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It can be tough trying to come up with things to do with the entire family that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Going to the movies with kids and your partner not only gets expensive between tickets and snacks, but it’s not exactly a great bonding experience either. Here are three things you can do with the family this weekend that won’t break the bank – because they’re FREE! Dismal Swamp Canal Trail Its name may give you the impression the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail is, well… dismal, but it actually offers a lot of variety. The trail is open to everyone seven days a week and is popular with hikers, bicyclists, horse owners, and others. The 8.5-mile trail offers a full day of sight seeing and adventure or even a couple hours. The Great Dismal Swamp Refuge is also home to plenty of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals you otherwise wouldn’t see. Also, Fun Fact – this place is nationally recognized as a stop on the “Underground Railroad.” Chesapeake Planetarium Every Thursday night at 8 PM you can attend a free program at the Chesapeake Planetarium to learn something new and exciting. The programs themselves are provided as a free service through the Chesapeake Public School System and the Planetarium itself has been in operation for 52 years now. The special program for October is called “Sky Watchers of Ancient Mexico” and explores the skies of Central America. Learn the secrets of the Maya, Aztec, and other sky watchers of Mexico. Fun Forest What’s better than watching your kids’ faces light up as they run around the ultimate children’s playground? Fun Forest sits on three acres of City Park and includes an older children’s area that focuses on helping kids develop gross motor skills. There is also a dragon (who doesn’t love a good dragon), a three-way underground telephone, shaky bridge, and plenty of other cool things for kids to get into.   Image via Pixabay

Halloween is one of the most fun holidays for kids, but it can also be a time of great stress for parents trying to get a handle on the night’s activities. Between buying or making the costumes, making sure you have candy to hand out if you’re staying in that night and still want to participate, and also ensuring you know where your kids are going and what they’ll be doing – it can be challenging to say the least. Here are five tips to help make your Halloween as stress free as possible. Look Up Local Trick or Treat Times It’s important to know what time the fun begins in your city or neighborhood so you don’t wander around empty streets all night. Each city could have a different start time for when it’s considered safe for children to go out and have some fun. That time usually coincides with when it’s actually dark outside, but not always. Once you know what time everything begins, map out the route you want to take your kids on or provide a map to older kids who are going out on their own. more Use Glow Sticks, Flashlights, or Reflective Tape Just because kids are out in full force in costumes having the times of their lives doesn’t mean cars and drivers magically aren’t. Many Halloween costumes are dark and can be difficult for drivers to see. To help make sure your children are easily seen have them carry glow sticks or flash lights. If that’s not doable then find some reflective tape and attach it to the costume itself. Screen Candy Before Your Kids Eat It Maybe your child has a peanut or other food allergy you have to be cautious with. That’s just one of many reasons to screen candy they bring home with them. Not to say people handing candy out to children intend to harm them, but sometimes candy ends up being unwrapped or looks a little funny once you dump it all out. Make sure those get tossed away and aren’t ingested.   Image via Pixabay

Virginia has many beautiful golf courses, and several are found right in the Chesapeake area. Golfers visit Chesapeake’s courses from all over the country. Two of the favorite courses of resident golfers include the Cahoon Plantation and the Chesapeake Golf Club. Cahoon Plantation The golf course at Cahoon Plantation is the only bent grass golf course from tee to fairway to green in the area. There is a practice facility on site, and a fully-stocked pro shop for all of your golfing needs. The shop offers equipment and apparel for purchase or rental. Before you play, the Cahoon Plantation staff will help you register, make start times, get club storage, and rent a golf cart. If you are new to golfing or want to improve your game, the Pro Shop also offers golf lessons. more Use the driving range or chipping and putting areas to practice drives and your short game. If you get hungry, you can enjoy breakfast or lunch at Cahoon Plantation. Chesapeake Golf Club Just 15 minutes from downtown Norfolk, the Chesapeake Golf Club features a par 71 layout on well-groomed bent grass greens and Bermuda fairways. There are water hazards and unique doglegs to make the course challenging for all golfers. The Chesapeake Golf Club offers two practice putting greens, a practice chipping green with a sand trap, and a Pro Shop for rentals and purchases. You can pay a daily fee to play or become a member. The course also features a grill, a pool, and locker rooms complete with showers.   Image via Pixabay

