Staycation Success

A staycation is defined by Dictionary.com as “a vacation spent at home or near home, doing enjoyable activities or visiting local attractions”.

Though the economy is picking up, so is the hassle and expense of travel for caregivers. Staying at or near home may eliminate expenses for lodging and dining out and, if applicable, for pet boarding or pet sitting, which can really add up.

Hold a family meeting. Decide how much your family can afford or wants to spend on your staycation. Given your budget, find out what family members want to do and where they want to go. A good place to have this meeting is at your local visitor’s center, where you can all browse ideas of what is available to do near your home. The real fun of a staycation is checking out the hidden gems in your area like an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor or tour of a historical site. Think panning for gold or visiting the caverns in the foothills.

Don’t plan your days down to the minute, but do have a plan. For instance, it might be important to have some “down” time to read, nap or catch up on a favorite TV show, even some TV show binge watching, though perhaps on the first day of your staycation you’ll want to be on the go seeing and doing lot of things outside the house. One of the nice things about staycation is that you don’t feel compelled to see and do everything, which often results in feelings of exhaustion once a traditional vacation is over. Schedule for the pace that works for you.

Eat out somewhere new. See how you like the Moroccan place you’ve heard about, or try the new food truck in town.

Allow children extra time playing video games or activities with friends, staying up late &/or sleeping in, and let them eat items which are usually off limits, like sodas or seconds on dessert.

Enjoying a staycation requires that you treat the time as real vacation time. If you had a friend coming to visit on his or her vacation, what would want to be sure your friend got to see or do? How about doing some of those things yourself? Be a tourist in your own town.