ve taken hikes to learn about the birds and insects, gone seining in the ocean and the bay, taken a twilight wildlife bus tour of a remote area and learned to go crabbing.
Don’t forget about the National Parks. I always search out national parks when we’re traveling because they are often free or charge a very nominal admission fee. Though each site is different and some are more elaborate than others, most do have some type of interpretive/museum type display, a quick video and possibly some type of tour or Ranger led program that you can participate in. Make sure that you ask about the Jr. Ranger program while you’re there. You’ll also find lesson plans that you may chose to complete before your arrival to enhance the experience.
Our family enjoys touring historical houses and though I couldn’t find a nationwide listing, if you do a search of historical homes in your area, I’m sure you’ll come up with plenty of ideas to get you started.
What about local museums or historical houses? You can find a list of museums across the country by state, city or type here. You’ll also find out about special events that are offered.
Another website that I found useful is from the American Heritage Magazine. Here you’ll find a list of battlefields, parks, museums and historic homes listed by region, state, theme and type.
Finally, do you have any nearby homes or buildings listed as a National Historic Landmark? This is typically sites, buildings and structures of particular significance to American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture. You’ll be surprised to find that your area probably has a number of properties on this directory.
I know this isn't an exhaustive list, and I've failed to talk about AZA and ASTC reciprocal memberships, but this will certainly give you a starting point whether you need a quick afternoon getaway nearby, a weekend trip or a full blown vacation. And if you have any websites that you've found particularly helpful, why not leave a comment and share it with us below? As always, Happy Travels- Tonya
© 2009 Tonya Prater/Live the Adventure