Go on Staycation

With tight budgets, an uncertain economy and overscheduled families who has time to plan and go on a vacation. One idea that keeps coming to mind is a Staycation. This is when you utilize all the things in your own neighborhood and make them special.

For us a Staycation can only be a weekend thing since the kids are in school and current work schedules don’t allow for time off. Maybe you have the time off; with the right planning you can have a weeks’ worth of activities that everyone will love.

Become a tourist. Visit your local Chamber of Commerce. They are a wealth of information about community events that you may never hear about in your everyday life. They often have coupons for local attractions plus the scoop on free activities.

Check out the museums you’ve never visited. Obscure museums such as the Superman Museum in Metropolis, IL or the Banana Museum in Washington State are tons of fun and the best place to snag a cool souvenir. For something more mainstream check out an online directory to find a list of Art or History Museums in your area.

Pick up a travel guide or visit your communities CitySearch.com to find yummy eats. Plan a restaurant meal each day of your Staycation. This gives you a break in the kitchen and gives everyone a chance to experiment with new foods. Choose ethnic or go for the dive dinner, whatever you do make it fun. Make the kids bedrooms a Home-tel. Place chocolates on their pillows, turn down the sheets, leave a breakfast menu on the dresser asking them to choose from the list and leave it outside the door before bed. Bring their choices on a tray with a fresh flower and the comics from the newspaper. Again, make everything more fun.

Make it extra special by picking up postcards and sending them to loved ones. Let them know how much fun you are having even though you never really left. Pick up a magnet for the fridge to be reminded everyday of that awesome Factory Tour you took. Research local history at the library and spend quiet time at the end of the day reading about how The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier became the memorial that it is today.

Make memories that will last a lifetime. Children don’t really care where you go just as long as you making the ordinary, extraordinary.