Save Gas This Summer - "Staycation" in Boston!

Gas has gotten more and more costly over this past year. I'm sure that we can all remember, even 6 months ago, our bad dream at the possibility of a gallon of gas hitting .00. As prices stand today, the average is currently .00 here on the East Coast and there is no end in sight. For those of us who love taking summer vacations with our friends, family, and loved ones, this is a depressing thought. It's impacting not only the price of filling up our own personal gas tanks, but also the price of airfare, cruises, and all other forms of transportation to get us out of town on our vacations.

However, there is no need to worry! Here in Boston, we live in a world-class city, and in all of our travels colse to the country and world, we have positively taken that fact for granted. Mayor Menino himself feels our pain and has created a campaign called "Visit the Pin" and he has chosen 10 attractions colse to the city at which to place giant, 12-foot, red "push pins". The pins have been created to grab our attention and alert us to all the wonderful attractions that Boston has to offer. However, while the places he has chosen are pretty great, they are also very touristy and if you have lived here for a while, you have probably already been to them - maybe even some times.

Bank Orchard

I have created a list of some of the great, under appreciated spots in Boston that you should visit for the first time, or visit again! I've organized them into 10 can't-miss "day" trips. This list is chock-full of ideas. You may find that each "day" trip contains more than you would be able to accomplish in one day, so you might have to pick the attraction(s) that motion most to you. Be sure to visit the websites for each of the suggestions for more information. I have tried to pick cost-effective suggestions so that your week off won't break the bank. All you need is your T pass (and not an ounce of gasoline) for a wonderful "Staycation" week in Boston!

1. Day Trip #1: Fine Arts and Culture

If you live here, you have probably spent time at the Museum of Fine Arts and Symphony Hall at some point, but there are Many other ways to observe arts and culture in Boston. Stop by two or three of these lesser known spots for a very enriching day! I would propose an art museum or two in the morning and afternoon and a operation in the evening. You could even head over to the waterfront to have lunch at the Channel Cafe (food and drink/art gallery). Be sure to click below and visit the varied websites ahead of time for hours, special show and exhibit info.

* Take in some art at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

* Visit the new develop of contemporary Art now on the waterfront

* Get tickets to a show at or take a tour of the newly restored Boston Opera House

* See a show at Emerson College's Cutler Majestic Theater...

* ... Or at Harvard's American Repertory Theater

* ... Or at Boston University's Huntington Theater

* ... Or at the challenging Boston center for the Arts

* Watch some Shakespeare on the base presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

* Catch some wonderful music at the Berkelee Berformance Center

* preserve music of the 20th century straight through the Boston contemporary Orchestra Project

2. Day Trip #2: Sports Appreciation

It seems that Boston is the center of the sports universe at the moment - the Red Sox moved into the All-Star break in first place after winning two World Championships in the past 4 years. The Patriots had an undefeated regular season this year after winning the Super Bowl in '01, '03, and '04. This year, the Celtics won the Nba Finals in dramatic fashion. Even the Bruins and the Revolution made great showings in the playoffs. When mental about what to see in Boston, sports appreciation is at the top of the list! While watching a major sports game might be out of your price range, there are countless ways to appreciate sports in this city. Check out a few of these options:

* Take a tour of historic Fenway Park and check out the preponderant Citgo Sign

* Run the Boston Marathon (or at least up Heartbreak Hill!)

* Visit the Sports Museum (in the Td Banknorth Garden)

* Attend a game at Bc, Bu or Northeastern (some are easier to get tickets to than others!)

* Visit the site at Northeastern that was once Huntington Avenue Grounds (original Red Sox home)

* Stop by the historic Boston Braves Field (Now Bu's Nickerson Field)

* Catch a horse race at Suffolk Downs

* Visit Harvard Stadium

* Watch a Boston Lobsters Tennis Match

* Visit the Science Museum's current Exhibit: "Baseball as America"

I would propose lunch/dinner at the Sports Depot, Game On, The Fours, or Boston Beer Works for the full Boston sports experience!

