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  10 0 Here are some 100-percent free options: The Arboretum is home to one of the largest collections of plants and trees in the Northwest, and this year's early spring means there's a lot of plant action even though it's only March. You can also see turtles, cranes, and other marine fauna if you've got a sharp eye. There are free guided tours on weekends: depts.washington.edu/uwbg/visit/calendar.shtml The UW Campus is chock full of history. 2009 was the 100th anniversary of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exhibition -- a gold-rush inspired World's Fair -- and last I checked you could still pick up self-guided AYP campus tour brochures at the Vistor's Office in the Odegaard Library. You'll have the place to yourself (more or less) if you visit during spring break, which is March 20-28. A few don't-miss sights: Suzzallo Library, the Quad, the medicinal herb garden. At Volunteer Park, you can climb to the top of the water tower for a 360-degree of Capitol Hill and environs and then stroll through the Conservatory for a tropical fix. Go to Discovery Park if you want to get out of the city without actually leaving the city. You can spend a whole day walking the trails and mucking around on the beach. The Frye Museum on First Hill is a good option when it's raining and tromping around outdoors isn't appealing. It's always free, and there's usually an interesting mix of old-school paintings and modern multi-media. Nearby is St. James Cathedral, which is worth seeing even if you're godless pinko commie. As for spending money on food and drinks, try packing a lunch or at least a few snacks to cut down the urge to shell out for cafe food. My preferred spring picnic fare is cucumber-and-cream-cheese sandwiches or apples and cheese, preferably washed down with champagne punch in a Nalgene bottle. (Of course, consuming alcohol in public most if not all of the above places is illegal, so one must be chill.) Now get out there and get cracking! Kalakalot answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  5 0 The Center for Wooden Boats in South Lake Union has free sails every Sunday. While the website says they are always at 2 and 3, sometimes they are at 1:30 and 2:30. The sails fill up, so to guarantee a spot you should head down there early (between 10 and noon) to sign up. If you want to hang around between then and the sail, you can explore the dock and see the boats, watch guys working in the shop (the canoe carver in residence, Saaduuts, is especially cool to watch), or check out a book from the CWB library and grab a spot in the boathouse or on the dock to read and appreciate how awesomely beautiful it is down there (technically you're supposed to be a member to check out books, but as long as it's not leaving the premises I don't think anyone will mind). There is always free coffee in the boathouse, and there are usually free cookies there too (and sometimes other free snacks, depending on what people bring in). There's a Streetcar stop right outside, and the 17 and 70 busses also get close. It's a retail wasteland down there, the closest coffee shops are at least four blocks away, so there aren't even any temptations to spend money (unless you have a weakness for Hooters). It's a weird little spot in the city that a lot of people ignore, and few things feel quite as adventurous as being out on the water.   Aislinn answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by Penny Lane… 0 0 While you're down there, you can also play "which luxury yacht would I live on?" Always fun. Penny Lane commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  4 0 Go to Ravenna Park on a Sunday and watch the LARPers run around and shoot each other with PVC pipe crossbows, then explore the park. Walk around Downtown or Capitol Hill with a prop (the more ridiculous, the better) and ask people to pose with it while you take their picture. Also hit up the museums around town for their free days. Cedarthvader answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  4 0 Why don't you make a scavenger hunt list? Put stuff on there that you have to take pictures of in order to prove you did it. Send it to a few friends or have them go with you. You'd be surprised at how fun it is. This list is a great place to get ideas: http://www.thegreatscavengerhunt.com/scavengerhuntlists/great_scavenger_hunt_list-04-08-06.pdf tiggrirl answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  3 0 Neighborhoods! Take some long bus rides to places you haven't been. Josh Bomb says "White Center" which is an excellent idea. Try also Burien in the south, or all the way up Aurora to the north (you can take it all the way to Everett). Ever been to downtown Redmond or Issaquah? One thing we've enjoyed doing is visiting each of the King County libraries, in remote places like Carnation, Covington, Federal Way.... Raid their CD and DVD racks, and return them at the next one. Take pictures. Fnarf answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 Seattle Art Museum is free on 1st thursdays. http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/visitSAM.asp#free Grand Illusion Cinema still does Member-mooch nites on tuesday (I think). No mention on their website though, but its free if you attend with a current member. +1 for riding the bus. Lot of fun, go to the out of way places. Seattle libraries are amazing, sign up and peruse their online catalog https://catalog.spl.org. You can order pretty much anything to be delivered to the library of your choice. Can't beat that. Keep a tab on Easy Street, Sonic Boom - lots of free in-store shows. If you're walking by popular venues right before show-time: You'll find people giving away extra tickets they can't sell(very common at the symphony I've found). Biju answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 Well gosh, just so many options! .o. Art Walks on various thursdays. .o. Art museums are sometimes free (eg. the Frye, I believe) .o. Visit all parks in the city. With Cameras: .o. Try to find the weird art people put around their houses. I know of one alley just S. off Union near 16th or 17th where there is an enormous amount of framed paintings on someone's garage. Between the C.D. and Madison Valley there's a house with a huge