Spring break is coming right up, with summer not far behind. Both these events bring thoughts of taking a family vacation. Time to get somewhere and have some adventures as a family, break your usual routine and enjoy life a little.
A vacation is nice, certainly, but a staycation has its good points too.
Cost
Your typical staycation costs a lot less than a vacation. No airfare, no hotel room rentals, it’s pretty affordable. You decide exactly what you want to spend your money on.
Costs can add up, of course. While not the most eco friendly of options, you might choose to spend a day or so at a local theme park. Lots of fun, but they do add up.
You could stay a night or so in a nearby hotel if you really need to get out of the house, of course. Sleeping at home is not an absolute requirement, and it is nice to get out of the house for the night sometimes. You’ll still save by not traveling so far.
Camping is another option, especially if you want to enjoy the natural beauty in your area. It’s quite affordable, and if you love being out in nature, you can enjoy camping as well.
Learning About Your Local Area
Have you ever noticed that visitors sometimes know more about the neat stuff to do in your area than you do? Or that there’s some place nearby you always talk about going to, but never do? Your staycation is the time to turn things around.
Start with the things you keep not doing in your area. Check out the local historical sites and natural areas.
Next check with your local tourist information office and see what you didn’t even know you could do in your area. There’s always something, some sort of nearly secret area that you never heard of that sounds really great.
Trying New Restaurants
Why eat just the way you usually do at home on staycation? Skip the fast food places and try some of the restaurants in your area you’ve been curious about. You’d be doing a lot of eating out if you went off on vacation anyhow, why not try it more locally? You might find a new favorite.
What Not to Do On Staycation
Whatever you do, don’t tackle big projects around the house when you’re taking a staycation. Don’t decide that it’s time to organize the closets, paint the house, landscape the yard or anything like that. That would be taking days off to do things around the house, not taking a vacation. If you need to get that stuff done, dedicate some time to it but don’t say it’s a staycation.
The great part about taking a staycation is that you cut out some of the frustrations of vacations that require more travel. You aren’t spending hours or days getting to your destination. You don’t have to worry about if you’ve picked a good hotel or feel as though you have no options if you pick one that doesn’t work out. Just think about what you can do in your local area that will help you get the kind of relaxation you’d like from a vacation.