Trifter

Vacationing can be hard for families in today’s times because the cost of living has skyrocketed within the past few years. One might think that a vacation is out of the question because of the expense. My family and I are on an extremely tight budget. We thought that the only vacation we would have this year was a trip from the kitchen to the living room, but even we managed to get away to a few places this summer.

The key for us to vacation, is to do day trips with other people (like my mother and father in-law and even my own parents) and split some costs like food and gas. We have also researched and budgeted for admission costs to museums and parks and then planned where to go from there. We found some fun places for very reasonable prices from zoos to a bit of American culture and here’s a list for you to try.

Salem MA is a wonderful place for a day trip. It is about a two and a half to three hour drive from the Middletown area of CT and is a place rich in American culture and history. Parking is not bad since there is a parking garage near many of the attractions and the fee is very reasonable on Sundays when there are less tourists. There are many museums to go to in Salem, however, some can be rather expensive for admission. There are also some museums and attractions that may not be suitable for children under the age of 7 due to the nature of the attraction for this period in history, however, some of the places are very accommodating to adults with young children, and will offer a refund of your ticket price if your child becomes scared.

One museum that will accommodate for this is the Salem Witch Museum. This museum is the most visited in Salem and gives an accurate depiction of the Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692. They have a new exhibit that explains the evolving perception of witches in American history through today. Admission for this exhibit is very reasonable as well. The gift shop, however, is a bit pricey.

Another attraction in Salem is The House of Seven Gables. It is New England’s oldest mansion and has Nathaniel Hawthrone’s House on it’s premises to tour as well. The gardens on site are beautiful and worth a look. The price of admission is reasonable for the two house tour and The House of Seven Gables is an attraction that is for non-profit. It uses the price of your admission to help the community of Salem, as well as to maintain this piece of history for tourists to enjoy. The admission price is much higher than the Salem Witch Museum, however. There is also a secret staircase in the house that can be difficult to climb for some individuals.