Budget Travel: Minneapolis, Minnesota

by Josh Lew on


Minneapolis. What comes to mind? Prince’s purple jumpsuit, Francis McDormand’s accent in the movie Fargo, the Mall of America and six months of winter.

Perhaps the larger of the Twin Cities (Saint Paul being the smaller) is not on the tourist map, but it often gets props for being a nice place to live. (Forbes called it most affordable city to live well. The Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth was rated the best place to live by CNNMoney).

So it’s a fine place to live. But why visit?

First, there is the food…then the live music, the art, the coffee shops, and, of course, the fact that Minneapolis is second only the New York in number of theater seats per capita.

Bring your coat (and if your ears are delicate, a hat as well) during the winter, but don’t expect ice fishing weather from April to October. That is when the city’s lakes, trails, and outdoor events make it a budget traveler’s dream destination.


Get In
It will soon be cheaper to fly to Minneapolis. Southwest will be launching flights to and from Chicago Midway in March. From Chicago, you can get a connection to any city in the US that Southwest flies. That will drive down airfares to MSP, once a stronghold of Northwest. Names like Megabus, Greyhound and Amtrak are also players in the transit game. Minneapolis sits in the cross-hair made by Interstates 35 and 94. It is reachable by car in a day from virtually anywhere in the Midwest.

Getting Around
The bus and train system is better than average for a mid-sized city, but still far from perfect. This is a driving city, especially if you want to take advantage of outdoor activities. Summer is bicycling weather and most of the urban destinations are within pedaling distance of one another. Buses and the new light rail system both allow bikers to bring their wheels on board.

What to do
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is free every day and often holds special events and exhibits. The nationally famous Walker Art Museum has free admission on the evening of the first Thursday of every month (with plenty of events and activities on offer). The adjacent sculpture garden is open year round, but is mainly a summertime attraction. The Como Zoo (actually in Saint Paul) does not charge for entry and is known for its polar bears and penguin exhibit. It is also free to peruse the art galleries in the growing hipster hot-spot of Northeast Minneapolis (Nordeast).

Theater prices can vary greatly. The Orpheum and Guthrie put on world-class stage productions, but tickets are highly priced unless you luck out in the rush line. There are plenty of other professional theaters and live music venues. These vary in size from a few thousand to a few seats. City Pages (print version is free at pretty much every restaurant, coffee shop and bar in the city) has a complete list of weekly events plus a collection of liberal editorial rants and naughty adverts in back. There is no better source for what happening and what’s cheap each week.

What to do (summer)
An evening stroll around Lake Harriet or Lake Calhoun, capped by a stop at one of the neighborhood bars or cafés in the area, is a pleasant (and cheap) way to spend a few hours. If you are on the prowl, such a trek can easily be seen as a chance to check out some attractive joggers. If that’s too low-brow, there’s the Shakespeare in the Park series during the summer and $2 movies at the historic Riverview Theater near the Mississippi River Road.

Where to Eat
Ethnic eateries line University Ave in St. Paul (from the State Capital to Snelling). These offer a filling, good meal for under 10 dollars. There is a similar strip in Minneapolis on Nicollet Ave. Sandwich shops, bistros, and cafes offer cheap fare throughout South Minneapolis and near the University of Minnesota.

Where to Drink
Nordeast is one of those hip artsy neighborhoods. Though its desirability is growing, there are still plenty of spots catering to the “I’m hip and creative but rather poor” crowd. Lots of these have live music or events on the weekend evenings (and good people watching every night of the week). If you are looking for some fun of the beer-in-a-pitcher variety, virtually any venue on or near the U of M campus will do.

Minneapolis offers a genuinely laid back trip. Cold weather or warm, there is plenty going on. And no, not everyone talks like Francis McDormand in Fargo.

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Budget Travel: Butte, Montana

by Jamie Rhein on

Summary: Butte, a town in the southwestern part of Montana, began as a group of gold and silver mining camps in the 1870s. When copper mining boomed, it grew into one of the wealthiest spots in the United States. During WW I, Butte was called “The Richest Hill on Earth.” Never mind that Jon Stewart’s the “Daily Show” made fun of Butte a couple years ago. It’s one of those towns with a unique place in American history that is evident at every corner.

The reason for the Daily Show fun-poking is the Berkeley Pit, the now shut down open copper mine. When the mine closed, it resulted in a lake of toxic water that has since become a tourist attraction. Like I said, never mind that. Butte, unlike what the Daily Show reported, has much to offer the traveler who is looking for a wonderful time that is easy on the wallet. For that reason, Butte has been experiencing quite the tourist boom over the past few years. This is a town that blends hard scrabble and artsy–the old with the new.

