Budget Travel – Part One

There’s still time to take a vacation this year.  Even if money is tight you still might be able to go away.

1.) Are you’re kids young? Consider going off season to a beach area. The prices of house rentals drop once the kids go back to school.

2.) Check vacation rental sites, if the week is approaching and the house has not been rented yet they sometimes drop the rates. You can also email an agency to see if they will drop the rate on a house if you see that it is still available.

3.) Plan to stay for a mini-week. Hotels sometimes offer a discount if you are staying Sunday to Thursday. They tend to be a little slower on those days.

4.) Stay at home option. Join the Philadelphia Zoo, the Da Vinci Center and Longwood Gardens. You will have activities for the week and you can visit for the rest of the year. To keep costs down pack you own lunch.

 

Five Pennsylvania Daytrips I Want to Take

1.) Bushkill Falls

2.) Gettysburg

3.) D And L Trail – Delaware Canal Towpath

4.) Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

5.) Peace Valley Park & Nature Center

Gazebo Light

 

I bought a gazebo for the deck this year. We have too much light at the height of the day and we tend not to use the deck. The gazebo was the perfect solution. They sell lights to put in them which I thought about buying. A friend suggested that she was thinking about taking an old chandelier and reworking it for her gazebo. I had one in the basement that would work. Think standard new construction new chandelier.

 

I took it apart and took out all the wiring. I then spray painted the pieces with Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze.

I had some tea light holders that I hot glued onto the fixture.

Lastly, I added flameless tea lights and hung it up. Total cost: about $4.oo for the paint. I had everything else on hand. You can’t beat that.

Cool Off

If you’re looking for something cool to do tomorrow check this out!!

1. See Shrek 3 at The Grand Theater at 2 p.m. Matinee tickets are only $3.

http://www.thegrandtheater.org/

2. Visit the DaVinci Center in Allentown.

http://www.davinci-center.org/

3. See a free movie at the Regal in Oaks. Check out the schedule.

http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=PA

4. Limerick Bowling- check out the kids bowl free program.

https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/center.php?alley_id=5614

Childhood Memories

This year I had the opportunity this year to visit the place where I went to celebrate the Forth of July in when I was a child. My husband didn’t think that it would live up to my expectations. When we were kids we would spend the day at Lititz Springs Park. My parents would take us to the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory and we would twist pretzels. We would go to the Wilbur Chocolate Candy store and get Wilbur buds. Then we ran around the park until it was time to put candles in wooden displays at run along the channel in the park. Later we would watch them light the candles and then walk over to the fireworks. The fireworks are amazing they go on for a long time and are choreographed to music. 

 Well did it live up to my expectations…. 

Well when you’re twelve running around a park without a care in the world you don’t have to argue with your three year old that the regular bathrooms are preferable to the port-a-potties. Your older children aren’t telling you that they are bored.  Heaven forbid there is no DS to play. The kids got into the spirit with the candle lighting and the fireworks amazed them. A twelve year old girl cannot anticipate the joy that she will feel when her three year old shrieks with delight with each flash of light.

 

http://lititzpa.com/

http://www.juliussturgis.com/

http://www.lititzspringspark.org/

http://www.wilburbuds.com/

What to do this weekend?

 Weekend Events

Thursday, July 1

Collegeville– Mango Men in concert at 7 p.m.

http://www.collegeville-pa.gov/b_bu_bulletin.htm

Friday, July 2

Limerick Community Park – Showing the movie “Tale of Despereaux” at Dusk

http://www.limerickpa.org/Departments_ParksandRecreation.htm

Phoenixville– Mason Porter -A Phoenixville based Bluegrass http://www.mainstreetphoenixville.org/calendar/concertseries.htm

Green Lane Park– Red Hill Band at 6:30

http://parks.montcopa.org/parks/cwp/view,A,1516,Q,26377,parksNav,%7C.asp

Saturday, July 3^rd

French Creek Park – Star Gazing at 8 p.m.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/Calendar/view_event.asp?CalendarID=13574&Location=List

Sunday, July 4^th

Green Lane Park– Kids for America –a family song and dance group at 11:00 a.m.

http://parks.montcopa.org/parks/cwp/view,A,1516,Q,26377,parksNav,%7C.asp

Fireworks

Saturday, July 3rd

Norristown at the Elmwood bandshell summer concert followed by fireworks

http://www.norristown.org/calendar.php

 Tinicum Park, Erwinna, Pennsylvania – this is an amazing classical music concert followed by fireworks. People pack dinner and listen to the music. Some concert goers set elaborate tables with wonderful food. The fireworks are timed to the music and it is amazing. Please check the website you must buy tickets for the concert.

http://www.riversidesymphonia.org/specialevents.html

Lititz, PA at 10 pm – You must buy tickets to get into the Lititz Springs Parks. They have events planned all day. One of the neat things is the lighting candles that run across the channel that runs through the park.

http://www.lititzspringspark.org/celebration.html

Pottstown, PA at 10:00 – Pottstown has events planned all day.

http://www.pottstownjuly4th.org/

Lahaska, PA at 9:15

http://peddlersvillage.com/index2.html

 Sunday, July 4^th

Abington, PA at 9:00

http://www.glensidejuly4thevent.com/flyer.pdf

Limerick, PA at Waltz’s Golf at 9:30

http://www.turtlecreekgolf.com/waltz-golf-farm

Skippack, PA at Dusk

http://www.skippacktownship.org/2whatsnew.htm

 Phoenixville, PA at 9:45

http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/articles/2010/06/29/news/srv0000008653125.txt

 Please check all websites to confirm times and schedules.

 What will you are doing this weekend? Do you have any suggestions for other events or fireworks?

5 fun things to do this weekend

1.) Go to Target and get garden stone kits for the kids in the dollar section.

2.) Go fly a kite at Valley Forge.

3.) Go to a park and blow bubbles with the kids.

4.) Take the kids on a walk on the Perkiomen Trail. http://www.montcopa.org/parks/perkiomentrail/Perkiomen.htm

5.) Check out the Pottsgrove Mannr. On Saturday from 11:00 to 3:00 there is a Travel Exhibit.

http://historicsites.montcopa.org/historicsites/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=24487&historicsitesNav=|

It’s looking good out

It’s going to be beautiful out this weekend. Why not plan a picnic at one of the local parks?

http://parks.montcopa.org/parks/site/default.asp

http://parks.montcopa.org/parks/site/default.asp

http://www.co.berks.pa.us/parks/site/default.asp

If you are interested in someting indoors the Grand Theater is showing the Wizard of Oz on saturday at 2 for $5.00 a person. If you are not familiar with the grand it is a georgious restored theater that plays second run movies.

http://www.thegrandtheater.org/