3. Day Trip #3: City of Learning

Above all else, when citizen think about Boston, they think of the rich schoraly culture that our city embodies. Boston has more colleges per quadrilateral mile than any other city in the world. Naturally, we are a city that is overflowing with learning opportunities. Why not spend some time appreciating those opportunities? Here are some wonderful ways you can spend the day learning in Boston. Break for lunch at Novel, the Boston group Library restaurant!

* Visit the historic and beautiful Boston group Library

* Stop by the Boston Anthenaeum

* Take a free walking tour of Harvard University or Mit

* Spend an afternoon in one of many used book stores in Boston or Cambridge

* Take a class at the Boston center for Adult Education

* Learn about how beer is made! Take a tour of the Samuel Adams Brewery

* Visit the Mary Baker Eddy Library and it's preponderant Mappariam

After your intense day of learning, you'll need to kick back - stop by the Thirsty expert Pub for some supper and a drink and give your brain a break!

4. Day Trip #4: History

It can positively be argued that there is positively no city in the United States that is more historically principal than Boston. The city wears this identity well while still seeing toward the future, mixing centuries-old beautiful structure with contemporary towering skyscrapers. If you work downtown, unless you walk moderately and read the signs you pass each day (and who does that colse to here?) you may not comprehend the importance of the structure colse to you. I'm sure that if you grew up colse to here, you have walked the free time Trail once or twice, but there may be more obscure historical landmarks that you have never even noticed! Take a day to walk colse to a microscopic more slowly, visit some of these challenging landmarks, and look up once in a while! While you are at it, stop by Boston's oldest restaurant, the Union Oyster House, for dinner.

* Learn about the lives of a well-to-do family in historic Boston at the Gibson House Museum

* Visit the headquarters of Historic New England at the Otis House Museum

* Pay your respects to our forefathers and foremothers at Granary Burying Ground and King's Chapel Burying Ground

* Visit the Museum of African American History and take the Black patrimony Trail

* Talk a walk along the Boston Women's patrimony Trail

* Tour the historically and architecturally principal Trinity Church

5. Day Trip #5: Island Hopping

If you are whatever like me, you have never taken full benefit of the fact that we have an wonderful National Park right off the coast of Boston. The park is comprised of 34 small islands (11 of which are open to the public) just minutes away by boat. The islands vary as far as what you can do on each of them, so use this list as a guide to get you started. The National Park service recommends picking no more than two islands to visit in one day, so take a look and pick one or two that look challenging to you. Concession stands are available at Georges and Spectacle Islands, but why not bring a picnic lunch for your visit to the islands! It's a perfect excuse for a picnic!

* Camp overnight on Grape, Bumpkin or Lovells Island - Permits are required

* Visit Lovells Island for the day for trails that pass by dunes and woods, picnic areas, an unsupervised swimming beach, and the remains of Fort Standish

* Visit and observe Deer Island and learn about its challenging history

* Visit popular Georges Island, the transportation hub for the system of islands, its open fields, paved walkways and gravel beach - be sure to tour historic Fort Warren while you are there

* Check out microscopic Brewster, home of Boston Light, the country's oldest continuously running light house

* taste a wide range of natural charm and check out historic Fort Andrews at Peddocks Island

* Visit Spectacle Island, which features a marina, visitor center, cafe, a life-guarded swimming beach, and five miles of walking trails that lead to the crest of a 157 foot-high hill, contribution panoramic views of the harbor and the city

* Take a tour and enjoy nature at Thompson Island, which is a particularly good selection if you have a large group (like a enterprise or school)

* Picnic, fish and enjoy walking trails at Webb Memorial State Park

* Enjoy Hingham Bay, rocky beaches, ledges, cliffs, patches of salt marsh and an area of freshwater marsh at Worlds End Reservation

6. Day Trip #6: Beach Bum

If the only great vacation you can imagine is one in which you are lying on a beach for at least a day, there are many great options for you colse to here! You might assume that you have to drive down to the Cape or up to the North Shore for great beach experiences, and if so, you will be pleasantly surprised by the following recommendations. There are some great options positively reachable in or very near the city by subway or bus. A day at the beach requires beach food, in my opinion, and so I propose a stop at Sullivan's at Castle Island or Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere. I've also recommend a few options that are face the city, but positively accessible from the commuter rail, if you positively want to get out of the city for the day.

