Staycations

“Staycations” have increased in popularity over the years as people take time off work but don’t have the funds for travel. Plane tickets, hotels, rental cars and restaurant outings may not be in the budget for many families and singles alike. However, that doesn’t mean new and interesting experiences can’t be enjoyed on a tight budget. A staycation might be your low cost solution to an expensive vacation.
A staycation doesn’t mean taking a few days off work to catch on things that we don’t have time for in our daily lives like household chores. When planning a staycation, you first need to ask yourself what you want out of a vacation. Let’s face it, you have a lot of responsibilities that take up most of your time and overcrowd your head and overbook your time. The real value of vacation is that they allow yourself to unplug. Vacation allows us to break away from our daily occupations, trials and tribulations. A staycation should accomplish the same thing without the creating a large expense. So turn off the cell phone and television and start planning an itinerary for your budget friendly, mind and body renewing, leave your troubles behind, staycation.
A staycation must have a plan. A staycation without a plan will not allow you to step away fully. Get started by making a list of things to do within 60 miles of your home. Google it! Bing it! Yahoo it! You might be surprised what you find.

• Do you have state or national parks in your area? Plan to visit several parks just for the nature or for hiking, biking, boating and picnicking. You can go to https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm to find the national park near you and check out what they have to offer. You can also search your state for parks and explore their websites for options.

• Do you have any bike trails in your area? The popularity and number of bike trails have grown enormously over the last few years. Don’t have a bike? Bikes are available to rent at low cost near many trails. A search for bike trails and walking trails will likely yield some trails you did not even know existed. You can search for the trail you desire at https://www.traillink.com/.

• When was the last time you visited a museum or art gallery? Many museums and art galleries are free to the public. Exhibits tend to rotate regularly. So even if you went last year there is likely something new on display. Guided tours may be available to help to enrich your experience.

• Summer is coming. Do you have a minor league baseball team in your area? You can obtain premium seats to catch the action and experience the game without paying premium prices.

• Have your ever played paint ball? When is the last time you went bowling? Have you ever signed up for a painting class or a cooking class? Are there summer festivals in your area or local county fairs that you can attend? What about a water park? Once you start planning, you will find countless no cost to low cost activities available.

Let’s recap a successful staycation: It requires some research, a definitive plan, should allow you to step away from your everyday life, replace a high cost vacation. Most importantly you should come back from your staycation relaxed and invigorated.