Summer is on it’s way which means it will be tourist season in Alaska. People flock to Alaska each year to look for whales, go hiking, camping, fishing and much more. I now know from experience it is a gorgeous place and can’t wait to get back there and experience so much more!
You all know by now how much I enjoy a good deal, and you don’t have to break the bank to discover and enjoy all that this great city has to offer. When traveling on a budget, there are unlimited opportunities to discover and explore. Here are 20 opportunities that are just $10 or less.

1.      Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
This spectacular, paved, multi-use trail hugs the Anchorage coastline of Cook Inlet from Second Avenue in downtown Anchorage all the way to south Anchorage’s Kincaid Park, located 11 sprawling miles away. Whether walking, running, biking, or blading, keep an eye out for dramatic views of Knik Arm, Cook Inlet, six mountain ranges surrounding Anchorage and the beauty of Sleeping Lady mountain across the water, Earthquake Park and Point Woronzof. Wildlife viewing is abundant with many birds, small mammals, beluga whales, moose and even an occasional bear sighting.
Cost – FREE

2.      Anchorage Market and Festival
Held in downtown Anchorage every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer, this open air market mixes one-of-a-kind arts, crafts and giant Alaska grown vegetables with live music, street performers and a selection of local and international food.
Admission – FREE

3.      Wild Salmon on Parade
Wild salmon take to the streets each summer from June through late August, when 20 wacky salmon sculptures “swim” through downtown during Wild Salmon on Parade. These aren’t your ordinary chum – the four-foot statues are original, whimsical designs by Alaska artists. Established in 2003 and modeled after Cows on Parade in Chicago, Wild Salmon on Parade is a fun way to raise awareness and appreciation for salmon habitat, history and its physical properties. As the summer ends and the salmon run slows, the sculptures are auctioned off for charity at the annual Fish Fry & Buy.
Cost – FREE
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A trip to New York wouldn’t be official without seeing at least one Broadway show! Prior to going to NYC, we heard about many ways to get cheap Broadway tickets, but upon arriving we realized everybody was lying.

That’s not to say there aren’t ways to get cheap tickets; it’s just that most people I talked to have never tried them out. So we set out to discover the secret of saving a few bucks while seeing Broadway. These are our findings:

1. One of the most popular ways to get discount tickets is by going to TKTS. TKTS sells discount tickets to Broadway shows the day of the performance. Discounts can be as high as 50% and the plus is that you can select from a wide range of tickets. This is good because if they sell out of “Mama Mia” tickets, you can still get “Jersey Boys” tickets. There are three locations (we went to the one in Times Square). Tickets go on sale at 3:00 p.m. but I recommend you arrive at least an hour early. Once we got to the front of the line, we realized they weren’t selling tickets to any shows we actually wanted to see, so if you decide to go through TKTS, check the display to see what tickets are available that day.

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Ok…. I know I am all about living life on the budget and traveling for as cheaply as possible- but I don’t even think I would consider staying in Switzerland’s first zero star hotel. Now if you haven’t heard of a zero star hotel before- imagine in your head for a moment what you think the hotel would consist of. Perhaps you would sleep on old gym mats on the floor. Perhaps you would be sleeping in an old hospital’s triage unit. Maybe there would be one bathroom for twenty people.

Well I bet you didn’t think it could you would be staying in an old nuclear bunker converted into a hotel! For only £6 (which would be the equivalent to almost $9.00) you can sleep underground in a bunker. Ok it does sound a little cool- and really I might be willing to try it out except there is no heating (mind you it is underground) so you are provided rubber water bottles for your bed. Also because the ventilation system is so dang loud you are provided earplugs. A lottery is held to see who gets the hot water in their morning shower and there are no windows. Basically you are sleeping in a prison cell.

If this is starting to sound horrid, it’s ok-you can always upgrade to a luxury room for £11. Now you get an antique bed from a condemned hotel. Wow- sounds….luxurious? I know it’s cheap but really? I mean you’ve got to have standards people! It would be kind of cool to say you stayed in an underground nuclear bunker in Switzerland, and it is pretty cheap, I could see how there could be some benefits… Ok I retract my previous statement I might actually stay in this hotel.

Check out the YouTube video on the Null Stern Hotel!

When it comes to traveling, hotels can take an inexpensive vacation to a very expensive vacation in a blink of an eye. As the hospitality industry can be very competitive, most major chains offer a customer loyalty rewards program. While most travelers have their preferred hotel chain, some travelers (like me) really just care about the bed and, if we’re lucky, a free breakfast. This can make choosing a rewards program rather difficult- especially when you add a credit card in the mix! My goal is to examine four popular rewards programs and try to determine which one helps you accumulate free rooms faster (this is ignoring the credit card options which can help you earn rooms the fastest).

The Hilton’s reward program is called Hilton HHonors and includes partners such as Embassy Suites and Hampton Inn, to name a few.

Quick Facts:
*can be redeemed at over 3,000 hotels worldwide
*has no blackout dates
*can use free room (category 1) at 7,500 points
*the more you stay the higher your status becomes (VIP) which means the faster you accumulate rooms
*best option for accumulating rooms is getting 15 points for every $1 you spend on your room

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