Are you into bird watching?  It is one of the most relaxing activities you can participate in, and it is exciting when you catch a glimpse of a species for the first time. Since the 17 th century, Chesapeake has been providing sanctuary to birds, making it a nationally recognized watcher's oasis. Here are a few of the best spots in Chesapeake to catch a glimpse of our winged friends. Dismal Swamp Canal Trail The Dismal Swamp Canal Trail is 8.5 miles long, and birders can see over 200 types of birds that come to the refuge annually. The linear trail is multi-purpose, to accommodate bicyclists, horses, joggers, walkers and boaters. The trail runs alongside the Dismal Swamp Canal and weaves through many historical and ecologically important habitats in the United States. The Dismal Swamp Forest and wetland area covers 111,200 acres, and over half of the species in the area call it home. If you’re patient, you could spot a Swainson’s Warbler, White-Throated Sparrow or Great Egret. more Bell’s Mill Park The Bell’s Mill Park footpath is a natural area with an elevated overlook of the Elizabeth River’s Southern Branch.  Check out the birds while traveling the two-mile circular running trail.  This area was once a landfill and has been revitalized into a thriving ecosystem for many species of birds. Common birds you will see at Bell’s Mill Park include Doves, Swallows, Jays, Crows, Wrens, Warblers, Sparrows, Blackbirds, finches and more! Be sure to get a free copy of the Birder’s Checklist for the park. Chesapeake Arboretum With the purpose of promoting environmental and horticultural awareness, the Chesapeake Arboretum is a natural classroom that sits on 48 acres of land.  The headquarters is a farmhouse from the 18 th century that is surrounded with theme gardens, including an antique rose and fragrance garden.  The historic farmhouse was built in 1730. View birds along the nearby trails that are part of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail South Chesapeake Loop. Polish your binoculars and head out to one of these serene bird watching spots in Chesapeake!   Image via Pixabay

There is nothing like sitting at the edge of the ocean and feeling the waves as they gently lap at your toes. Many of us only get this opportunity for one week out of the year, so why not make the most of it?  When you visit Virginia Beach, you get the spectacular sand and surf, plus so much more. Here are some fun things to do in Virginia Beach: Beach Combing You can't take a trip to Virginia Beach without looking for seashells.  Some of the shells you may find along the shore include: Atlantic horseshoe crab Blue crab Coquina clam Augers Periwinkles Oyster drillers Moon snails If you're really lucky, you might snag the shells of a Queen Helmet Conch or Scotch Bonnet. It can be difficult to find shells in one piece, but you can visit one of the beach's small shops for a wide variety of intact shells. more Virginia Beach Boardwalk The Virginia Beach Boardwalk is three miles of restaurants, hotels, museums, historic sites, a bike path, and more.  Visit one of the boardwalk's sculptures or monuments, especially Neptune, while listening to live entertainment on one of the many live stages. Kids will love the amusement park with rides and arcades.  Take a stroll on the Virginia Legends Walk, or cast out a line off the boardwalk's fishing pier. Your trip to Virginia Beach is not complete without visiting the boardwalk. Captain Jack's Pirate Ship Tours Step aboard Captain Jack's Pirate Ship for an experience the whole family can enjoy.  Set sail on a tour of the area with dancing and singing, pirate style. Adults can sip on ale while the kiddies are enjoying the festivities.  The ship, the Lost Pearl, is an exact replica of a 65 ft Spanish Galleon, strictly constructed to US Coast Guard requirements. Kids and kids at heart will have a blast firing off the ship's water canons. When you're in Virginia Beach, there is so much to do that you will forget your troubles and immerse yourself in your family and fun!   Image via Pixabay

