Your Guide to Free (or Nearly Free) Summer Fun.
We are all hoping that eventually there will be a weekend without rain. You will open your window shades and be blinded by the sun. What are you going to do? Where are you going to go? Then you check your bank account and you realize that jumping in the car, driving to Boston and catching a Red Sox game is just not going to happen. A trip to Acadia would be so relaxing but sadly, you just paid your electric bill and mortgage/rent. So, what are your low or no cost options to have a GREAT weekend?
I may mention hiking a lot. I am married to a life-long Boy Scout. Unbeknownst to him, he has acquired the nickname Captain Boy Scout (Cap for short). He wouldn’t be happy if he weren’t hiking. Thanks to him, I have seen some beautiful places in New England that I never would have seen otherwise. One of his mottos is “Free is For Me”. When we can do things on the cheap, bonus! Through his 30+ years in Maine, he has found some beautiful, off the beaten path places where you can take your time and just enjoy. Cap recommends checking a town’s website. So many of them list their hiking trails. As far as apps, try www.alltrails.com. You can also look up state parks and Land Trusts. These are great resources!
Captain Boy Scout’s top 5 Coastal Maine Hikes
Harpswell Trail System. Cap’s and our daughter’s favorite trail is the Cliff Trail in Harpswell.
Cutler Coast Trail
Morse Mountain in Phippsburg
George’s River Land Trust in the Jefferson area
Thorn’s Head/Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
Do you really NEED to go to a sporting event? Yes? Look to your local teams. What promotions do they have going on? Maybe they have a “Pay What You Can” day?
Does your local sports team have a Kid’s Club? I know that the Portland Sea Dogs do. This includes free tickets, and other rewards. If you can get the kids tickets for free but pay for 1 for you, that is a big saver. Food and souvenirs can add up but make an experience out of just going to the event. Eat before the game. Maybe just buy a hat full of fries (it has a lot of fries) or a Sea Dog Biscuit to share. Not only does that save you money, but it will also reinforce that while we see things we WANT, all the time, we don’t always NEED.
Pick a local lake or river. There are so many places that you can go to that don’t cost anything. A couple of years ago, I read about Houston Brook Falls just outside of Moscow, ME. Just before we got there, we found a small swimming spot on Wyman Lake. We had packed a picnic lunch and car snacks. It is an easy hike into the waterfall and you can swim in it (at your own risk)! The next time we went, we hiked in and out, then went to the swimming area with a couple of floats. The only thing that this cost us was the gas to get there and the patience of having a tween and teen sibling in the car. There are a ton of places in Maine just like this.
To keep the kids off of the video games, I created Car Trivia Time. I go to the Dollar Store or someplace cheap to buy silly prizes. I pull up teen general trivia or sometimes a specific category, like Harry Potter or Marvel, on my phone. We play numerous times throughout a longer car ride. Whoever wins each round reaches into the mystery bag for their prize. We also talk about the answers. My kids learn things without realizing it. I am just that diabolical!
Are you a museum fan? Many museums are free or have free admission days. Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby Colleges all have free admissions to their Museums of Art. Bowdoin also has the Peary-MacMillian Arctic Museum focusing on Arctic Exploration. The Maine Maritime Museum in Bath has free admission to all ages 17 & younger courtesy of a sponsorship from CMP. Also free are Page Farm & Home Museum at UMaine, Orono and Fisherman’s Museum at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. I can tell you that on a beautiful day, taking a picnic to Pemaquid is a gorgeous way to spend some time!
Finally, do you have a friend who has a paddleboard, kayak, or canoe? Maybe they have 2 or know somewhere that you can borrow one. Ask them to teach you! Spending a day with a friend is great for your health, mental and physical. If you genuinely enjoy it, start a savings account to purchase your own. You don’t have to start out with the most expensive LL Bean kayak; you can get a starter one at Walmart or other cheaper places to start. To be perfectly honest, I never thought I would enjoy any form of exercise but here I am. I love kayaking! Who would have thought so when I met Cap 15 years ago? Once you start to find the beauty in the world around us, your possibilities are wide open.
In the Auburn area, check out Auburn Lake Grove Park. The Rangers have a recreation Station which has games and activities and also canoes, kayaks and paddleboards for use when they are on duty!