Ten Cheap Vacations

Cheap vacations can still be relaxing, fun and whatever else you want them to be. Unlike cars and shoes, vacations don't get better according to price. Give up that expensive resort if you don't have the money, but don't give up your vacation. Try one of the following ideas instead.

1. Visit your friends. The key here is to have friends with spare beds that live in interesting places. You've probably had friends tell you to come and stay a while, so why not take them up on it? I'm hoping my friends move to Hawaii.

2. Caretaking vacations. Someone in California, Costa Rica or Colorado wants you to stay in their house while they're away. You'll have to water the plants, and maybe watch the cat, but you'll get to stay in a beautiful home. You may even get paid. To learn more caretaking opportunities, visit the Caretaker Gazette online.

3. Outdoor vacations. Outdoor adventure doesn't need to be expensive. Just stay close to home, and use your imagination. On "Tom Sawyer Day" we hike up a river for hours, then build a raft from dead trees. Then we float on it back to the car. It's cheaper and more fun than a guided river trip. Where can you hike or bicycle for free?

4. Treasure hunting. Take a trip to a ghost town or beach with a metal detector. In Arizona an old Mayan Indian showed us where to find arrowheads, semi-precious stones, and ancient pottery. Treasure hunting is cheap, and you might find something valuable as well.

5. Cheap beach combing vacations. What's more relaxing than sitting on the beach with a drink? Restless? Start collecting seashells and driftwood. Bring a metal detector to find more valuable things. There are beaches in Florida where you can camp in your RV, and cheap motels on or near the beaches in Michigan.

6. Stay home. Make a list of sights to see, and things you've always wanted to do that are within an hour of home. Spend a weekend or a week checking off your list. No expensive hotels or long-distance drives.

7. Shopping trips. Cheap vacations don't normally involve shopping, but they can. Visit flea markets and rummage sales in some scenic corner of the country. Have a shopping adventure for less than a day at the mall.

8. Hotspring vacations. Hotsprings in many parts of the United States are free or inexpensive to use. Camp in an R.V. or tent to keep it really cheap. Spend nights around the campfire and days soaking in hot water. My personal favorite is a beautiful place in Arizona (106 degree water), with hiking trails. We paid the $30 annual fee and stayed more than a week.

9. Greyhound bus travel. Taking the bus is an alternative to expensive gasoline if you're traveling alone, and the trip itself is sure to be an adventure. Pick a nice place within a day's ride, pack a bag and go.

10. Camping vacations. In Florida we stalked alligators and watched a dozen other forms of wildlife. Every night we sat around the fire with new friends from England and Texas. We escaped winter there for eight days in our van. There were hot showers, and the campground was free. Camping can be the cheapest of cheap vacations.

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. To read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.everythingabouttravel.com

recurring housekeeping Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Ten Cheap Vacations

Vacation Rental