Under $100: Boston, the Winter Edition

Temperatures and hours of daylight significantly drop in Boston during the winter months, but the cold and dark shouldn’t keep you away from this bustling, historic city. Museum visits, ice-skating and sledding are excellent wintertime activities in Boston, as well as brewery and winery tours.

Snow can be a nuisance and a reason to stay inside, but it also gives you a reason to go enjoy some wicked sledding options in the area. Purchase a cheap sled at a hardware store and choose from Flagstaff Hill on Boston Common, The Bowl in Boston next to Jamaica Pond or dozens of other locations for a morning of sledding.

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Boston Common, the oldest and one of the most treasured public parks in the United States, features a winter ice rink and skating school at the Boston Common Frog Pond during the colder months. Admission costs $6, while rentals will run you $12. After skating, pop into the Frog Pond Café for tasty meals, snacks and refreshments starting from $2.50.

Vino enthusiasts can indulge in a tasting of fine wines at Boston Winery, offering tastings and tours each Saturday. Sample a flight of its distinctive wines for $10.

Beer fans will find no shortage of delicious brews in Boston, with Samuel Adams one of the most popular breweries to visit. Escape the cold for a couple hours and warm up with a beer or two on a tour, offered for free at different times throughout the week. Tickets are handed out on a first come, first serve basis.

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Warm up with a cup of steaming hot chocolate at Flour Bakery & Café at different locations across the city, serving sweet treats and cups of regular or spicy hot chocolate featuring a blend of cayenne pepper, chili powder, vanilla sugar and cinnamon starting from $2.95.

Museums can be expensive, but Boston offers several options for those on a budget. The Harvard Art Museums (http://www.harvardartmuseums.org) feature free admission on Saturdays, while several of the well-known attractions on the Freedom Trail are free of charge, including the USS Constitution, Old North Church and Bunker Hill Monument.