Fun and Frugal Ways to Escape Winter

Escaping winter on the cheap requires imagination. I took my shot by visiting afree indoor park in Manhattan. As birds chirped on the soundtrack, fake grass and fake trees helped by a real thermostat turned to 72 degrees provided a cozy respite.

Anything to shed my parka. I slumped against a rock and read for a while. A nanny named Wendy Bond and her 2-year-old charge waited nearby for a playdate. "This is the first time I'm coming in," she told WalletPop. "I like the scenery."