California is bursting with opportunities to break the bank, and we're not recommending you don't check out one or two. However, no matter where you head in California you can find a host of free attractions to offset the cost of those big budget excursions. Here we'll discuss four destinations, list a couple free attractions to consider, and make affordable hotel recommendations at each stop.

Resource Box (.doc): Hotel links: downtown San Francisco hotel, Redondo Beach hotels near LAX, hotel in Oxnard, CA.

Body Text (.doc): Sunny California has a lot of tout-worthy features (like being sunny, for instance). Miles and miles of beaches, soaring waves, vibrant board culture (surf and skate), nearly flawless year-round weather, inventive cuisine, cosmopolitan and countryside escapes, world-renowned golf, incredible theme parks, upscale shopping and this could go on. However, as the seemingly limitless list of epicurean exploits rolls off your tongue, one sought-after feature is sure to go unmentioned: affordability.

It's no joke - California is great, but it is also expensive. From higher food and fuel costs to exorbitant lodging rates to admission fees honing in on wealthy tourists who can afford such garish gallivanting, California is ripe to rip you off and has all the reputation it needs to justify it.

Fortunately, a rewarding California vacation doesn't have to be second-mortgage material. You'll find that affordable options abound throughout the state if you simply plan ahead and take advantage of them. There's no such thing as a free trip to California, but if you make just a few smart attraction decisions, you'll leave plenty in your wallet to splurge on one or two big budget crowd-pleasers.

Here we'll look at four popular vacation destinations along the coast of California and discuss some fresh, fun, and completely cost-free activities for each one. While cheap transportation options will be listed when applicable, the cost of travel is not assumed in these activities. In addition, affordable hotel recommendations will be made for each stop.

The Strawberry Coast - Oxnard, California

A good sixty miles north of Los Angeles along the Pacific Coast, pristine Oxnard offers a lot to the average California traveler, and it's not that hard to come up with some engaging entertainment on the cheap. Avid anglers can enjoy some of the best coastal fishing in the country for the cost of bait alone, provided they bring their own tackle, but for the purposes of this article, we'll stick to activities that don't require you to bring specialized equipment from home.

Nature Hikes - Even the most extravagant luxuries can't compete with immersing one's self in the untamed beauty of nature, and the lush forests, natural caves, and rolling vistas of the nearby Channel Islands offer some of America's best opportunities to do so. Nature hiking is more than an amateur exploit in the fields and forests surrounding Oxnard, it's big game. As a result, the number of designated and fitfully maintained nature trails is staggering, offering you a new experience for every morning (or evening) of your trip.

Oxnard Salsa Festival - Spicing up the summer in late July, the Oxnard Salsa Festival stands out from the many free-admission festivals dotting the local events calendar for one reason: free food! Not all of it is free of course, but if you're looking to get a taste of the contemporary culture on the cheap, you can do well for yourself on the copious samples throughout the festival. Be sure to stop by the tasting tent, where hundreds of salsas are ready to be sampled. Just be sure to bring some bottled water in order to fight back the burn. Meanwhile, enjoy traditional music, live salsa dancing, incredible arts and crafts displays, and plenty more.

For a hotel in Oxnard, CA, consider the Hampton Inn Channel Islands Harbor Hotel.

Orange County - Dana Point, California

If you can go free in Orange County, the affluent home to world-class tourist destinations like Laguna Beach, Brea, Disneyland, and Knott's Berry Farm, you can go free just about anywhere. Again, the idea is not to spend a total of zero for entertainment during your trip (what fun would that be?), but simply to fill the extraneous hours with a few free attractions so the higher costs of a day at Disneyland don't break the bank.

Doheny Beach State Park - You name it you've got it, and you've got it for free. This gorgeous state park is free to visit and features more than a mile of white-sand beach to run, walk, or splash along. You'll also find regulated picnic grounds that are open to public, so bring along a basket and enjoy an old-fashioned picnic under the shining SoCal sun. Water and beach sports are the prime attraction with volleyball and Frisbee being especially popular. Of course, fishing and surfing are dynamite as well, but they go against our specialized equipment rule.

For a cozy Dana Point, California hotel, try the Doubletree Guest Suites Doheny Beach.

Three of a Kind - The Beach Cities

While the two previous selections (and the next one for that matter) have excellent beaches, they don't hardly compare to the glistening trifecta of Los Angeles County's Beach Cities, specifically Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. Hosting some of the most expensive property in the country, it would seem an impossible place to have a good time on the cheap, but in fact, once you've stomached the accommodation costs you'll find the trio's brilliant geography offers you more free options than just about anywhere else.

The Strand - This is the local name of a paved path running from Redondo Beach as far north as Santa Monica, and for capturing the beach lifestyle of Southern California without spending a dime, this is the place to hand out. You're free to walk down to the beach and hop on in, or you can walk, jog, rollerblade, or skateboard up and down the Strand for a lengthy and heart-healthy adventure in people watching. Throughout the beach cities you'll find the Strand teaming with fascinating people, street performers, art galleries, and the contagious laidback attitude that coastal living seems to invite.

Los Angeles - When I talk about brilliant geography, what I mean is that while the beach cities have their own thing going on, they're also beautifully-located next to Los Angeles proper, and any first time trip to Redondo, Manhattan, or Hermosa Beach deserves a stopover in Los Angeles. While it won't be free to get there, the hours upon hours of sightseeing on offer in Hollywood make it well worth the cost. Obvious choices would be the Hollywood Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard and

If you're just not feeling Hollywood, consider Griffith Park instead. Here you can see the Hollywood Sign and all of Los Angeles from the dramatic vantage point of Griffith Observatory.

For Redondo Beach hotels near LAX, choose Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach Hotel.

The City by the Bay - San Francisco, California

Free attractions in San Francisco certainly have one thing going for them: the city is so darned pleasant to walk in. While the cresting slopes of certain roadways might discourage walking in heels, the festive sights, delicious smells, friendly personalities, and generally compact nature of San Fran make it a joy to traverse on foot. Now we just need a place to be headed.

Walking Tours - Actually, rather than a place to be headed, how about something to do along the way? The architectural dynamism of San Francisco stands up to the country's most historic cities, places like Chicago, New York, and Boston, only here you can be sure the weather will be friendly. Non-profit organization City Guides offers free guided walking tours featuring a fascinating glimpse into the city's history and its architecture. There's no better way to truly visit the city, or to get your bearings for whatever may come next.

Golden Gate Park - Spend the afternoon in one of America's largest parks, second, in fact, only to Chicago's Lincoln Park. Along with an impressive number of art installations to admire including statues of Don Quixote, Francis Scott Key, Cervantes, and Robert Burns, there are also opportunities for more hands-on attractions if you time it right. The humongous Conservatory of Flowers is always inexpensive to visit ($5.00 for adult admission), but on the first Tuesday of each month it's completely free. The Japanese Garden is another popular feature, and it's complimentary year-round.

Two options this time:

For a great downtown San Francisco hotel, visit Holiday Inn Express Fisherman's Wharf.

For a relaxing Fisherman's Wharf hotel, choose the Marriott Fisherman's Wharf.

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