As people have discovered Butte’s charm and splendor, some have moved here bringing their money with them. Historic brick and stone Victorian-style buildings have been lovingly restored, and Butte’s can-do spirit has thrived. Evel Knievel was born and raised here, for example. Still, this is a city where laid back might as well be its middle name. You can walk to most places of interest, although, hopefully, you’re fond of walking up long hills. Butte has a doozey.

Getting in: Although Butte itself is a budget-worthy destination, getting there can be pricey. Flights to Montana are generally expensive, although regional airlines offer cheaper options to certain destinations. Delta flies into Butte’s Burt Mooney Airport, but Frontier Airlines flies into Bozeman, 85 miles away. There’s an economy priced RT flight from Phoenix to Bozeman in May for $202, for example.

Also check out Horizon Airlines or flying into a city like Salt Lake City, Denver or Seattle where you can rent a car and drive the rest of the way. We’ve done the Seattle and Denver fly and drive ourselves. A friend of ours flew from New Jersey into Salt Lake City which is 5 1/2-hours away. Frommers recommends this option for the same reasons that I do. It gives you the chance to enjoy the vast landscape in between.

Butte is also on a Greyhound route, although having a car is so worth it for the off the beaten path destinations like Philipsburg. The scenery alone makes Philipsburg, located on the Pintler Scenic Highway not far from Georgetown Lake, worth the drive. If you arrive on a Greyhound, consider renting a car for the day so you can explore more easily.

Where to Stay: The range of places to slumber varies from national chain motels to family run establishments. Most are within walking distance of downtown, but some are closer than most. The Super 8 is one less expensive option. For a historic Butte experience, try the Finlen Inn located downtown. Camping is also possible, although if you’re tenting it, you’ll have RV company. For a comprehensive list of lodging options, check out Montana Big Sky Country, the official state travel information Website.

What to See: You can’t miss Butte’s mining history, no matter from which angle you explore its hills. The headframes where miners were lowered below the ground are a prominent part of the landscape. For a close look at what was once Butte’s glory days of copper mine prosperity, head to the Copper King Mansion. Once owned by William Andrews Clark, one of the three copper mine barons, the 34-room mansion is also a B&B and has been kept to look like it did when the Clark’s lived there. Tours for adults are $7. Children are $3.50. If you’re an overnight guest, tours are free.

On the other end of the mining life spectrum is what is left of Butte’s Chinatown. The first Chinese people came to Butte in 1868 to work in the mines, eventually starting businesses like laundries, restaurants and dry goods stores. Their numbers grew to more than 2,000 until discrimination laws pushed most of them out of Montana. Two attractions not to miss are the Wah Chong Tai Company and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor buildings. Now connected, they serve as the museum of the Mai Wah Society with a purpose to preserve and highlight Butte’s important Chinese-American history.

For a fun, interactive tour, head to the World of Mining Museum to don a mining hat complete with a head lamp for a trip underground into a once active mine. There are chances to operate the machinery. After wards, take time to wander among the buildings of “Hell Roarin’ Gulch,” a reproduction of an 1890s mining town.

Part of mining lore is the disaster stories. Butte’s biggest disaster was on June 8, 1917 when an accident in the Granite Mountain mine ignited a fire that killed 168 men. Toward the top end of Butte is the Granite Mountain Memorial, a tribute to the men and their families. The view from the memorial’s vantage point is stunning.

As with any mining towns, brothels were part of the scenery. Butte’s no different. The Dumas Brothel, in operation from 1890 to 1982, is now a museum.

Wandering among Butte’s downtown shops offers a variety of antique stores, gift shops and galleries. Check out Garden of Beadin, a bead store with EVERYTHING, Jail House Coffee (housed in the original jail), and the Butte Silver Bow Art Foundation for starters.

For entertainment value, there’s nothing better than the National Folk Festival and Evel Knievel Days. The National Folk Festival is a music lover’s dream. Last summer was the festival’s first year in Butte. There are two more summers before it moves to its next venue.

Evel Knievel Days happens every July. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen motorcycles ridden by daredevils fly around the Wall of Terror. Both festivals are FREE and downtown. A good friend of mine swears by the Ai Ri Rah Festival, the largest Irish festival in the Rockies. I haven’t been to it yet, but it sounds fabulous.

The Old Butte Historical Adventures walking or trolley tours is one way to dive into Butte’s intriguing past. Tour guides, who know the inside scoop of particular buildings and the stories of the people who made Butte happen, can point out details you’d otherwise miss.

Where to eat: For dining, and to keep with Butte’s historic past, head to Pekin Noodle Parlor. This Chinese restaurant opened in 1916. It’s been operated by the same family ever since. The curtained booths use to serve as brothel stalls. For Mexican food, try La Hacienda, and if you eat meat, you can’t go wrong with Pork Chop John’s. The pork chop sandwich is tasty and cheap.

