Planning a cheap summer getaway

Even in the priciest places, you can have fun without spending much.

Spring barely has started, but it's time to think about summer trips — especially the ones that book up fast.

We found some interesting ways to save money this year. On Minnesota's popular North Shore of Lake Superior, a hostel has opened. In eastern Iowa, a benefit bike tour includes free skin-cancer screenings. In Chicago, a family of six can camp next to the Museum Campus for $50.

Here are the 2016 editions of our cheap-trips series. Have fun!

For Minnesota, see Cheap summer getaways in Minnesota.

For Wisconsin, see Cheap summer getaways in Wisconsin.

For the U.P. and western Michigan, see Cheap summer getaways in Michigan.

For Illinois and Iowa, see Cheap summer getaways in Iowa and Illinois.

Best bets for the weekend

Hop on a bike, spy on hens or hope for homers.

Spring has been a little bipolar, but obviously, it's here: Crocuses are blooming, and bike-sharing and baseball are back.

The Brewers open Monday under their comfy retractable roof, and the White Sox, Cubs and Twins open next week. In the Twin Cities, 30 Days of Biking starts with a mass "bike stroll," and 1,700 Nice Ride bikes will appear at 190 stations.

Prairie chickens are starting to show up at mating grounds in Wisconsin and Minnesota as well as south-central Iowa, where you can watch their wacky courtships Saturday during Prairie Chicken Day.

It's also time for the humpback and orca migration on Lake Michigan; the Whale Migration Station on Beaver Island provides updates. There are tours, but as far as we know, only on April 1.

If weather is gloomy, while away the day in a museum. Many are always free, like the superb Minneapolis Institute of Art and John Michael Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan.

The beloved Art Institute of Chicago, however, costs a hefty $25. Yet it and  eight other Chicago museums are free this weekend and the first weekend of every month if you have a Bank of America card. If you love art, it may be worth acquiring one; NerdWallet gives you the pros and cons.

If you have a fourth-grader this year, your whole family can use a free Every Kid in a Park pass to the national parks, celebrating their 100th anniversary through August. That includes the most-visited state park in Wisconsin, Devil's Lake, which is part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Also fun (and free) to explore near Devil's Lake: six gorgeous state natural areas, including Parfrey's Glen, Pewits Nest and Natural Bridge.

Are you thinking of going on a weekend bike tour or to a music festival this summer? Many have early-bird rates that end April 1.

Next weekend

Wallow in culture or watch a doughboy in action.

Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City, Iowa. Dozens of musicians, artists and writers perform and read at downtown venues. On Friday evening, there's a literature crawl. April 5-10.

Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival in Minneapolis. More than 250 films from 60 countries are shown at St. Anthony Main Theatre on the Minneapolis riverfront. April 7-23.

Roots and Bluegrass Festival in River Falls, Wis. Hear free music at half a dozen venues in this western Wisconsin college town. April 8-10.

World War I Encampment in Rockford, Ill. A living-history encampment at Midway Village, with reenactors portraying soldiers from the United States, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Russia, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, marks the 102nd anniversary of the start of World War I. April 9-10.

For more events, see our Events Calendar.

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