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Cheap Weekend Getaway to Philadelphia

Love flowers?  Why not head to Philadelphia for the annual Philadelphia Flower Show for a cheap weekend getaway. The flower show runs for an entire week. This year it was scheduled to take place on March 2nd until March 9th.

The 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show takes place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. It is the oldest flower and garden show in the United States, and is said to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world. Admissions to this flower show ranges from $24 to $28 for adults and $13 to $17 for children.  Bonus:  A family or group package is also available for only $21.50. The exhibits all throughout the duration of the event teach spectators how to beautify their gardens with the usual as well as exotic plants. Apt to the event's theme this year, Jazz It Up!, the Pennsylvania Convention Center is decorated with large floating piano keys and musical notes. You are sure to enjoy yourselves in this cheap weekend getaway once you enter the Rhythm Rooms Jazz Club. The center is literally an indoor garden with a series of vines all around, floral chandeliers, palm trees and more.

Aside from the abundance of flowers and other plants, there is one more essential factor in this event that is present all week: music! In the parade, traditional street dancing from the Big Easy occurs. Other local musical acts are Big Sam, Hoppin' Jam Orchestra and UCC Brass Band. These acts all perform at the Bourbon Street Stage. If the street gets too crowded for you, you do not have to worry about not being able to enjoy some music for this cheap weekend getaway. Head to the Legends Stage where homegrown talents such as Sam Ruttenberg, Denise Bruckno, and the Crosstown Brass Quintet perform classical and contemporary jazz genres.

The Philadelphia Flower Show's Competitive Class division exhibits thousands of plants, collections and flower arrangements for hundreds of different categories. This competition is judged by hundreds of judges coming from all over the United States. On this cheap weekend getaway, you get to witness the announcement of winners and the awarding ceremonies during the Philadelphia Flower Show's last day on Sunday, March 9th.

This show is a haven for those people blessed with the green thumb, or those who are interested to learn some gardening. Special attractions at the show include lectures on flower arrangement, growing orchids, container gardening, landscaping, techniques on how to repel pests and more. Other things you might find interesting at the show are gardening information from experts, culinary artistry and shopping. At the shops, you will find unique gardening books and other reading materials that will help you "jazz up" your lawn.

Conclude your weekend getaway with a visit to the Marketplace. Enjoy good buys and good deals from over 150 quality vendors. At the Marketplace, you will find sculptures, gardening tools, plants, bonsai, orchids, artworks, garden decors and furniture, jewelry, handicrafts, birdhouses, glassware and more.

The experience at the Philadelphia Flower Show not only is a fun trip. It is also very informative, especially for those who love gardening and those who want to learn. With all the exhibits, the lectures and the great deals on tools and plants, this cheap weekend getaway offers long term rewards in terms of gardening.

Romantic Weekend Getaway to Washington, DC

Washington, DC and cherry blossom trees are the perfect ingredients for a romantic weekend getaway. Spring is finally on its way. After months of waiting for the sun to come out and the temperature to be warmer, it is finally here. Join the hundreds of thousands of other people and welcome spring will the blooming flowers at the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event that commemorates the 1912 gift of Japanese cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC to enhance the relationship between the United States and Japan. To accommodate all the prepared events, the festival has stretched into a 2-week event from March 29 until April 13 this year, scoping three weekends - that gives you three chances to go to Washington, D.C. and have your romantic weekend getaway while the festival takes place.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in the city, surrounding the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin. One of the first things you might want to do for your romantic weekend getaway is to go for an early morning walk and picnic on the Tidal Basin to avoid the rush of the crowd. You can bring your own breakfast and enjoy each other's company and the beautiful weather. After this, rent out a 2-passenger paddle boat for only $8 per hour and view the Jefferson Memorial and Japanese Cherry Trees from the water. Or, if you want to know more about the history of the cherry blossom trees and the festival, you can have a Cherry Blossom Tour with a National Park Service Ranger for free! If you still have enough time before the scheduled event in the morning commences, take the 3-hour City Scooter Tour to see the memorials and monuments along the Tidal Basin and National Mall.

From the first to the very last day, the National Cherry Blossom Festival has special events for everyone to enjoy. The Opening Day Festivities is a day-long event with dozens of activities, special performances and ceremonial speeches by the city officials and other dignitaries. Other activities include sports competitions, tree planting, art shows, concerts and cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, the Washington Savoyards' rendition of The Mikado, fireworks display on board the Spirit Cruises, marching bands, a Gala Dinner Cruise and more! Whatever weekend you choose to have your romantic getaway, you are both sure to find something interesting for you to do together.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is the largest event of the year in Washington, D.C. It will be a great romantic weekend getaway to actually experience it. The parade consists of decorated floats, huge colorful balloons, clowns, antique vehicles, horses, marching bands from different schools across the nation and celebrity performances or appearances.

