Haven't you heard??? Staycations are the new vacations! It is so much cooler these days to stay home, rather than have fun in the sun at some swanky beach resort. Oh wait, actually, the economy tanked, gas prices sky-rocketed, and we must remember to be green-minded...right? And thus, your flip-flopped feet are staying home this summer. It's not that bad, though! I will help you have the ULTIMATE Staycation.
Figuratively speaking, anyway. Contrary to what the above image indicates, swimming in your bath tub will not suffice for the “pool” part of your staycation. And yes, there must be a pool contingency. But, more on that later. First off, here’s how to begin the planning process:
Take time off from work. Just because you’re staying in town doesn’t mean that a weekend will be enough R&R time. Unplug the internet!
Pick a theme: camping, beach, bed & breakfast, etc.
Decide who to invite on your staycation and for how long.
Try to budget, because you’ll kick yourself if you end up spending MORE money by not leaving a 10-mile radius of your home. That’s just silly!
Okay, you could go visit the public pool, but that may already be part of your summer regimen. And the goal here is to bring the vacation TO you. Which means you should buy a kiddie pool for the backyard or living room. How can you say no to a $24.99 Banzai Elephant Park Spray Pool?
You can’t lounge in a classy elephant pool without an equally classy drink to go in your hand. (Some munchies won’t hurt either). My go-to girl for such classiness is, of course, Martha Stewart, and she is thinking that Lemonade Caipirinhas would ever so perfectly complement the hours whiled away in an inflatable water receptacle. Here is how to make them:
Ingredients
2 large limes, cut into 16 wedges each
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cachaca
6 cups crushed ice
1 cup store-bought lemonade
With a wooden spoon, crush limes into sugar inside a large measuring glass or bowl; pour in cachaca.
Transfer the cachaca mixture to a large serving pitcher, add ice, and stir in lemonade. Pour into glasses and drink up!
Not literally, but Martha’s drinks want a down-to-earth companion. I’m ambivalent about Rachael Ray and everything she does, but maybe I’m just jealous because she took my every-man’s-cook idea, concocting easy enough recipes without sacrificing taste or fresh ingredients.
You don’t want to spend your entire staycation upright in the kitchen, so choose from among some of her summer or bbq recipes and go to town! Except not, because you’re staying home, remember?
Cinema Catch-Up
Usually when I’m on a real vacation, I take issue with watching or going to movies because it’s an activity that can be done anywhere, as opposed to swamp tours and parasailing. I have also happened to choose the wrong (read: not uppers) movies while at the beach: The Pianist and The Blair-Witch Project. Not exactly films that put you in the mood to be a lazy-daisy without a care in the world.
Go for comedies, watch the entire Star Wars collection or find a new TV series to view from start to finish.
Actually, you don’t even want to make the trek from La-Z-Boy to mailbox; iTunes will take care of movie needs with a few clicks. Done and done!
Rainy Day Contingency Plan
Every vacation is met with a bump or two in the road: it’s called the rainy day. (Or snakes in the backyard, jellyfish stings, head cold, broken leg, or relationship meltdown). In the event of a lightning storm, the kiddie pool isn’t such a good idea. Not a good way to die, I’m guessing.
In my family, rainy days meant board game days. This is pre-wireless internet (or internet period) and pre-billion television channels, so Monopoly or Chutes & Ladders it was.
We used to come up with treasure and scavenger hunts as kids, racing around the house with clue cards trying to find little trinkets. Wow, I made it sound pretty lame, but I still think it should be part of every staycation!
Leave The House Already
Taking a staycation doesn’t mean you are confined to your house. This is the perfect time to explore your environs, whether you live in a big city or small town. Make a list of places you’ve always meant to go to, or even places you’ve visited only when hosting people-museums, parks, gardens, historical landmarks-and plan a fun day out.
Where do you begin? Check out a travel book on your area, or log on to the local Tourism Bureau site. Pack a picnic and see what it’s like to spend a weekday in your city, without going to work.
Make It Memorable
Take pictures of everything you do, videotape it, or find some way of recording your staycation.
It sounds kitschy and a little dorky, but making a small scrapbook detailing your staycation is a fun way to end the week. You probably won’t have a pile of travel brochures, but surely you picked up something along the way? Treasure hunt cards…museum admission stub…a list of movies watched.
We’re so used to reading exotic travel tales and accounts of far flung places, but you should have many stories from the ultimate staycation. Tell them on the site “iReport.” Or leave me ideas here!
Brought to you by Guidespot.comCopyright 2008 - Local Matters Inc.
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