* Take the Blue Line to America's First group Beach, Revere Beach

* Throw on your swim suit and take benefit of The Boston Harborwalk

* Take the Red Line to Jfk and visit Carson Beach, L & M road Beaches, delight Bay and Castle Island, which are all connected

* Take the Commuter Rail north to Ipswich Station, then board the Ipswich-Essex Explorer Shuttle to Crane Beach

* Take the Commuter Rail north to Manchester-by-the-Sea and walk a short way to Singing Beach

* Take the Amtrak Downeaster to Old Orchard Beach in Maine

7. Day Trip #7: Appreciation of Unusual Things

If you are person who enjoys exploring the unique and unusual aspects of a vacation destination, you have plenty of options to appreciate the quirky - right here in Boston! As you are exploring a few of the following unusual spots in Boston, a concentrate of well loved, but positively unique, Boston restaurants worth your time during this day would be Fire & Ice Improvisational Grill for a fun, interactive taste and the Beehive, for some great food, atmosphere and live jazz.

* Visit America's oldest car collection at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum

* Learn history from a unusual perspective on New England Ghost Tour!

* taste Boston's most interactive entertainment at Tomb by 5Witz

* Appreciate some art that's too bad to be ignored! Visit the Museum of Bad Art

* observe invention, ideas and innovation (including holograms!) at the Mit Museum

* Visit the Harvard Bridge and count how many Smoots long it is!

* Take a Duck Tour (come on... You know you want to!)

* Visit the spots where your popular movies were filmed on one of the Boston Movie Tours

* observe the secrets of Boston straight through an Urban Interactive sight-seeing adventure

* Find out what is so special about the Scarlett O'Hara House

8. Day Trip #8: Nature

If you are stuck in Boston, but prefer a more serene, natural vacation, there are many options for you, even within the city limits! There are many opportunities in the city that will allow you to spend time appreciating the nature colse to you. I propose exploring some of the following recommendations. If you want a fully natural day, take a break and visit Grezzo restaurant for lunch, Boston's 100% organic, raw food restaurant.

* Take a ride on the Swan Boats while visiting the Boston group Garden

* Hang out with the animals at the Franklin Park Zoo in the heart of Franklin Park

* Visit Arnold Arboretum, the oldest group arboretum in North America and one of the world's foremost centers for the study of plants

* Spend some time at the Harvard Museum of Natural History (especially great if your "nature" themed day turns out to be a rainy one!)

* Go for a peaceful and quiet run in the Fens nature trails

* Visit the Boston Nature center and Wildlife Sanctuary

* Find a Boston area State Park near you for everything from hiking to mountain biking

* See "Day Trip #5" (Above) for info about the Boston Harbor Islands - spend a while at one!

9. Day Trip #9: On the Water

We are so lucky to be living right on the water here in Boston. As I mentioned above, this opens up many possibilities as far as enjoying wonderful beach days, as well as visiting the Boston Harbor Islands right off the coast. However, a huge benefit to having so much water colse to is the chance to get out on it for the day. Either you are an closed sailor or have never stepped food in a boat, there are options here for you. Read straight through this list and pick an adventure or two just for you! during the day or evening, if you are hungry, stop by Tia's On the Waterfront for a bite, a drink and a chance to enjoy the view of the water!

* taste community Boating, Inc. To find out how you can learn to sail - Use your vacation day to get started on the Charles River

* For a relatively cheap chance to spend time in a boat on the water, take an Inner Harbor Ferry or Commuter Boat or the Rowes Wharf Water Taxi

* Take a sunset or sightseeing cruise straight through the Charles Riverboat Company

* Take a Boston Light Tour and taste first-hand the oldest lighthouse site in the U.S.

* Join in on a sail aboard the 125' Schooner freedom Clipper

* If you can't bear to positively get out on the water, you can enjoy Wbz's Free Friday Flicks at the Hatch Shell - enjoy the zephyr of the Charles from safely ashore, and watch a movie under the stars!

