More Inexpensive Weekend Get-Aways for Busy Teachers
I wrote an earlier article about four places for busy teachers (and others) to take an inexpensive weekend getaway. Since many teachers were interested in this, I decided to highlight four more inexpensive weekend get-aways.
Just in case you missed the first article and want to read it too, I have a link here: Inexpensive Weekend Get-Aways for Teachers.
Today I am going to give you FREE or inexpensive things to do in:
- Nashville, Tennessee
- San Antonio, Texas
- The Los Angeles, California area
- Cape Cod, Massachusetts & Newport, Rhode Island
More Inexpensive Weekend Get-Aways
I selected these four merely because I have recently visited them. They are not necessarily better or cheaper than other locations. Just an FYI.
I am going to tell you things you can do for free at each of these locations, and I’ll mention a few things you might want to spend a little on. So, for the cost of your travel, hotel and meals, you can have a fun weekend getaway.
And another stipulation is that each of these locations may have numerous other FREE things to do that I’m not aware of. Feel free to let me know what those other FREE activities are, and I will gladly add them to this article.
More Inexpensive weekend getaways to Nashville, Tennessee
I absolutely loved visiting Nashville! I told my husband, “I could live here!”
If you are a country music fan, Broadway Street is the place to go. They have FREE live music almost every day of the week at various bars up and down Broadway. But the locals call them “Honky Tonks” not bars. There was one place that was three stories tall and had a different group performing on each floor. It was crazy!
One of my favorite stops was the Country Music Hall of Fame. If you can afford the tickets, I recommend that you visit this IF YOU ARE A COUNTRY MUSIC FAN! And you also need to stop by the Ryman Auditorium. If you are not familiar with Country Music, these two places probably won’t interest you.
The two FREE things I want to discuss,
Centennial Park
You definitely need to visit Centennial Park in Nashville. It is a huge park that was built to house the National Centennial celebration in 1876. One of the highlights of the park is the Parthenon. It is an exact replica of the Parthenon in Greece, and it costs $6.00 to visit. You can, however, walk around the outside of it for free. But other places in the park are free.
The park also has a locomotive car and a jet airplane that you can walk up to and touch. They both make great picture ops, as well as being awesome to see their size (especially for young children). Centennial Park also has a one-mile walking trail and a lake, a sunken garden with a lovely lily pond., and a dog park.
There are also historical monuments, an Art Center and a Nature Conservation area located there.
The Marathon Village Area
The Marathon Village is located in buildings that were formerly the Marathon Motor Works factory. In the early 1900s cars were built there. Now it has been revived to house a cluster of shops and quaint businesses. One store that we were excited to visit was Antique Archaeology, the store from the show American Pickers. I could easily spend three to four hours exploring all the little shops there; plus stop into the brewery for a break.
Extras (if you have the money)
If you have a little extra to spend, I highly recommend visiting the Hermitage and/or Belle Meade Plantation. Both are outside Nashville (but there is a tour that will take you to both – admission included).
The Hermitage was the home of President Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel. Belle Meade Plantation was a working thoroughbred horse plantation during the early 1800s when horse racing was in its heyday. Both places are beautiful, historic and very interesting.
More Inexpensive Weekend Getaways to San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is a wonderful city. When we were there the weather was beautiful. I’m sure it gets hot because it’s Texas after all, and it’s in the southern region. But when we were there it was wonderful.
San Antonio is the home of the famous River Walk and also the “Alamo.” And both of these fabulous attractions
One place that my husband and I enjoyed a lot was the San Jose Mission (the trolley stops there). You can walk around the grounds and peek into the rooms which are set up as they used to be during its working period. The beautiful Catholic Church there is still an operating church.
Two other fun stops on the trolley route are the Market Square area which has lots of tourist shopping available and the Gunther House Bakery and Pioneer Mills. This is a Mill that has been owned by the same family for years. You can go into the home on the property and take a quick tour. They have a wonderful Bakery, restaurant and shop with some tables set up for eating your pastry and coffee.
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More Inexpensive Weekend Getaways to Los Angeles, California
There are probably tons of FREE things to do all over the LA region. I am going to share a few that I know about (because I have done them). If you check around you can probably find quite a few more.
HOLLYWOOD
The first place is HOLLYWOOD! You can go there, park and check out the stars on the “Walk of Fame.” Then there is the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre that has hand and footprints of many Hollywood stars and icons. These are just out in the front of the theater and are FREE for you to take a look at.
Also in the Hollywood area is the Hollywood Bowl. This is a wonderful outdoor stage nestled in the hillside. If you go there midday, you will probably find it empty (since most concerts are in the evening). Often, you can walk right in and take a look at it. Of course, it would be much better to see a REAL CONCERT there, but we’re trying to keep this INEXPENSIVE.
