Making the Most of Your Staycation: New Ideas for Old Traditions

Holidays are notoriously the worst times to travel, but many people choose to take advantage of the extra time off work to visit faraway family and friends without putting a massive dent in their bank of vacation days. On the other hand, some people prefer not to travel at this time of year or are simply unable to. While spending time with extended family undoubtedly brings out the holiday spirit, you can put a new spin on that tradition and vacation at home instead—take a staycation! Read on to learn how to staycation without feeling like you’re missing out.

Do All Your Favorite Things

Probably the most popular way to staycation is to do all the things you never seem to have enough time for, because—let’s be honest—you wouldn’t have time for those things while on vacation either. Stay in bed and read, craft to your heart’s content, marathon all the movies or TV shows you’ve fallen behind on (or host your own film festival!), learn a new skill or hone an existing one, etc. The possibilities are endless, and you may even discover a new favorite thing!

Tour Your Own City

Chances are you haven’t explored everything your city has to offer, so make like a tourist and explore the attractions in your area that you’ve been meaning to visit. Not sure where to start? Do a web search for your city to figure out where people from out of town like to go. Local museums, theaters, zoos, aquariums, national parks, breweries, vineyards, and renowned restaurants are all great options.

Virtually Tour Other Cities

The Internet makes it possible to “visit” many places in the world without leaving your house! Go on a virtual tour of some of the places you’ve always wanted to visit, from entire cities to landmarks, museums, factories, amusement parks, or even college campuses. If you don’t have anywhere specific in mind to explore, allow yourself to be placed somewhere random, and take a stab at guessing where you are.

Get Outside

We all know that spending time outside is good for your health, but it can be hard to pull yourself away from the office or the ever-growing list of to-dos you have at home. But even if you’re home for the holidays, you’re on staycation! Break away from the chores, the emails, and the business calls, and enjoy the great outdoors. Have a picnic, go hiking or camping, or walk around a local park. Just be sure to dress appropriately for the weather.

Go to a Concert or a Show

Many concerts, plays, and other performances take place during the week, and it can be difficult for those with busy weekday schedules to attend. As a staycationer, you probably won’t need to wake up as early as you usually do (or even as early as you would if you were on vacation), so feel free to spend an evening or two out.

Order In or Dine Out

Some of the best parts of being on vacation are getting to eat foods you don’t normally eat and not having to cook. People tend to become so entrenched in their routines that they forget they can do these things even while spending time at home. Change things up a bit by eating at a new-to-you restaurant nearby, having your staycation meals delivered, or getting a different family member to cook dinner each night.

However you decide to spend your staycation, the key is to treat it just as you would a traditional vacation. Enjoy your much-needed and well-deserved family time—or you time—and ignore anything you wouldn’t want or have to deal with while vacationing away from home.