You can't visit Chesapeake without indulging in crabs, oysters or other ocean delights.  Mariners have been scouring the Bay Area for centuries to bring you the best seafood fare in Virginia.  Before you start scarfing down your shrimp, take a look at this list of popular seafood restaurants in the Chesapeake area. Wicker's Crab Pot Seafood 4201 Indian River Road Chesapeake The Wicker's Crab Pot Seafood is owned by Ray Wicker Jr. and run by him and his family.  Ray is a fourth generation waterman who has been fishing the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for more than three decades. His seafood heritage goes back over 70 years to his great grandfather who crabbed soft shells in the 1940s. Sit on the Steam Pot Patio and enjoy crabs, shrimp, tuna, calamari, chicken and more. Open for lunch and dinner. more Pirate's Cove Restaurant 109 J/K Gainsborough Square Chesapeake Enjoy a family-friendly atmosphere at the Pirate's Cove Restaurant, winner of the 2014 “Best Crab Cake” and “Best Seafood” awards from The Pilot's Best of 2014 Gold Chesapeake. Sit outside on the patio when it's nice out or have a cocktail at their cozy bar.  Wednesday is Flounder night, which is now being served with a side of pirogues. Enjoy appetizers, fresh catches, steaks, light fare and desserts, and a children's menu. There is something for everyone at the Pirate's Cove. Chop's Seafood and Steak 336 Laskin Rd Virginia Beach, VA Not too far from Chesapeake is Chop's Seafood and Steak Restaurant. Chop’s is known for the best wet and dry aged steaks around. You can also find the freshest seafood prepared with the finest ingredients such as shaved fennel, asparagus, smoked Gouda cheese and risotto. The atmosphere is upscale, making it the perfect place for a date night.  Chop's offers Happy Hour food specials daily from 4pm-7pm, and has live music on their patio every Wednesday and Saturday night. A private dining room is available and on Sunday Chop's serves brunch. These are just a few of the many places in the Chesapeake area that you can get a fresh and delicious seafood meal!   Image via Pixabay

Calling all history buffs to Chesapeake, Virginia!  There are so many historic sites and museums here it'll make your head spin!  We've got battlefields, battle ships, war memorials, churches and so much more.  If you're not sure where to get started, here a few historic sites to visit in Chesapeake. Battlefield Park 1775 Historic Way Chesapeake Battlefield Historic Park is an area that serves as a tribute to the Battle of the Great Bridge. While at the park, visit the Interpretive Historic Pathway, Outdoor Auditorium, Re-Creation of the Causeway from 1775, monument to the British troops that lost their lives during the Battle and a family picnic area. The Daughters of the American Revolution were responsible for placing a large stone monument in the park back in 2007 to commemorate Patriot soldiers that fought for America's freedom. more Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel No matter in which direction you're driving, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is the ideal place to get a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. This engineering wonder is a travel convenience as well as a tourist attraction and has been considered one of the seven man-made wonders of the world. Become one of the over 100,000 million people to have crossed the bridge tunnel as it goes over and under water. Chesapeake Veterans' Memorial 306 Cedar Road Chesapeake The sacrifice and service of Chesapeake citizens from all branches of the military are commemorated at the Chesapeake Veterans' Memorial. The memorial is composed of a marble structure with over 1,800 pavers located on the municipal center grounds. Put this on your itinerary and show respect to our fallen and passed soldiers. Historic St. Luke's Church 14477 Benn's Church Boulevard Smithfield, VA Take a day trip outside of Chesapeake and visit the gorgeous Historic St. Luke's church. This institution represents the intricate American narrative of freedom, community and spirituality. Tours are given at the start of the hour daily. The guided tours cover more than 480 years of exploring the pursuit of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. Virginia's oldest church has over 100 acres of grounds rich with history, cemeteries and a gift shop. Chesapeake is the ideal area to bring your children and educate them on important aspects of American history.   Image via Pixabay