Staycations – or “vacations” taken while staying at home – are part of a growing trend all over North America. According to a recent survey conducted by CPA Canada, more than one-quarter of the people interviewed said that they plan on staycationing this year.
Here are a few tips to help you and your family have a great staycation:
Explore Your Own Area
Explore your city or town with fresh eyes that is, through the eyes of a tourist. To help you do this, you can head on over to the nearest tourist information center and see what exciting things your area has to offer. Maybe you’ll want to grab a few brochures and then make a list of all the sites you’d like to visit and figure out which days you’d like to see them.
Check Out Free Events
Scout the internet for a list of free concerts, museums, theatres, movies and festivals in your area.
Many big cities offer these free-of-charge family events in summer. They often take place outdoors, in parks. Usually, the only thing required is that you arrive early and bring your lawn chairs. For food, you can either pack a lunch or grab snacks from on-site vendors.
Eat Outdoors
To get that vacation feel, eat outdoors in calm and attractive settings as much as possible. You can do this by setting up a special eating area outside your home, either in your backyard or on your balcony if you don’t have a yard. On some days, you can try to find a quiet park in your area, then pack a lunch, and go for a picnic.
If you chose to go to restaurants, opt for those that have a terrace, which will undoubtedly add a festive ambiance to your outing.
Eat Vacation Foods
No doubt your family has favorite foods and drinks that they like to have when they’re on vacation away from home. You can get that same away-from-home feeling by making a grocery list based on all those fun foods, and by planning your meals and snacks accordingly.
Go On A Nature Hike
If there’s one thing that can help us wind down, it is getting closer to nature. Why not look for a nature trail near your home and plan to spend some time hiking there.
Make Memories
Your staycation will be enjoyable if you focus on the positive things you see and do. To help you do just that, make sure to take pictures of happy moments, of beautiful things you see, and of places you’ll want to remember and talk about.
As seen in this article, it is possible to take that well-deserved break even when money is tight. With a little bit of planning, you too can join the growing trend of those who are choosing to “vacation” from home.