Experience a different kind of street party at the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. It is one of the major events of the National Cherry Blossoms Festival, and the biggest Japanese street gathering in the whole country. Have a look at one-of-a-kind Japanese gardening display and floral arrangements from the exhibits of Japanese bonsai trees and more. Through this street festival, your romantic weekend getaway will allow you to learn some culinary techniques with a cooking demonstration of Japanese cuisine. Some highlights of the Sakura Matsuri are koto music, classical and folk dances and taiko drums performances, martial arts demonstrations of disciplines that originated or are developed in Japan, Japanese arts and crafts, Japanese Beer Gardens featuring the Kirin Ichiban beer and more.

Of course, romantic weekends are not complete without romantic dining.  Enjoy special meals at any of Washington's Cherry Picks, a number of restaurants around Washington, D.C. that add cherries to their menu and to their recipes during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Then, take your partner for a horse-drawn carriage ride.  A lot of couples specifically choose this romantic way to enjoy the cherry blossoms, that is why reservations are highly recommended for this.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an experience to remember. The scent of the cherry blossom trees and all of the other flowers that bloom in springtime are the kind of aroma perfect for a romantic weekend getaway.

A Broadway Best Family Vacation

Set off to New York City and plan your trip with some culture to better define your next best family vacation.  Visit some of the usual New York attractions like the Bronx Zoo and museums, but don't forget a different kind of family vacation experience on Broadway.

Having established its home near Times Square in New York City for a little over a century now, Broadway has earned a good reputation for cultural entertainment for both New York residents and visitors alike.  Broadway has been housing top-notch plays and musicals for many years.  Because of this, Hollywood producers and directors have been making movie adaptations of some of Broadway's blockbuster shows like Rent, Grease, Chicago and Hairspray to name just a few. Broadway also benefited from the creativity of Hollywood as they made stage adaptations of big screen movies like Legally Blonde and Mary Poppins.  The most recent Broadway production that has been drawing crowds from everywhere in the United States is The Color Purple presented by Oprah Winfrey.

There are, of course, shows that cater to children.  It would not be a family vacation if there were not.  Broadway versions of the much-loved Disney movies are set on stage to bring amusement to your little ones. They might not be animated, but your children meeting their favorite Disney characters in the flesh will definitely make this New York City trip the best family vacation they have had. Watch them giggle and laugh at Timon and Pumba's antics in the musical version of The Lion King, or voice out Donkey's lines in Shrek the Musical.  Or you might even catch them singing with Ariel in The Little Mermaid.  Whatever Disney original you might chance upon, your children will treasure this different kind of Disney entertainment as something magical.

Parents often worry about going to Broadway not wanting to be waiting in long lines to purchase tickets.  However, there are several options to save money on Broadway ticket prices.  There are ticketing websites that legally sell Broadway show tickets that ask for promotional codes. These promotional codes are found in other affiliated websites, and they can save 25% to 50% off the regular ticket prices. You may also use these promotional codes when buying tickets from the theater box office.  If you do not already know, tickets can be purchased through a broker. There are a lot of ticket brokers you can find online during the slow months of Broadway (January, February, September and October) and almost all of the tickets they sell are at discount prices.  Last minute ticket buying is also an option. Although, you will need a lot of luck if you want to get your tickets this way, and they are only available to a small number of productions like The Color Purple, Chicago, Wicked and Avenue Q.  Rush tickets are sold on the day of the show itself, with a big discount off the normal ticket price. Ticket lottery is another option where you go to the theater a few hours before the show and submit your name for drawing. Sitting on stage is also an option, where tickets are usually more than half price. The Kids' Night on Broadway gives children 6-18 years old the chance to watch for free when accompanied by a paying adult during the winter.  Standing Room Only tickets are sold for only $20 for productions that no longer have available seats.  Membership to the Theater Development Fund can get you discounted tickets as well, without the trouble of falling in line! The Theater Development Fund, however, has certain qualifications for membership.  Last, membership to certain student organizations or programs give discounted prices for Broadway shows, which are generally available at least two weeks before the production.

Attending plays and musical productions is a good way to introduce your children to some cultural, and a great way to stimulate their imagination. With all the available saving options for tickets, you are sure to have the best family vacation with a little culture mixed in.