Top 3 Cheap East Coast Escapes

These historic cities each have a reputation for being pricey, but they all offer plenty of free and low-cost fun. Here's our guide to some of the top money-saving attractions in each:

Boston
Don’t bother renting a car. Boston’s public transportation system is excellent, and you can buy a seven-day unlimited pass for $15 to the city's extensive "T" subway and transit system. Admission to the historic Paul Revere house is just $3.50, while a tour of Red Sox home Fenway Park is $12. With plenty of mom-and-pop eateries and small ethnic restaurants to choose from, cheap eats aren’t hard to find.

Top 4 Nature-Loving Family Road Trips

Spring is in the air, which means it's time to get outside! Scenery and back-to-basics family fun take center stage on these cheap, outdoorsy family road trips:

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Amid the backdrop of the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains, this 105-mile stretch of highway (itself a section of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway) is dotted with exits to kid-friendly hiking trails. Inexpensive campgrounds and cabin-style resorts make for a budget-friendly family vacation.

Asheville, North Carolina, to Gatlinburg, Tennessee
This beautiful two-hour drive passes right through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Campgrounds are plentiful in the area, as are laid-back lodging options like cabin rentals and motels.

Washington, D.C., Trip Highlights: International Spy Museum

One of the latest attractions to entice families to Washington, D.C., the International Spy Museum lies just four blocks from the National Mall, and offers an intriguing peek into the craft and history of espionage. The old standbys continue to please visitors as well, including the White House, Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Mint, and the Air & Space Museum.

Photo credit: International Spy Museum, Washington, D.C. (courtesy, International Spy Museum)

Record Mid-Atlantic Snow Has Area Ski Resorts Rejoicing

While the second major storm of the winter has Washington, D.C, area residents running for the supermarket aisles to stock up, local ski resorts are rejoicing at the prospect of another big dump of snow. Two to three feet of snow are predicted over the weekend, leaving ski areas like Wintergreen Resort looking at record amounts of snow for the season.

Washington, D.C., Day Trips: Monticello, Charlottesville

Thomas Jefferson spent over 40 years designing and redesigning his estate of Monticello outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. While considered Jefferson's architectural autobiography, the estate is also a horticultural masterpiece. Jefferson once said of agricultural pursuits, "It is at the same time the most tranquil, healthy, and independent" occupation.

Photo credit: Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia (Corbis)

Washington, D.C., Trip Highlights: World War II Memorial on The National Mall

The World War II Memorial, the newest monumental addition to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is the first national memorial to commemorate the sacrifice of the WWII generation. The memorial, which preserves the vistas from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, is comprised of 56 17-foot pillars connected by a bronze-sculpted rope, symbolizing the bonding of the states and territories of the period.

Photo credit: World War II Memorial, Washington, D.C. (Washington, D.C., Convention and Tourism Corporation)

Washington, D.C., Weekend Escape: Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive

If you like to slow down and enjoy the ride, Skyline Drive is the road for you—and not just because the speed limit holds you to a leisurely 35 miles per hour. Driving this gently graded, sharply winding road lets you explore the beauty of Shenandoah National Park from atop the narrow spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pull off at one of 75 overlooks to take in the view—the gentle, rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont to the east, and the fertile Shenandoah Valley to the west.

Photo credit: Shenandoah National Park, Virginia (courtesy, NPS)