Summer Excursions for Under $25

Tired of eating on Thayer Street, shopping in Newport, and going to the beach in Narragansett? Here are 5 different daytime activities that won’t empty out your wallet. Bring your date, friend, or family member and enjoy the day RI style.  

Fresh Food + Yoga = $24

Ready to sweat? Bikram yoga, a 90-minute class, in a heated room, is made up of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises to warm and stretch muscles, ligaments and tendons, in a systematic order. Bring a friend and try Ocean State Bikram Yoga, a new Bikram studio in Pawtucket. Cost: $16/single visit. Various times. 560 Mineral Spring Ave #104, Pawtucket. Call 743-5405. After you’ve worked up an appetite, get fresh RI food at a local farmers market. Try the Hope Street Farmers' Market. Cost: approx. $8. Saturdays 9:30am-12:30pm, Wednesdays  3:30pm-6:30pm. Lippitt Park, Providence.

Be a marine biologist = $0

You can have an active day in the water with marine creatures, while helping the RI community, without paying a dime. Volunteer to Help Collect Local Species for the Exploration Center Aquarium and Bay Center for education programs and public outreach. Be ready to go into the water and handle marine species such as crabs, lobsters, sea stars. Cost: $0. Aug 11: 10:30am-2pm, Aug 30: 1pm-4pm, Ft. Wetherill in Jamestown. Advanced registration is required. Contact Stephany at [email protected] or call 272-3540 x 130. 

The ultimate (inexpensive) island getaway

Block Island Experience = $25

For a full-on Block Island excursion that won’t cost as much as your weekly salary, take the ferry, indulge with RI seafood, and hike Block Island’s trails. Start with the scenic ferry ride from Point Judith. Cost: less than $20 round-trip. For a quick and classic Block Island meal, stop at Rebecca’s Seafood Takeout for hamburgers, sandwiches, and of course seafood on the go. Cost: approx. $5. 435 Water St, 466-5411. For lunch, if you want to try something different, go to Bethany’s Airport Diner, which is even cooler since it was recently remodeled. Cost: approx. $5. Center Rd, 466-3100. All 25 miles of hiking trails on Block Island are free and open to the public. Explore Rodman’s Hollow, a nature preserve that is neat for hiking and Clay Head Trail which runs along the bluffs on the northern part of the island. Cost: $0. 

Pick Berries + Summer Smoothies = $20

Enjoy a vacation-like day with tropical smoothies made with your own hand-picked berries. Pick blueberries at Alpacas of Harkney Hill. Wear sturdy shoes, bring your own containers, and pick as much as you like. Cost: $10/person. Tuesday-Friday 10am -6pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-6pm. 1394 Harkney Hill Road, Coventry, 397-4761. Buy your smoothie ingredients like blueberry yogurt and bananas as your local supermarket or farmers market. Cost: approx. $10. 

Night in France = $21-23

For the evening, escape into French culture but don’t leave RI. Indulge in authentic French hors d’oeuvres at Pot au Feu. Cost: approx. $10. 44 Custom House Street, Providence, 273-8953. See the highly recommended French film, Queen to Play at Cable Car Cinema . Cost: $9 or $7 for children/students/seniors.  Still hungry? Buy popcorn at the theater and fill up the bag as many times as you want. Cost: $4. 204 South Main Street, Providence, 272-3970.