By: Alexandra Hagberg

The long winter has left many feeling tired and dull. As the weather begins to warm up, there are many places you can go to for a mini vacation. If you can’t afford a big vacation, there are closer places that you can explore! Whether you’re looking for a day trip or a weekend getaway, there are some places where you can go for free.

If you’re in Erie, there are several places you can visit. One place you can soak up the sun is Presque Isle State Park. Presque Isle is made up of a series of different beaches. This is the closest local place that you can get the real effects of being at the ocean. Not only can you swim and lay out to tan, the park also offers bike rentals and miles of bike trails. If you visit sunset beach, also known as kite beach, you can observe an array of kites and can even fly one yourself. At night time, sunset beach is illuminated with neon lights and candles. During June and July, every Wednesday night, Beach 1 offers open air concerts that are free to the public.

If you’re looking for a more educational trip, you could make your way down to Washington, DC to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The museum gives you the opportunity to have conversations with Holocaust survivors. Each day, the museum hosts an event with a different survivor, and gives you the chance to hear history from the point of view of a person who actually experienced the tragic event. Not only does the museum offer first hand experiences with survivors, but they also have many exhibits to help you learn more about the history of the Holocaust.

While you’re in Washington DC, you could stop at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. The grounds are open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, 364 days out of the year. The zoo hosts a variety of animals, ranging all the way from Amazonian fish to Asian elephants. The zoo is always free, but you may purchase tickets to events such as a Snore and Bore, where you get to fall asleep to the sounds of the animals and observe the animals after hours. This is just one of the many exciting events that the zoo hosts.

No matter where you decide to get away, nothing is quite like taking a relaxing trip to a warm place after the hard winter weather. With Memorial Day weekend approaching, it’s time to start planning your little adventure.