Austin is a progressive metropolis that stands out amid the gung-ho conservatism that characterizes the rest of Texas. Despite being a bureaucratic capital city, Austin retains a funky flavor and boasts a diversity of recreational opportunities. And from its lively music scene to its abundance of outdoor pursuits, Austin overflows with activities that don’t require you to pay entrance fees or buy tickets. Check out these free things to do during your visit if you want to have fun in Austin without spending a dime.

1. Barton Creek Greenbelt

The Barton Creek Greenbelt is an outdoorsy paradise within the city limits of Austin that offers a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. 7.9 miles long and 809 acres, the Barton Creek Greenbelt features lush vegetation, swimming holes, hiking and biking trails, and limestone cliffs that are ideal for rock climbing.

2. Blues on the Green

Grab a blanket, some lawn chairs, and your family and head to Blues on the Green, a free concert series held in Zilker Parker from June to August. These evening concerts allow you to enjoy live musical performances from local favorites, including Marcia Ball and Los Lonely Boys.

3. Texas Capitol Building

Learn about the history of Texas while exploring awe-inspiring sights at the Texas Capitol Complex, which is home to the Texas State Capitol Building, landscaped lawns, and 17 historical monuments. Guided tours of the Capitol Building are absolutely free.

4. Free Museum Day

Austin is home to a diversity of fascinating museums and you can visit about 30 of them for free every September. Museums that participate in Free Museum Day include the Austin Children’s Museum, Austin Museum of Art, and the Texas Natural Science Center.

5. Zilker Botanical Garden

Located on 31 acres on the South Bank of the Colorado River, the Zilker Botanical Garden displays an array of habitats and exotic plant life. Attractions at the Zilker Botanical Garden include a butterfly garden, Japanese garden, and a prehistoric garden in an area where dinosaurs once roamed.

6. Lady Bird Lake

Lady Bird Lake is a reservoir on the Colorado River that’s located in downtown Austin. This lake, formerly known as Town Lake, is a major recreational area that offers magnificent views of the Austin Skyline (perfect for pictures) and is home to hiking and biking trails and sports fields. Most types of motorized watercraft are prohibited on the lake, so the lake is popular for canoeing and kayaking.

7. Barton Springs Pool

Located within Zilker Park, the Barton Springs Pool is a three acre man-made pool fed from underground springs that is popular for swimming. The water has a year round average temperature of 68 degrees. Native Americans in the area considered the Barton Springs sacred and went there to heal their wounds.

8. Watch the Bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge

The Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the United States. Each evening, from mid-March to November, an estimated 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats emerge from under the bridge at sunset to forage for food. To find out where the best free spots are for viewing this spooky sight, visit the information kiosk located on the north bank of the river.

9. University of Texas Campus

The University of Texas campus in Austin is home to the majestic Littlefield Fountain and the symbolic University of Texas Tower where the infamous 1966 shooting took place. During an afternoon stroll on this scenic campus, guests can enjoy museum hopping at no charge. At the Harry Ransom Center, you can view world-famous artifacts, such as an authentic copy of the Gutenberg Bible and the first photograph ever taken in the world. At the Texas Memorial Museum, you can learn about the natural and cultural heritage of the state and see real dinosaur tracks!

10. Mount Bonnell

Mount Bonnell is the highest point within Austin city limits, where you can get amazing views of downtown Austin and Lake Austin. Mount Bonnell is the perfect location for a romantic date or a picnic lunch.

Grand Canyon National Park river rafting travel deal: With a new “Be a Kid Again” promotion, offered for the first time this year, adults pay the child rate (normally charged for ages 16 and under) on select trips. Spend the day floating down the Colorado River, and by night, sleep riverside under the stars.

Seven Stars resort in Turks and Caicos are offering 40% off with its “Couples Escape“ travel deal. With this package, guests save $326, or a little bit more than 40%. If you don’t want all the bells and whistles and would prefer to simply purchase the room on its own, the Winter Special Getaway offer has rooms priced at $390 per night, pre-tax, through March 31.