10. Day Trip #10: Festivals

Summer in Boston all the time reminds me of all the neighborhood parties and celebrations in the city. Every weekend throughout the summer, there is at least one festival somewhere in the city that is an excuse to enjoy Boston and its cultural diversity. A day at any of these festivals would be worth construction into your "staycation" week schedule. I don't need to propose a restaurant for you, since the mark of a great festival is the wonderful food it serves. Enjoy!

* pick a weekend this summer and stop by the North End for the North End Festivals of Saints

* Stop by Government center on August 2 from 4:00-8:00 for the Peace Hip Hop Festival

* Spend August 17 in Chinatown for the August Moon Festival

* Head to Dorchester on August 23rd for the Caribbean Carnival Parade & Festival

* Show off and add to your ink from September 12-14 at the Boston Tatoo Convention

* determine in from September 12-18 for the Boston Film Festival

I hope that you enjoy all my suggestions and that they inspire you to rediscover our great city in these times of high gas prices! These are also great suggestions for you if you are visiting Boston from out of town. If you are stuck in an additional one city, and these suggestions sound fun to you, look for similar ideas near your home. I bet you will be surprised by what you will find!

Please riposte and let me know what you love to do when you are spending time in Boston - I am very curious to hear!

Save Gas This Summer - "Staycation" in Boston!

54 Yoga Inspired Fun Family Activities For Summer - How to Play, Relax and Grow Together

Hooray! The long lazy days of summer have arrived. After having successfully completed another school year you can't wait to spend time doing nothing. It is important to allow kids unstructured time to renew, refresh and come to know themselves. However, more often than not, sometime during the next few months children will utter the words, "I'm bored. There's nothing to do!" (add whiny voice as appropriate). Here are some suggestions to keep kids active mentally and physically which also nurture them emotionally. Remember summer is a wonderful time to build relationships by spending time playing, doing, and growing together.

Have family members set summer goals. For example: list of books you want to read, things you want to do, places to visit, skills you need to learn. Take your child to the library and sign up for a summer reading program. Have your child help put together a first aid kit that can go with you on your many summer outings. Give your child an inexpensive camera and let them take pictures of all the fun activities you do over the summer. Create a scrapbook of memories. Practice pranayama by blowing bubbles or dandelion heads. Pack a picnic and enjoy eating outdoors. Watch a baseball/football/soccer/beach volleyball game together. Talk about the rules and how they are important. See how many places in your home (not including books) where your child can find words to read. Make paper airplanes and practice airplane pose (Warrior III with arms out to the side). Plant a garden and enjoy tending it throughout the season. Visit a local museum or art gallery. Sketch or paint outdoors: clouds, night sky, trees, a favourite view, an interesting building...let your imagination and creativity soar. Lie on the grass and look at the clouds. Make up stories about the shapes you see. Colour mandalas. Go for a walk and find mandalas in your neighbourhood (flowers, signs, art, stepping stones, etc). Learn geography while watching the World Cup. Find participating countries on a map. Teach your child their personal information: phone number, address, etc. Practice each day. Can your children tell time? Teach them how to read an analog clock with yoga eyes. Check out a book of jokes or riddles. Share one over dinner each day. Create an indoor or outdoor miniature golf course. Play a round or two. Grab a broomstick and hold a limbo contest. Back-bends open the heart and invigorate the body. Add food coloring to a dollop of shaving cream. Let your child use it as finger paint. Make homemade ice-cream. Practice two scoops partner pose. Help your child write a letter or card to a relative or friend telling about summer events. Fly a kite. Practice triangle pose (sometimes called kite pose). Have a pillow fight. Enjoy face painting and then perform face yoga in the mirror and laugh at your funny faces. Read under the stars. Take a blanket and book outside and read with your child by flashlight. At dinner have each family member say something nice about every person at the table. Make puppets out of a paper bag, an old sock or a stick. Put on a puppet show. Cut out pictures from several magazines. Have your child write a story about them. Give your child a bucket of water and some paint brushes. Let her "paint" the sidewalk, fence, house, etc. Find out when the sun sets and rises in your area. Learn how to do Sun Salutations. Look at the stars with your child. Make up new constellations together. Find a local kiddie pool, beach or fountain and go wadding. Play alphabet games with your child. List countries, animals, cars or yoga poses in alphabetical order. Build a fort inside or out using blankets, sheets, boxes, tables, chairs and other items found around the house. Meditate upon the breeze as it ruffles the leaves of your favourite tree. Create a treasure/scavenger hunt and help your kids follow the clues for a fun reward. Play hopscotch. Choose a new recipe. Have fun cooking with your child. Cut out pictures of healthy foods from weekly grocery ads. Discuss the Food Pyramid. Have your child use the pictures from the above activity and make a chart of nutritious choices. Look at family photos. Share stories and remember wonderful moments together. Play with a hula hoop and discover hoop yoga. Make musical instruments from things around your house. Have a concert. Play a card game with your child; Crazy 8s, War, Rummy, Old Maid, Go Fish, Snap all build memory, hand-eye coordination & math skills. Collect bugs and do insect poses such as locust, spider, inchworm, bumble bee lips, etc. Fill water guns, buckets and water balloons and have a water fight. Camp out in the back yard. Create amazing sidewalk art with sidewalk chalk and a little water. Help out at the local SPCA. Learn how to do downward dog pose, cat pose, rabbit pose and other poses for animals at the shelter. Visit an orchard or u-pick farm. Build sandcastles. Feed the ducks at the local pond. Enjoy a great hip opening exercise by walking like a duck.

