Spendless summer

Planning to hit the road for that blissed-out summer getaway?

Om mani padme hum, huh? Wake up, pending vacationers, European-style petrol pricing is already here. You can nix that Yosemite trip—just outside the park, it’s almost $5 a gallon. That’s enough to spoil even the majesty of Half Dome. Well, John Muir didn’t need exorbitantly priced gasoline to enjoy the splendor of nature, and neither do you.

Now hold on, brosef; we’re not saying that you have to go to 19th-century extremes to enjoy everyone’s favorite three-month stretch—equipping pack mules gets expensive, too—but there are tons of things that you can see and do this summer that are both fun and economical—and you rarely have to go far to do them.

Welcome to the spendless summer. What do you want to do?

Are you hungry? We’ve got seasonal spreads for a finsky a head. Sports fan? Spectator or participant, you don’t need to risk a lien on your sweet ride just to get your jock on—proverbially speaking, of course. You can hear the squeak of shoes on glossy parquet or feel the wind in your thinning hair; just follow our frugal hints.

Do you wear clothes? Hopefully you do, otherwise all the great thrift-couture and shopping ideas we dug up were all for naught. All that, plus tips on cheap concerts, travel and green-friendly activities.

The bottom line is this: Vacation time should never be about restraint. All it takes is a little creative thinking to ensure that you can ride that tubular vacation wave.

Later, dude.

Editor Edward Dunn
Art Director Andrew Nilsen
Contributors Kimberly Brown, Sena Christian, Korey Clark, Matt Coker, Edward Dunn, Josh Fernandez, Cosmo Garvin, Jonathan Kiefer, Nick Miller, Kel Munger, Emily Page, R.V. Scheide, Erin Sierchio, Kate Washington, Melinda Welsh
Web Kelsey Falle