Win a $2,500 B&B getaway from BedandBreakfast.com just in time for Valentine’s Day. Fill out the short form to be entered to win a gift card welcome at one of the luxurious Diamond Collection inns, or over 4,000 other B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada.

Get A Free Companion Ticket to Barbados on American Airlines: The promotion, which started on January 11, 2010, has recently been extended through February 12, 2010, and offers travelers one free, economy class companion ticket when two travelers fly together and book a minimum of four nights at a hotel in Barbados through AA Vacations from now through May 31, 2010.

Michigan resorts offer snowmobiles with room rental: book a $114 Sled Head package for two that includes lodging, breakfast, a $10 gas card and $20 food voucher; you then add on whichever snowmobile rental you like, starting at $135 per day.

Royal Carribbean Cruises up to 80% Off – plus free Room Upgrades! Sail into 2010 with exclusive deals on cruises to Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, and beyond. Take advantage of ocean-deep discounts, including up to 80% off brochure prices and reduced deposits.

Valentine’s Weekend Panama City Beach Condos from $498: Shores of Panama delivers an unbeatable discount of $175 on its Valentine’s Day Shore Thing couples getaway for just $249/person.

The River House Backpackers in Cardiff offers dorms (4 or 6 beds, some female-only) from £16pp, twin rooms from £20pp, and has just won the award for the best hostel staff in the world for the second year running at the annual Hostelworld.com Hoscars in Dublin.

Caribbean cruise, 7 nights, aboard Holland America Line’s 1,916-passenger Westerdam; all meals, water, tea, coffee, and juice; a $50 shipboard credit; and port charges (totaling about $150), from $699 per person. This cruise offer breaks down to about $111 a night and includes accommodations, all meals, a $50 shipboard credit, port charges, and all taxes.

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed and follow @BesTravelDeals on twitter for the best travel deals and more!

The Santa Barbara Car Free special is running now. Get 20% off the best available adult train fare on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquin and associated buses going to and from the following Santa Barbara County stations: Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Surf, Solvang, Santa Maria and Buellton. You must reserve at least three days in advance of travel to qualify for this discount.

Global Fare Sale on bmi from $161 (O/W)! U.K.-based bmi is slashing rates on airfare by as much as 50 percent! This impressive sale encompasses dozens of destinations worldwide including Europe from $161 each way, Africa from $374, Asia from $478, and more.

A New Package to Orlando Costs Only $449 for 5 nights at a three-star Disney-area resort. In addition to receiving round-trip air on this remarkable package to Orlando, you’ll be receiving continental breakfast each morning. You’ll be given an Orlando-area coupon booklet for dining and attraction discounts. And to top things off, you’ll receive a compact car for five days with unlimited mileage (but not including car rental tax, fuel, and optional insurance). Price is per-person based on two persons traveling together.

That’s not the only Orlando hotel deal out there though, how about $67-$100 a night at the Radisson Orlando Celebration Resort! With luxuries such as custom furniture imported from Italy and granite and marble bathrooms adding a special touch to the resort, this is truly a great place to unwind. The unparalleled pool facilities boast a huge free-formed pool with cascading waterfalls, two whirlpools, a children’s wading pool, heated mid-sized pool and a 40-foot waterslide that winds around a rocky hill. In addition, you will be close to all the sites that make Orlando, FL a vacation retreat.

$76-$109 a night for New Orleans’ Bourbon Orleans Hotel, which features a rich history and French styling reminiscent of the early 1800s. As it is just steps away from the famed St. Louis Cathedral, it means you’re never far from the best the city has to offer-from upscale shopping on Royal Street, to the performers of Jackson Square, to all of the restaurants, galleries and nightlife in between.

$42 a night for a 4-Star Hotel Near The Strip, in Las Vegas, where South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa has slashed rates to 40% off. This special is valid for travel Sunday-Thursday through April.

Jicaro Island Ecolodge is a brand-new ecolodge in the Granada Isletas bringing ecotourism to Nicaragua. As an opening special, the property is offering a third night free for stays through April 2010. A three-night stay is usually $1,311 (double occupancy, including tax); with this deal it’s just $874, averaging $291/night and all meals are included as well in the package price.

