Enjoy summer without breaking the bank
Long days, warm nights, and sunny weather. Who doesn’t love that sweet summer feeling!
We at Opinion Outpost certainly do, which is why we’ve provided you a list of our top summer activities.
And the best part? These won’t cost a thing!
1. The Great Farm Escape
How many of you really know what goes on in a farm?
Say you’re at Costco and you pick up a bag of oranges, do you think about how those oranges got to where you are right now? The farming, the packing, the transporting…
*Enter* farm tours.
A farm tour is a great way to learn about agriculture while getting to embrace nature, pet animals, and pick produce all at the same time.
The USA is chock-full of farms, which comes to no surprise considering how it’s one of the world’s top agricultural producers, ranking third in the world in 2020.
While most farm tours come with a reasonable price, there’s plenty of free tours available as well. Here’s our top picks.
- Enjoy award-winning cheese, milk, and fudge at the Split Creek Farm. (There are goats, horses, cats, dogs, and pigs for you to pet too!)
- Discover the ins and outs of farm life with Graze and Roam.
- Satisfy your sweet tooth by going on a hike at the Virginia Maple Syrup Trail.
2. A Sight at the Museum
Museums are like time capsules. They record key things in science, history, and nature—allowing you to learn as you grace through its four walls.
Think museums are boring? Think again.
Museums are really what you make of it. No matter what you’re interested in, there’s a museum just for you. Don’t like history-themed museums? Why not go to a music-based one instead! More of a nature–wildlife kind of guy? There’s plenty of animal, science, and space museums for you to choose from.
In any case, here are a few free options (tickets free; no admissions required) that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.
- Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, Utah
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington DC
- National Museum of American History, Washington DC
- Oklahoma Railway Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas
- Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, Tennessee
- North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum, Bismarck, North Dakota
Plus, if you register for Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day, you can get free access on September 17, 2022 to a wide variety of museums, zoos, and cultural centers in all 50 states!
3. Beauty and the Beach
Swimming plus soaking up the sun? Say no more (we don’t even need convincing!).
Lucky for us American folks, we don’t need to step foot outside of the country to find stunning beaches, as there’s plenty of gorgeous options in good ol’ U.S. of A.
Here are a few of our mainland faves:
- Destin, Florida
- Malibu, California
- Half Moon Bay, California
- Outer Banks, North Carolina
- Cannon Beach, Oregon
- Laguna Beach, California
- Naples, Florida
- Miami Beach, Florida
- Hilton Head, South Carolina
- Cape May, New Jersey
- Nantucket, Massachusetts
- The Hamptons, New York
- Golden Isles, Georgia
Now which of these have you already been to, and which one is going straight to your bucket list?
4. A Lark in the Park
Sunny spells are the perfect time to take a brisk walk through nature, and where else would you wander than a public park, the original MVPs.
Not only are they versatile, convenient, and easy to get to—public parks are 100% free to enter.
Here’s a few of our favorites across the country:
- Hermann Park, Texas
- Forest Park, Missouri
- Balboa Park, California
- Bruce Park, Connecticut
- Klyde Warren Park, Texas
- Falls Park, South Carolina
- City Park, Louisiana
- Wissahickon Valley Park, Pennsylvania
- White River State Park, Indiana
- Gathering Place, Oklahoma
And for you adventurous folks looking to admire all that nature has to offer, here’s a few world wonders you must put on your bucket list (pronto!):
- Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
- Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
- Yosemite National Park, California
- Death Valley National Park, California
- New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia
- Rocky Mountain National Park,
- Arches National Park, Utah
- Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
- Zion National Park, Utah
- Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
5. Get your Sports Game on
Tell us, when was the last time you played sports for fun?
Not only does playing sports have a myriad of health benefits that will keep you fit and healthy, it’s also a great way to spend the sunny summer months.
You don’t need to spend much to play sports either, making it even more ideal for those on a tight budget.
Making use of your backyard or local city park’s sports facilities is a good way to save cash.
There are also online court directories that’ll help you find free courts near you. For you tennis fans, here’s one by Global Tennis Network. And for basketball buffs, Courts of the World has a directory endorsed by The International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Want more ideas of what sports to enjoy with family and friends? Why not give these a go:
- Swimming
- Running
- Football
- Soccer
- Badminton
- Baseball
What about sports gear, we hear you ask! Fortunately, good value sports gear doesn’t need to cost a fortune, especially in this day and age.
Amazon for example, have some affordable sports equipment that’s perfect to get started.
And if you want to save even more… well, we can help with that: you can earn Amazon.com Gift Cards with Opinion Outpost!
For those who haven’t heard of us, we’re a survey community that rewards people for their honest opinion.
Simply complete short surveys in your spare time and enjoy an unparalleled world of rewards of your own choosing! It’s really that simple (and best of all, absolutely supercalifragilisticexpialidociously free!).
Why don’t you give us a try today. (I mean, what’s there to lose?!)
Looking for more fun-filled summer activities? Here’s some inspo courtesy of the Opinion Outpost community:
Jog
Relax
Watch anime
Take surveys
Enjoy a bowl of refreshing snacks