array of hand-made statuettes, cats, devils, and also painted circular saw blades. In Madrona there's a house with 24 birdhouses on it. Tons more all over. Feckin' cool stuff all over. .o. Find and photograph the coolest graffiti all over the city. etc! Happy Spring! treacle answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  3 1 White Center Josh Bomb answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 Specifically, activities with cameras? Indoors: play sleeveface at your local record store Outdoors: re-enact scenes from action movies with water guns B. Betherton answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 Hit the sculpture park and the waterfront. Here are some great walking maps of neighborhoods. Take the light rail. Use these walking maps for stations in Rainier Valley (there are other neighborhoods there too). I just took my son and niece to the Mt Baker Station and walked to the waterfront to play on the beach - it's green the whole way (well, once you pass Franklin high school). Go to Seattle Center - they almost always have some free show in the center house. Plus there's the outdoor fountain - run and spash with the children. Watch the skateboarders at the new skateboard park. Bad weather? Window shop at Pike's Market. For a little cash you can take a ferry somewhere, just for the ride. Matt the Engineer answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Go to the Sound Gardens. They are pretty cool and relaxing. They are free and you can commune with nature. I would probably go when it isn't raining though. Kristin Bell answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by Penny Lane… 0 0 I haven't been to the Sound Garden in a long time, but last time I was there they were locked up. They're only open at specific times, and there's a guard stationed there (due to the Sound Garden being on NOAH property), so check ahead before you go. However, Madison Park is worth a trip, and to get to the Sound Garden you go through the Dog Park. I personally feel that a visit to an off leash dog park, with or without a dog, is very good for the soul. They're just so darn happy. Penny Lane commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 If you want to get out of Seattle, take a commuter bus to Tacoma. There are busses that go directly from downtown here to downtown there and are really plush and clean. On Third Thursdays, the Tacoma Art Museum, Museum of Glass, and Washington State History Museum are all free and open late - check their websites because they all open at different times. You could also take a bus to Pt. Defiance on a nice day - it's a huge urban forested park and very nice to get lost in. It would be a great picture safari trip. All these suggestions are great, here's a few more: City Hall has free lunch time concerts, here's the current schedule: http://www.cityofseattle.net/arts/community/seattle_presents.asp It's a fun space to explore also, and makes a nice trip with the Library. Take the ferry to Bainbridge Island and take the short walk to Winslow. Now, you might get that ack I wish I had money feeling with all the great restaurants, so pack a picnic - they have a Central market there too for picnic supplies but it's a little pricey. Bring cash if you want to splurge on coffee and a decadent treat at Blackbird bakery. Mad props if you can find the secret little fountain on the sidewalk, it's my three year olds favorite stop. My husband and I spent a nice afternoon finding hidden terraces and view spots in downtown Seattle once, it's amazing how many cute little green areas there are tucked behind new condos and office buildings. And when summer rolls around, don't miss out on all the free outdoor movie events - bring a flask or two, and you're set. Micah has good suggestions for Urban Hikes - one of my favorites is walking around Lake Union - there are house boats, the Center for Wooden boats, Fremont, and Gas Works Park as places to stop and enjoy. Almost all museums in Seattle are free for at least the evening on First Thursdays, and open late - bring a picnic and a subtle flask to SAM and enjoy in their lobby, and then peruse the art until 8. Sorry I went on for so long, but as a family on a really really tight budget, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. Have fun! Penny Lane answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 1 I'm a big fan of long city walks. Downtown Seattle in particular is a great subject for these. Make sure to bring a water bottle and some snacks so you don't end up breaking down halfway and buying a $9 meal somewhere. Get off at Westlake, and walk north along 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, and experience the weird Belltown mix of the posh and the homeless. Take a left on Broad St as Belltown ends and you'll find yourself at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Enjoy, peruse, snack. There's even a covered public area on Broad & Western where you can rest if it's raining. Myrtle Edwards park is just downhill and has nice views of the ships coming and going. Head south along the waterfront until you get back to downtown, and climb the hill to 3rd whenever you want to go home. Or, if you're not into walks so much, there are lots of awesome community events around town. Check out SeattleDIY if you're into house shows. I can't think of a single band that wouldn't appreciate someone with a camera taking pictures of them at a show. If you're not into the DIY scene so much, you could also just look up local bands on MySpace or whatever and offer to take pictures of them at their shows if they can get you in for free. Consider volunteering as well. There's food banks, libraries, urban farming projects, Food Not Bombs, community radio, various non-profits, whatever you're into, somebody probably needs a volunteer. If you're unemployed, it's also a great way to find job prospects. And finally... consider being a photojournalist! There's tons of city/neighborhood blogs here and they appreciate good and timely material. Upload interesting pics to Flickr and tag them appropriately, and/or contact bloggers with interesting photos of yours. Have fun! Micah Ellison answered in Trips & Travel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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