Planning on what to do on a short staycation during one of the long weekend breaks? Out of ideas on where to go? Unsure if the activities is fun and enjoyable? Here is a list of activities you can participate in to spice up your short gateway.
The following article post originally appeared on https://www.forbes.com and was written by Steve Odland.
Since the recession began a few years ago, people have been cutting back on discretionary spending. One of the first cuts in a household budget has been the annual family vacation. Instead of expensive airline tickets and hotel stays, people have been substituting cheaper alternatives: waiting for special travel deals online, driving to see relatives, having friends and relatives come to see them, etc. But an increasingly popular and fun vacation is the stay-at-home-vacation, or the “staycation.” The beginning of summer is coming and so planning must begin for 15 things to do on a staycation.
- Visit your local museums: art, natural or American history, botanical gardens, zoos, cars, sports, or whatever the interest. Every area of the country has its local attractions, some world class, others, well, just fun. Every area also has its architectural gems that are registered on the National Register of Historic places. Pretend you’re a tourist and go visit them.
- Go to the beach or pool. Over half of all Americans live near the coast, 10% live near the Great Lakes, and a huge percentage more live near a lake or reservoir. No beach? Go to the pool. About 20% of homes have private swimming pools, as do most high schools and many communities.
- Get the bike out. There are thousands of miles of dedicated bike trails not to mention shared use trails. Go for a ride.
- Go to a movie. Yes, you can rent a movie on Netflix or borrow one from the library and have an evening movie night at home. But you can also go to one of the giant theaters and have a 3D experience. Don’t forget popcorn.
- See a show. Of course major cities have theater, opera, dance, etc. But many smaller communities have either travelling versions or local playhouses that can be just as much fun.
- Go shopping. Make the trek to the regional mega mall and spend the day seeing what’s new. These complexes are like cities with food service, theaters, entertainment, etc.
Read the full version of the article here.