Budget Travel: San Francisco

by Alison Brick on



Summary: Frequently at the top of the best US cities lists, San Francisco is many visitors’ favorite, but might not be the first on the mind for cheap travel. But this easy-natured, west coast city, known for its counterculture, sourdough bread, and colorful Victorian homes, boasts just as many quaint neighborhoods and other understated gems as it does tourist landmarks. Easy on the eyes, easy on the heart-strings–now consider it easy on the budget.

Getting in: All of the major airlines fly into SFO, including JetBlue and Southwest. You should find ample options from United, since the airport is one of the airline’s hubs. If you’re staying outside of the city proper, consider the two other airports in the area: Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC).

From SFO, the local commuter train (BART: Bay Area Rapid Transit) is your best bet to your hotel or hostel. It can drop you off at eight stations within the city itself. A one-way trip to one of the downtown stops is $5.35. Otherwise, a door-to-door shuttle (such as QuakeCity or SuperShuttle) costs $15–17.

If a slower pace is more your style, catch a Greyhound bus and disembark right in downtown San Francisco. Amtrak also stops nearby, but you’ll need to make your way ten miles from the closest stations in Oakland and Emeryville, in the East Bay.

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Where to stay: Hostelling International offers reliably inexpensive options with their downtown and Fisherman’s Wharf hostels. Downtown is all about the location–just a block from Union Square, it’s in the heart of the city that’s renowned for capturing ours. The Fisherman’s Wharf location is more peaceful and removed–housed in the historic buildings of park-like Fort Mason. (It’s a bit of a misnomer: walking to Fisherman’s Wharf will take about 15 minutes.) Both come with free wi-fi and breakfast, and free or low-cost tours. But it depends on what you’re looking for–stores and nightlife outside your doorstep, or sprawling lawns and views of the Golden Gate Bridge? Either way, at about $25-27 for a dorm, and $69-75 for a private room, the price is right.

At hotel price, but still relatively reasonable is Good Hotel. It’s a new addition to the City by the Bay, and a new premise to the hotel world–it’s been billed as “the first hotel with a conscience.” What does that mean? Their decor is made of recycled goods, amenities are made of sustainable materials, and the hotel can link guests with philanthropic “voluntouring” events while they’re in town. Prices seem to range from $76–230, but they’re offering a winter sale right now–20% off a 3-night stay through March 5, 2009.

What to see: There’s only one reason to head toward Fisherman’s Wharf–to take the ferry to Alcatraz. The infamous jail-island is one landmark that lives up to its reputation. Self-guided audio tours lead you through the prison cells (and back in time) with stories of inmates like Al “Scarface” Capone and the “Birdman” Robert Stroud. As an extra bonus to the $26 cost, the ferry ride also makes for excellent bridge- and skyline-viewing.

Don’t let the hills fool you–San Francisco is a walkable city. If you’re up for an urban hike, you can join a free walking tour by San Francisco City Guides, or embark on your own. Choose the natural setting of Golden Gate Park, or ramble through any of the neighborhoods for distinctly different walks. A walk through North Beach (the Italian district) could include everything from perusing poetry at City Lights Bookstore and taking a cappuccino at Caffe Trieste to watching the wild parrots circle overhead at Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill. See what sights, sounds, or people pull your interest to linger or change your plans. At the very worst, hop on a cable car or one of the vintage street cars to bring you back where you started.

Who says all of the good things have a big price tag? The Saturday farmer’s market at the Ferry Building is as bustling as any other event in the city, and it’s ripe with the season’s best produce–grown on local, organic farms. Sampling is encouraged!

Just as exhibitions rotate in and out of the city’s museums, so do free days. Once a month, the admission fee is waived for many of the city’s art and cultural museums. That means the first Tuesday of every month at the de Young, which greets you in the entry courtyard with an Andy Goldsworthy sculptural installation. Then again, you can always enter the observation tower for free–you’ll get a great 360° birdseye view of the city. Or else, be one of the first to visit the new California Academy of Sciences, which reopened in September 2008 and features a four-story rainforest, planetarium, and a living roof that grows native plants. Stop by on the museum’s free day–the third Wednesday of every month.

If you find yourself needing to indulge a bit after all of the walking and skimping, consider Kabuki Springs and Spa for a relatively cheap afternoon ($22-25) at the communal bath and sauna, Japanese style. Just be sure to check the calendar before you go: the baths are designated solely to men or women on alternating days, and Tuesday is the only co-ed day. Or for a big (in all ways: hats, costumes, voices, fun) San Francisco experience, splurge on a ticket to Beach Blanket Babylon, a music review that spoofs the latest in pop culture–now in its 34th year.