GRIFFITH PARK
Griffith Park is located fairly close to Hollywood, nestled in the eastern hills of the Santa Monica Mountain range in LA. It is the location of the LA Zoo and there is also a cute train that children can ride around for a small fee.
But the best part about Griffith Park is the Observatory, and it is FREE to visit. It is at the top of Mount Hollywood just above the Los Feliz neighborhood. Built in 1935, it’s located at 2800 East Observatory Road in Los Angeles. You cannot take in food or drinks, but they have a Cafe if you need refreshments while you’re there.
California Missions in LA County
The California Trail of Missions numbers 21 in total, spanning the state from San Diego to Sonoma (in Northern California). And they are all FREE to visit. Of course, they do offer guided tours for a fee, but you can just walk in and look around. You could take a wonderful trip visiting all of them, but it would take much more than a weekend.
The two in Los Angeles County are the San Gabriel Mission and the Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana. San Gabriel will be the closest to Hollywood and Santa Monica (mentioned next). The San Fernando one is in the infamous “Valley” (the San Fernando Valley).
The San Fernando Valley is about 21 miles north of Hollywood along the 5 Freeway. Although that might sound close, the 5 Freeway is one of the busiest in LA, so the drive could actually take you an hour or more.
Another option for Missions to visit (if you don’t mind a little drive) is to head south into Orange County and visit Mission San Juan Capistrano. This is one of the most famous Missions.
It is absolutely beautiful, but the main reason for its fame is the sparrows that used to migrate to the Mission each year. I don’t think it happens anymore, but that’s what people used to go see in the 1950s and 1960s. It will take you at least an hour (possibly more) to drive there from Hollywood.
Santa Monica Pier
Now before I discuss this pier, I need to tell you that there are a number of piers all along the southern coast of California. And they are all fun and unique. The reason I am discussing the Santa Monica Pier is that it is the one that is the closest to the other attractions I’ve told you about. You see, i
The Santa Monica Pier was built in 1909 and has had renovations over the years. The pier has a carousel (you need a ticket), a playland arcade, an aquarium (this has an entrance fee), lots of shops to wander through, and a few restaurants and eateries. HOW FUN!!
To be brutally honest, you will probably end up spending some money at the pier. After all, you will want to let the kids ride the carousel, etc. (if you are traveling with family).
So if you’re trying to avoid this type of place, you can still enjoy the other three locations and have a full weekend.
More Inexpensive Weekend Getaways to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, New Bedford & Newport, Rhode Island
I visited the Cape Cod region about a year and a half ago and I fell in love with the area. It is beautiful in its own way. I had never traveled to that region of the states before, so was excited to go.
On the day our tour group was scheduled to go whale watching, it was cancelled due to rough waves and stormy weather. I was bummed, but determined to enjoy the time anyway. Our wonderful guide took us to the tip of Cape Cod anyway and we got to stroll through the quaint town of Provincetown. There are nice shops, a pier and some inexpensive cafes to get some lunch.
On the way to the “Tip of the Cape” you can also stop in Hyannis. That is also a nice town that is famous for the Kennedy compound there. I wouldn’t know how to find that, and you can only drive by. But the town is also nice to visit.
After Cape Cod you can head down to New Bedford and Newport, Rhode Island. Believe it or not, they are only about an hour or so away. Every thing is pretty close in that region. I’m from BIG OPEN ARIZONA, so you can see why this was new to me.
In New Bedford you can visit the Whaling Museum and the Seamen’s Bethel (which is a chapel) for the seamen of the area. Unfortunately it costs $19 for adults, $9 for children to visit the Museum, but the Bethel is FREE.
Both are nice. The Bethel was frequently visited by Herman Melville who wrote Moby Dick. Many seamen have memorial plaques on the wall when they were lost at sea. The whaling industry was huge in this region during
After visiting New Bedford, drive over to Newport and stroll along the shopping area near the wharf. The vibe in Newport reminds me of La Jolla in the San Diego area; many wealthy people. But shopping there is free.
Another free thing to do when you are in the Newport region is to drive the roads that have the iconic mansions. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, America’s richest families had coastal homes (more like palaces) there. I guess the families called them their “summer cottages.”
If your funds allow, I highly recommend touring the Breakers Mansion. It is run by the Preservation Society of Newport County. Here is a link to the website for the Breakers: (The Breakers)
For the house only, adult tickets are $26.00 and children are $8.00. The mansion is fabulous. It was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and was built in 1893.
In Conclusion
So now you have had an overview of four more places that you can visit for a fairly inexpensive weekend. Of course you have to get a room, travel there somehow and get meals. One thing you can do to cut down on costs is to eat a few meals in your hotel room (such as cereal for breakfast or sandwiches one night instead of going out to dinner).
Let me know if you know of other things to do in these four cities that are FREE.
Until Next Time,
Your Teacher Buddy
