Monday, 18 August, 2008 9:16
by Pat Gill
I’m not sure about you, but I hear that gas prices have fallen in recent weeks, but it sure doesn’t look like it. I’m still feeling the burn of prices that conitnue to hover well over $3 a gallon.
Many of us have had to recalculate our budgets and look to do it again at the onset of another surge. For some, vacations and fun weekend getaways have taken a back seat to day-to-day necessities, leaving them to consider “staycations” as a means to affordably get away from it all – and also on a tank of gas or less.
According to the Travel Industry Association, among adults planning to take a home-based vacation during the next six months, one out of five expects to stay in a local hotel, motel or resort at least one night on their staycation.
So that got me thinking about the fun things you can do for a nice weekend getaway, right here at home. And better yet – things you can do for free before heading to a nice local bed and breakfast or hotel to seal up a nice staycation getaway.
Customize your own tour of downtown Shreveport with stops at Once in a Millennium Moon Mega Mural and the Elvis Presley and James Burton Statues. Then cool off with a few runs through the fountain at RiverView Park.
For art lovers, give in to your imagination as you stroll through the Southern Museum of Art, the Barnwell Garden and Art Center, R.W. Norton Art Gallery and Meadows Museum of Art.
If you’re interested in learning something new, visit the Eighth Air Force Museum, the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum or the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Regional Visitor Center.
There’s even something free for sports aficionados to indulge in at the Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions.
If attractions don’t get you excited, check out our list of restaurants and plan your own culinary trail to do this weekend. And when you do, share your photos and fun with us.
Have fun discovering Louisiana’s Other Side!
The Southern University Museum of Art features more than 300 original pieces of African American and African art.