Budget Travel: Baltimore

by Grant Martin on


Summary: When most people think of the city of Baltimore, tourism is the last thing that comes to their mind. The Maryland city known for high crime, seedy neighborhoods and social stratification often falls by the wayside when travelers consider the hipper east coast cities — Boston, New York, Philadelphia or Washington DC.

But nestled deep in the grit of Baltimore lies a dark warm culture, a thriving food and nightlife scene and volumes of history. Coupled with its proximity to the coast, Philly and DC, Baltimore serves as an excellent budget destination and home base for day trips through the east. Come along as we show you around.
Getting in: Ever since Southwest Airlines set up camp at BWI airport in ’93, Baltimore has enjoyed budget airfares across the United States and to foreign destinations alike. Visiting from Detroit? Book far enough in advance and you can get flights for around $100. Visiting from London? You can get to Baltimore direct on British Airways.

From the airport it’s an easy ride on the light rail into the city for $1.60.

If the rail lines fit your fancy, Amtrak, where you can often find good weekend fares, serves Baltimore from all over the east. Or you can even take the MARC train up from DC for less than $10.

An even less expensive option is to use the Chinatown Bus, that despite dropping you off on the outskirts of the city, will get you all over the east for often less than a meal at Olive Garden.

Where to Stay: Unlike New York and Toronto, you can’t just plop down in most places in Baltimore and consider yourself safe. Crime, while in digression, is still a concern in the city and it’s best that you stay in safer neighborhoods during your visit.

That said, there are several excellent, rewarding neighborhoods, around the city that are both walkable and full of culture.

  • Right downtown is always the best bet if you’re looking for safety first. Adjacent to the Inner Harbor and a short hop away from Fells Point, the largely commercial region is a good central hub for attacking the city. You can get there in an inexpensive taxi from Baltimore Penn Station or via light rail for next to nothing, and there are a wide variety of traditional hotels available for you to use your points at. The Holiday Inn right downtown is always a safe, inexpensive bet.
  • Just south of downtown and on the waterfront is the Inner Harbor, the revitalized social and tourist hub in the city. It will be more scenic and you’ll have better access to the sights here, but it’ll subsequently be more expensive than downtown spots.
  • Fells Point (pictured) is just adjacent to the Inner Harbor and is the “bar and restaurant” core of the city (try the chowder.) With the wealth of activity in the area it’s also an excellent choice for accommodation, although hotels are not as numerous. As an alternative, there are a variety of delectable rentals that you can find on vrbo.com for a very good price.
  • Other neighborhoods including Towson and St. Charles Village host pockets of hotels and activity. If you do decide to stay in these areas though, make sure you do your homework and know how safe it is before you commit.

What to See:

  • Edgar Allan Poe’s grave: While the Poe House and Museum are in a seedy part of town, the poet’s final resting place is actually quite close to the downtown area. On the corners of Fayette and Greene Streets just west of downtown you’ll find Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, where the likes of Poe, James McHenry and Philip Barton Key are buried. Make sure you stop by Poe’s tombstone and drop off your pennies. Oh and the best part? It’s absolutely free.
  • The National Aquarium in Baltimore: One of the best aquariums in the nation, pictured, is at the far end of the Inner Harbor. The sprawling exhibit is host to 16,000 creatures with a multiple story shark tank, dolphin display and rooftop rain forest. Admission for adults is just over $20.
  • At the center of downtown’s activity, The Inner Harbor is the revitalized host to much of the city’s social and commercial activity. You can find all sorts of the standard big city accoutrements here, from the ESPN Sports zone to the Hard Rock Cafe, but be forewarned that it’s a very touristy and some say, less authentic Baltimore. The USS Constellation is also docked here.
  • Founded in 1876, The Johns Hopkins University is one of the oldest, most prestigious research institutions in the United States. Their Homewood campus, a quick cab ride north of down town, is set in a beautiful Federalist style where you can roam between campus buildings, stop in a cafe for a break and watch the students pass by. Walking east from the campus, you can sneak into the top of Charles Village where you can get some excellent pub food at the Charles Village Pub.
  • Take a day trip out to Washington DC or Philadelphia. For a mere few dollars you can slip into either of the more expensive cities for the day, enjoy the sites and take the evening train back into Baltimore for the night. You can usually catch the MARC from Penn station for a few dollars while the Amtrak to Philadelphia can be a bit pricier. Annapolis is also fairly close, but you’ll have to rent a car to get there.

Finally, remember to stay on your toes and practice good tourism in Baltimore. By the numbers, the city isn’t as safe as most on the east coast, but if you’re smart, attentive and logical you’ll love the city, its culture and you’ll even save a few dollars by staying in a Gadling Budget Destination.