Colorado River White-Water Rafting Trip from $965, which is $285 off the standard rack rate for Wilderness River Adventures’ Be a Kid Again package for select dates from April 16 through August 20. In addition to the 88-mile trek down the mighty Colorado River, the deal includes all meals (primarily home-style and barbeque), drinks, and all the essential camping equipment (sleeping bags, a foam pad, ground tarp, tent, etc.). Adrenaline junkies will also have ample opportunities to explore hidden cascading waterfalls and crevices during their trip.

Mardi Gras season began Wednesday with the Feast of Epiphany and continues through Mardi Gras itself, or Fat Tuesday (Feb. 16). Celebrations of the festive season, previously occurring mainly in and near New Orleans, have spread widely in Louisiana, Texas and other states. We’ll cover more Mardi Gras deals as members vote them up over the coming weeks.

New and luxury hotels are opening in London, Tokyo and other major destinations this year and 2010 promises to be a huge year for these new hotels. The New York Times has a handy guide to all of them, and you’ll want to visit each one!  Speaking of new hotels, be sure to add any new deals you may come across, and if you aren’t yet a member, it’s easy to sign up and start voting on the best travel deals!

Las Vegas-Grand Canyon helicopter tour now 41% off. The four-and-a-half-hour tour includes a helicopter ride (45 minutes each way) with views of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Las Vegas Strip en route between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Guests will also get a ride on a horse-drawn wagon to the Grand Canyon West Ranch where they’ll be served a western meal and be entertained by cowboys.

USA Today is reporting that, effective today through Jan. 4 2010, travelers can buy tickets for the 48 contiguous states and Canada at the last minute without necessarily paying more. The airlines that waived their advance purchase requirements are American Airlines, United, Delta, Northwest, US Airways, Frontier, AirTran and Midwest.

$99 a night for this Atlanta 4-Star Boutique Hotel. The property features a state-of-the-art fitness center and the re-concept-ed Terrace restaurant, offering farm fresh American cuisine. The hotel also offers complimentary evening wine receptions and coffee each morning.

$384 for a 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Costa Cruise Lines. Offer is good through January 15th for travel from January 24th through January 31st, and visits the islands of Saint Thomas, San Juan Port, and Grand Turks before returning to Port Everglades, FL.

$149 a night for an AAA 4-Diamond Top-Rated Dallas Hotel. The Palomar is listed on the Conde Nast “Hot List” (2007) and the “Best Dallas Boutique Hotel” by Citysearch. It’s located in downtown Dallas and rooms include FREE wireless Internet access, goldfish, and a plasma TV.

$119 per person each night at this Florida Gold List Resort. The offer includes a free round of golf for one person per night at the resort, a $95 value. Both golf courses at the Marriott Bay Point Golf Resort & Spa were voted by readers of Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine as a “Greens of Distinction Winners”.

Adults-Only Mexico Resort from $359 a night in Riviera Maya, Mexico this winter. For a limited time only, this opulent all-inclusive beachfront resort is slashing its nightly prices to $120 off standard rates! Plus, El Dorado Royale is giving its guests $500 worth of resort credit. Just be sure to book soon. Although travel is valid from January 4 through February 28, this offer expires December 22.

Stay for three or four nights Dec. 18-31, including Christmas and New Years Eve, for $79 per night at the Element Lexington hotel, just outside of Boston, MA. Element is a new concept hotel by Westin offering open-layout public spaces and eco-friendly design, and this offer includes a full hot breakfast daily (and there are additional last-minute Christmas travel deals here on BestTravelDeals.net).

Save Up to 20% on a Ski Vacation at Steamboat, Colorado with the Champagne Powder Family Package Sale offering up to 20% off lodging, lift tickets, and ski rentals, plus a $100 resort credit, and a $25 American Express Gift card. The discount applies to all Steamboat lodgings, including premium accommodations such as the Steamboat Grand and the ski-in/ski-out Sheraton Steamboat Resort.