My wife Diana and I are adventurers at heart. Every weekend, we hope to do cheap local trips. We’ve never been “stay home” or “put your feet up and watch the game” people. We always felt that adventure was always outside our door. This is probably one of the main reasons why we like to move every few years and experience different places.

Every time we think of the next place, we make sure the area has plenty to do. That is why we currently live in Rockville, Maryland. We are about 20 miles from downtown DC, giving us a wide range of museums and other tourist activities. We also enjoy hiking, biking, or visiting nearby historic towns, providing a great balance between city sophistication and country donuts (yum… donuts).

Unfortunately, travel can be expensive, and by sharing a list of the cheap resources we use, you may be able to find ways to enjoy new and interesting places, too.

ideas of places to go

* Frommer’s

* Virtual Tourist

* Fodor’s

* National Park Service

Happenings of special events in the city

*Zvents

* US Museums

* Your local newspaper or city site

* Here are some local event resource sites: South Florida, San Francisco Area, Boston, Washington Post, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Chicago. houston

Other Ideas to find places and events

* Check the library for great local travel guides including Off the Beaten Path, Insider’s Guide, Moon, Mobil, Frommer’s, Fodor’s, Falcon, and others.

*AAA members can use their website to get discounted attraction tickets and FREE maps.

* Each state has a Department of Tourism, where they can send literature directly to you

* Local visitor counters and kiosks can give you ideas when you get there.

*Local Chamber of Commerce – Local tourism businesses seek out the chamber to gain exposure

*America’s Factory Tour (mostly free) – Went to the Jelly Belly factory in Northern California – yummy!

* If you enjoy a specific activity, there will probably be a specific national association that can provide you with local and regional ideas, such as American Hiking or American Sportfishing.

* Meetup: local meetups for special interest groups, or make your own (I joined a dodge ball meetup a while back)

* Craigslist

Let me know of any great resources, and I’ll add them to the list.