Great summer with little money

By Kelly Rodriguez | Pulse Staff Reporter

With summer just around the corner, students are looking for alternatives to spruce up their summer vacations.

The most common misconception is that you have to spend, spend and spend to achieve the perfect and most unforgettable summer. However, many students go about their summer vacation spending the bare minimum.

“My family, friends and I get together during the summer and head down to Mustang Island. It’s something that we can do for relatively cheap. It’s about 10 dollars to park overnight, and we pitch a tent, take a barbeque pit, and stay the night there. It’s a good bonding experience for us” said Ashley Rojas, 20, an sophomore Education major.

Art students and patrons alike may share the same interest with out being in the same classroom. The McNay Art Museum is a Spanish Colonial Reveal style home that opened as the first museum of modern art in Texas in 1954. Today, magnificent works spanning from Vincent Van Gogh to Pablo Picasso captivate visitors.

“I like to take my girlfriend to museums. She’s an art major, so she really appreciates when I get to take her. The best part is sometimes I don’t have to pay” said Rudy Virgil, 21, a sophomore Criminal Justice. Admission is free to all Alamo Colleges Students with an ID according to The McNay website.

For those with families, The San Antonio Children's Museum provides engaging hands-on experiences where kids play to learn and adults learn to play. The museum offers more than 80 interactive exhibits, and admission is only 7 dollars per person and children under two are free.

For a more low-key area, where you and your friends can hang out, Christina Ramos, 19, a freshman History major, has a simple suggestion.

“Go down to First Friday. It’s the First Friday of every month, and it’s just a lot of fun. You run into a lot of people from all different walks of life, and it’s just a good atmosphere when you’re there" Ramos said.

“It’s a good place to visit and a chance to be a tourist in your own town,” she added.

If, you weren’t able to keep that New Years resolution this year to lose that extra 5 to 10 pounds. The Blue Star Bicycling Company of San Antonio offers bicycle rentals starting at twenty dollars for a full day rental to one hundred and twenty five dollars for a whole weeks rental.

According to the Blue Star website “Whether you're riding around our neighboring communities (King William, SouthTown, downtown San Antonio or the missions), or just out for an afternoon ride along the San Antonio River, or even EXERCISE, we can provide the best in rental gear - 25 Electra Townies, One 52cm Road Bicycle, Two Mountain Bicycles, helmets and locks.”

If you have your own cruisers they have a staff of professional mechanics to fix everything from a flat tire to a broken chain. Located on 1414 S. Alamo Suite 105. For more information visit www.facebook.com/blue-star-bike-shop.