It's a well known fact that people who live in Cleveland never go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. People who live in Southern California rarely go to the beach (unless they are a surfer), and many Utahns rarely get up the mountain to go skiing. It's usually because when we do have some time off, everyone would rather go out of town than stay in. I definitely understand that, as most of my vacations end up in Southern California. Gas is expensive, flights are expensive, and sometimes you can have just as good of a vacation without going very far!
Before I was married, I went on a trip with my friends. We went sailing in the ocean. We lived in Newport Beach and we sailed up to Long Beach. It's literally a 30 minute drive from where we started. It took us all day, but it felt like we had traveled SO far! It seriously felt like a vacation, even though we were really only 30 minutes away from home.
So, how do you make a "staycation" feel more like a real vacation? Here's a few tips...
1. Mode of transportation - Sometimes just changing up the way you get there can make all the difference in the world. I know it's hard to leave your Honda, but you *can* drive to a train station and take a train somewhere, or take a taxi, or go for a long bike ride to a camp site. When you travel using a different method, or even just drive the "long way" to a location, it can feel like it's a world away.
2. Explore what is right in your back yard! One of the best ways to explore what is right under your nose is to go Geocaching. This is where you use GPS tools to go on a scavenger hunt. People have left notes or small items all over every city! You could spend all day discovering these items. Along the way you will be able to appreciate the beauty that is all around you every day!
3. Do the touristy things. If you had someone coming to visit from out of town, what would they want to do? Finally go skiing? Go to a local museum? Use an app like Field Trip for Android to find all the great things to see and do right where you are.
4. Sleep somewhere fun. To really make it feel like a vacation, spend some money on a local hotel or motel, or even just change up the sleeping arrangements at your house. Everyone camp out in the backyard, or in the living room. Something to go outside of the norm to really give it that vacation feel.
Get out and explore the area you live in! Your wallet might just breathe a big sigh of relief!
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