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54 Yoga Inspired Fun Family Activities For Summer - How to Play, Relax and Grow Together

25 Fun, Cheap, And Easy Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer

Summer is a great time to finally squeeze in all of those activities that you don't have a occasion to do while the school year. Here are 25 fun, cheap, and easy ideas for keeping your kids busy until the school bell rings again in the fall.

1. Map out all of the distinct parks in your county and hit each one (on a distinct day) with a picnic lunch.

Orchard Card Bank

2. Teach the kids some jump rope rhymes from your own childhood.

3. Find a new trail to hike.

4. Plan a scavenger hunt. All you need to do is list 20 or so items that are often found in nature. Then distribute the list to each of the kids. The first someone or team to find everything and bring them back wins a small prize.

5. Tour a local installation or museum.

6. Take the kids to a scenic area with a set of watercolors and ask them to paint what they see.

7. Visit a local botanical garden.

8. Call your local group library to ask if they are sponsoring any reading contests or special story times.

9. Get a group of friends together and take the kids to the nearest water park or amusement park.

10. Start your own reading incentive schedule for the kids. For every three books, treat them to a sundae or a special trip to the bookstore.

11. Check your local newspaper for fun community events, such as local dance performances or magic shows.

12. discover a new bike path.

13. Each Friday, eat a picnic lunch somewhere new.

14. Teach the kids how to cook or bake something delicious.

15. Teach the kids how to decorate cakes and let them experiment with a few cupcakes.

16. Bake a dozen muffins and take them to your spouse's office. Visit for a bit.

17. Take turns with other parents in your community teaching the kids about distinct crafts.

18. Get a nice new workbook. Before the school year ends, ask the instructor what books she recommends, so your child will keep up with her studies.

19. Plant a vegetable or flower garden together.

20. Ask your children to research a charity and brainstorm ways that they can raise money for it.

21. Visit a local farm or orchard and help out for an afternoon.

22. Ask the kids if they would like to learn a new sport or activity. The summer is a great time to try something new without the commitment that often comes with starting it for a school year.

23. Assign the kids a pen pal, and encourage them to write notes and letters every incorporate of weeks.

24. Have the kids try out a new musical instrument.

25. Make an obstacle procedure with sidewalk chalk and time each other on how long it takes to faultless the course.

Get creative and think of your own ideas to enjoy some fun in the sun, and don't forget to spend some unstructured time, doing no ifs ands or buts whatever you want.

25 Fun, Cheap, And Easy Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer