− | Denita Delamont<br><br><br>The INSIDER Summary:<br><br><br>Regardless of the economy showing improvement, travelers are still looking for affordable getaways.<br><br><br>Cheap attractions, affordable travel accommodations, and even low bar prices may be some of the reasons travelers flock to these affordable US cities. <br><br><br>When David Bakke visits Savannah, he loves dining at the upscale Olde Pink House. But Bakke, a writer for personal finance site <br>MoneyCrashers<br>, has figured out how to avoid the high price tag—he sits in the restaurant's basement section, the Planters Tavern. "By taking the trip downstairs," he says, "you get extraordinary ambiance and affordable food." <br><br>It's a good example of why the quaint, accessible Georgian city made the top 10 for <br>affordable getaways<br>, according to <br>Travel + Leisure<br> <br>readers. In this year's <br>America's Favorite Cities<br> <br>survey, readers ranked 35 metropolitan areas in qualities such as <br>fine dining<br> <br>and <br>cultural offerings<br>, which become especially enticing when offered in a lower price range. <br><br>Even as the economy shows some signs of improvement, plenty of travelers still want to maximize value. According to the Traveler Sentiment Index, from marketing firm MMGY Global, 57 percent of Americans are planning a vacation sometime within the next six months—but high gas prices worry 51 percent of them. Hotel rates have also ticked up about 7 percent since summer 2012, according to <br>Kayak.com<br>. <br><br>Daunting gas prices may be another reason that <br>pedestrian-friendly<br> <br>cities such as Savannah and Portland, OR, won over T+L readers for their affordability. Another influential factor: <br>free-admission<br> <br>museums<br> <br>and <br>historical attractions<br>, such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park in Atlanta, or Baltimore's Museum of Art, which has the largest Matisse collection in the world. <br><br>But freebies aren't enough: Washington, D.C., won the survey's <br>free attractions<br> <br>category, yet ranked as one of the least affordable cities overall, perhaps due to high hotel and restaurant prices. For cheap eats, look to Kansas City (rated No. 1 most affordable getaway), as well as Nashville and Providence, which delivered some of voters' favorite <br>barbecue<br>, <br>burgers<br>, and <br>pizza<br>. <br><br>Low-impact <br>bar prices<br> <br>don't hurt, either. "Maybe it's our Yankee frugality, but well drinks start at $3.50 in some places," says Portland, ME, local Kelsey Goldsmith. "My friends who come in from out of town laugh when they get their bar tabs." <br><br>They're laughing all the way to the bank, that is. Bakke says his Savannah foodie trick is just another valuable lesson from the recession: "I've learned how to fly for cheaper, and I've found ways to enjoy entertainment activities while on vacation at a cheaper price." <br><br>Read on for the most <br>affordable U.S. city getaways<br>. <br><br>20. Atlanta<br>Reinhard Kraasch<br><br><br><br><br>One of Atlanta's must-visit <br>historic sites<br>, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park, is free, and you need reservations only if you want a guided tour of King's birthplace or the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Another reason that Atlanta may have cracked the top 20 this year is that voters gave high marks to its affordable <br>barbecue<br>. Start your taste test at Candler Park's Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, which has developed a cult following for its wallet-friendly brisket, fried okra, and grilled pimento-cheese sandwiches.<br><br><br>19. Denver<br>Matt Wright<br><br><br><br><br>Fresh air is free, and Denver has plenty—ranking well among T+L voters for outdoorsy pursuits<br> and great day trips<br>. There's no charge, for instance, to explore the dino-track-filled Dinosaur Ridge (a National Natural Landmark), just outside town. The earthy city also ranked well for being pet-friendly<br>: dogs are even welcome at the stately Brown Palace Hotel, which has hosted nearly every president since Teddy Roosevelt, and where rooms start at $179 a night.<br><br><br>18. Baltimore<br>Bruce Emmerling/Pixabay<br><br><br><br><br>Voters were perhaps so struck by the locals' distinctive "Bawlmerese" <br>accents<br>, as well as the good <br>pizza<br>, that they may have overlooked the <br>world-class art<br> at bargain prices—namely, the free Baltimore Museum of Art, home to the world's largest Matisse collection. At Gertrude's, run by cooking show host John Shields, Tuesday means an authentic, crab-loving Chesapeake meal with a $12 prix fixe. For a taste of Charm City's <br>quirky side<br>, stop by the free Baltimore Tattoo Museum, honoring the best in human canvas work.<br><br><br>17. Philadelphia<br>Flickr/frankieleon<br><br><br><br><br>As the birthplace of our democracy, the City of Brotherly Love has mastered both high and low <br>culture<br>with equal accessibility. You can visit the Liberty Bell (free) as well as the largest collection of Rodin <br>sculptures<br> outside of Paris at Philly's recently renovated Rodin Museum ($8 suggested admission). If your idea of a masterpiece, however, is the perfect <br>microbrew<br>, take the free Saturday tours at either Yards Brewing Company or Philadelphia Brewing Company, which include samples.<br><br><br>16. Dallas/Fort Worth<br>tpsdave<br><br><br><br><br>Voters have long saluted Big D for its <br>haute taste<br> in shopping, but this year the Texas metropolis climbed 10 places in affordability—so voters clearly found more to love than just the original, downtown Neiman Marcus. At the nearby free Dallas Museum of Art, the permanent collection includes a re-creation of Coco Chanel's living room. The Metroplex also scored well for its value-minded <br>sports bars<br>. Better yet, catch a minor league Cats baseball game in Fort Worth, with scenic downtown views, from $9.<br><br><br>15. San Juan, P.R.<br>FLICKR/ethorson<br><br><br><br><br>Summer<br> and <br>fall<br> are the best times to find deals in San Juan—thank the less-predictable weather. But the good news is that airfares into the Puerto Rico capital have gotten more competitive now that Southwest is flying here and JetBlue has added more flights. You can also bring home inexpensive treats such as a bag of highly ranked <br>coffee<br> from Old San Juan's Finca Ciales or Cuatro Sombres.<br><br><br>14. Charleston, SC<br>Khanrak/Wikimedia<br><br><br><br>The southern city ranked first in the survey for its <br>fine dining.<br> <br>For a reasonable $40, you join Culinary Tours of Charleston to meet with award-winning chefs, heirloom bakers, and artisan food purveyors. An early evening ride on the <br>Schooner Pride<br> <br>($35), a three-mast wooden ship, takes you past Civil War landmarks, barrier islands, and the pretty harbor at sunset—nice reminders of why the city ranked fifth for <br>history<br> <br>and No. 1 for <br>romance<br>. Charleston also ranked near the top for <br>girlfriend getaways<br>. <br><br>13. Portland, OR<br>DrRod/Pixababy<br><br><br><br><br>The Northwest city's No. 1 ranking for <br>mass transit<br> <br>makes it easy to cut the cost of a car rental. The new Eastside Extension of the Portland Streetcar costs $1 for two hours, and passes through the buzz-filled Central Eastside Industrial District, where you'll find Boke Bowl (with creative ramen dishes) and sandwich shop Bunk Bar. Portland also ranked near the top for its groovy, bargain-filled <br>flea markets<br>. <br><br>12. New Orleans<br>Flickr/Photolitherland<br><br><br><br>People love New Orleans for its <br>live music<br> <br>and <br>fabulous food<br>, and both can be found in abundance at the city's often-free festivals, such as spring's French Quarter Festival or November's seafood-focused Oak Street Po-Boy Festival. If you don't want to compete with the <br>wild-weekend<br> <br>crowds, there are also posh places to enjoy free music, such as the Ritz-Carlton's Davenport Lounge, where you can sip a Pontchartrain Punch (vodka, Chambord, citrus, and a splash of bubbly, for $14). <br><br>If you beloved this article and you would like to obtain extra info concerning bubble shooter pet kindly take a look at the webpage. 11. Portland, ME<br>Flickr/Jubileejourney<br><br><br><br>Even if lobster prices inspire some sticker shock among travelers, <br>summer<br> <br>and <br>July 4th<br> <br>are the most popular times of year to visit. The seasonal Portland Lobster Company balances the cost of crustaceans with free <br>live music<br> <br>and will extend happy-hour prices if you present one of the house's coasters as a coupon. That said, you will cut costs by showing up here in <br>winter<br>, when you can still enjoy Portland's highly ranked <br>microbrews<br>, <br>coffee<br>, and <br>indie boutiques<br>. <br><br>10. Providence, RI<br> Flickr/Will Hart<br><br><br><br><br>The <br>diverse<br> <br>Rhode Island capital is the only northeastern city to make the budget-friendly top 10 this year, perhaps thanks to its crowd-pleasing <br>dining<br>, <br>arts<br>, and <br>theater<br> <br>scenes. No-cover-charge events are especially common in <br>summer<br>: on the third Thursday of the month, for instance, you can take part in the free <br>Gallery Nights<br>, which feature free rides on an Art Bus. In summertime, it's also free to stroll through the WaterFire displays, evening bonfires that line the city's rivers. <br><br>9. Austin, TX<br>Flickr/Matthew Rutledge<br><br><br><br><br>Many of the Texas capital's diversions are geared toward local college students and young <br>techie<br> <br>types. Among the best <br>food trucks<br>, for instance, is Gourdough's on South Lamar, which may finally legitimize the donut as a complete meal: its Boss Hog donut ($5.50) is topped with <br>pulled pork<br>, potato salad, and honey BBQ sauce. Meanwhile, one of the most classic, all-ages Austin experiences costs just $3: taking a dip in Barton Springs in Zilker Park; it's great for some free and colorful <br>people-watching<br>. <br><br>8. Savannah, GA<br>J. Miers<br><br><br><br>This southern town may have strolled into the affordable top 10 using its <br>pedestrian-friendly<br> <br>charm. Voters appreciate the portable <br>happy hours<br> <br>(thanks to open-container laws) and the rich <br>history<br>, which you can access with walking-tour apps such as Historic Savannah and Haunted Savannah ($2.99 each). You could also call it a history tour when you check out the city's top-ranked <br>frozen desserts<br> <br>at Leopold's Ice Cream parlor (est. 1919). The downtown institution sells old-fashioned sodas and rum bisque, lemon custard, and tutti-frutti ice cream. <br><br>7. Houston<br>Pixabay/skeeze<br><br><br><br><br>Business travelers will like how this city affects their per diem: according to Zagat, restaurant meals are about $3 cheaper than the national average. You can bring that average down even more if you stick with the city's old-school <br>Tex-Mex<br>—like Ninfa's on Navigation, which claims to be home of the nation's first fajitas (Mama's Tacos al Carbon, $9.99). Hotel values, meanwhile, include Midtown's new La Maison, which starts at $159 a night. The city also scored in the top 10 for its <br>classical music<br>, which can be heard for free at Miller Outdoor Theatre in <br>Hermann Park<br>. <br><br>6. Salt Lake City<br>Flickr/Garrett<br><br><br><br><br>While the Utah city dropped four spots in the survey's affordability category this year, readers still found it to be <br>family-friendly<br>, <br>peaceful<br>, and pleasantly <br>spic-and-span<br>. Like a lot of reasonably priced cities, Salt Lake offers a discount pass on its tourist board website: Connect Pass easily pays for itself by bundling a long list of free meals and attractions, such as tours of Olympic Park or admission to the Natural History Museum of Utah and the Hogle Zoo. <br><br>5. Memphis, TN<br>Pixabay/tpsdave<br><br><br><br><br>Memphis ranked in the top five for the free, omnipresent tunes of <br>street performers<br>. You can also sit down and hear free <br>music<br> <br>at the city's WPA-built Levitt Shell, which has its own <br>historical<br> <br>relevance: Elvis was the opening act here one night in 1954, which many consider the Big Bang of the rock 'n' roll era. Finger-friendly <br>gourmet<br> <br>food is also easy to come by: at Hog Beer Garden—where toppings include wasabi aioli, stroganoff béchamel, and "beer gravy"—the local-beef burgers start at $7. Meanwhile, you can see early shows for free at the legendary Bluebird Café (where a kid named Garth Brooks once played open mikes). To boost your odds of getting in, reserve your seat online. <br><br>1. Kansas City, MO<br>Pexels/Andrew Peterson<br><br><br><br><br>It's one of the few cities where <br>hotel prices<br> <br>have stayed the same or even dropped in the past year (the average summer rate is $137, according to Kayak). Sightseeing also remains a great value: you'll get in free at three of Kansas City's main <br>art museums<br>, as well as two fun factory-style tours (the Hallmark Visitors Center and the Boulevard Brewing Company). The savings continue at dinnertime. KC won the survey for its budget-minded, slow-smoked <br>barbecue<br>: a classic "burnt ends" sandwich at Danny Edwards' Boulevard BBQ is just $5.99.
| + | GREENSBORO, North Carolina (AP) - It's last-chance time on the PGA Tour.<br><br>The field at the Wyndham Championship is once again littered with players trying to earn their way into golf's postseason or earn full exemption on the tour for 2018.<br><br>When the tournament begins Thursday at par-70 Sedgefield Country Club, the focus - as it is every year - will be on those players on the bubble and those trying to improve their position for the playoffs.<br><br>"It's a great opportunity to put myself in a better spot heading into next week's playoffs," Henrik Stenson said Wednesday.<br><br>Stenson, who won the FedEx Cup in 2013, arrived at Sedgefield with security for next week at No. 75 on the points list.<br><br>Others have some work to do.<br><br>The top 125 on the points list qualify for The Northern Trust next week in Old Westbury, New York, and also will be fully exempt on the tour next year, if they aren't already.<br><br>Every player from No. 113 (Harris English) to No. 143 (Ricky Barnes) is in the Wyndham field. Among those directly on the bubble are No. 124 Daniel Summerhays, No. 125 Geoff Ogilvy and No. In case you loved this short article and you would love to receive details regarding bubble shooter pet generously visit the site. 126 Cameron Tringale.<br><br>"I guess that would consider me one of those bubble boys now," said Sam Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer who's at No. 127.<br><br>Two players - Kyle Stanley and Shawn Stefani - cracked the top 125 here last year, and five did it in 2015.<br><br>"I need to play solid this week, but you know, my goal is not just to get into the FedEx Cup playoffs," he added. "My goal is to try and win a golf tournament this week. If I don't, and have a solid finish, that will take care of it as a byproduct. Can't get too hung up on trying to move up a couple spots. But obviously, that is of the utmost importance this week."<br><br>Some things to know about the PGA Tour's final regular-season tournament:<br><br>- FORMER CHAMPS: Only two of the past five winners of this tournament - Davis Love III (2015) and Camilo Villegas (2014) - are in this year's field. Si Woo Kim, who tied the event's 72-hole record with a 21-under 259 last year , is not here. In all, six of the eight players to win at Sedgefield since the tournament moved here in 2008 are playing, including local favorites Carl Pettersson (2008) and Webb Simpson (2011). Love, Simpson and Ryan Moore (2009) were placed in one threesome.<br><br>- FAVORITE? The only player here ranked in the top 15 on the points list is No. 9 Kevin Kisner, who led or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds of last week's PGA Championship in Charlotte before finishing in a tie for seventh place , four strokes behind winner Justin Thomas .<br><br>- PALMER'S WALL: This is the first Wyndham Championship without Palmer, who had five top-10 finishes in 13 appearances at what was then called the Greater Greensboro Open. A plaque commemorating Palmer's life and career was unveiled on the course's Wall of Champions behind the green at No. 9. Palmer, who died in September, also played college golf at nearby Wake Forest.<br><br>"The fact that I get to come and play a PGA Tour event where he competed and played is really special," Saunders said, "and really glad that he'll have a permanent mark here."<br><br>- LOTS OF LOVE: Davis isn't the only Love on the course this week. His son Dru, a former Alabama player in his first year on the tour, received a sponsor's exemption .<br><br>___<br><br>More AP golf: apnews.com/tag/apf-Golf |