A staycation is basically a series of day trips to simulate a vacation experience without the cost of airfare and hotel stays. Ideally, you should set a budget, and everyday go out to places you normally don’t visit. I would recommend making your bed every morning, and if you have air conditioning, place a little wrapped chocolate on your pillow for a nice touch. Besides that, try not to clean or cook while on your staycation. Go out to eat, or at least order take-out, because this will really get you in the vacation mode.
So here’s the twist. I’ve listed fun, historical, and dream vacations across the country and around the world, and have matched them with local, more affordable excursions for the summer as part of a staycation. It would spice up your week off even if you just went to one or two of these destinations. However, if you chose one place for each day off, you’d feel as if you’ve actually had a vacation. Just one more thing. Try not to work!
St. Tropez – Avenue Restaurant has a French brasserie menu, and a beach bar that’s open to the public, but fenced off with palm trees brought in every year to create the French Riviera atmosphere!
Kenyan Safari – The Wild Safari Park at Six Flags Great Adventure is phenomenal. Buy the VIP Off-Road Safari Tour, and you get up to a three-hour behind the scenes guided tour in a Land Rover, or get general admission tickets. Don’t forget to bring your still or video camera, and binoculars!
Disney World – Hershey Park, Sesame Place, Dorney Park, Six Flags Great Adventure,and Bowcraft are all area amusement parks. Bowcraft is great for those on a tighter budget with younger kids.
Ocean Cruise – Spirit of New Jersey has themed, brunch, lunch and dinner cruises leaving from Weehawken.
Grand Canyon Colorado River Raipds – The Housatonic River in Connecticut has some powerful Class IV+ rapids
The Orient Express – The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad is an exciting steam engine train. Choose upcoming events for adventures like a Murder Mystery, Wine & Cheese, or Brunch ride.
Multnomah Falls – Buttermilk Falls in Stokes State Forest has similarities to the longest waterfall in the U.S.
The Everglades – Meadowland Tours won’t have the same wildlife, but you will get to go through an interesting wetland.
A Bar A Dude Ranch – Cowtown Rodeo has bull riding, team roping, barrel racing, bronc riding and more, every Saturday night in summer.
Santa Monica Pier – Morey’s Piers or Gillian’s Wonderland Pier will provide a fun-filled day at the beach.
Nascar Racing – Wall Stadium Speedway or Monster Racing are the perfect places for adrenaline junkies.
Williamsburg – Historic Smithville & Village Greene or the Old Barracks are both great places to experience living history.
Dodge City – Wild West City is right here in our own back yard, so no need to travel 2,000 miles to see the same thing!
Country Boy Mines – The Sterling Hill Mining Museum is not the place for claustrophobics if you go in the mine, but will give you a taste of a miner’s world.
Glasgow – Cape May, like Glasgow is known for its Victorian architecture. The bonus here is you can go whale watching!
Stonehenge – Grounds for Sculpture can’t be compared to a prehistoric monument, but there are pieces on display which appear to have been influenced by it and other well-known architectural, archeological, and historical sites.
Cherokee North Carolina Reservation – Rankokus Indian Reservation is a good place to learn about Native American culture.
Spa Resort in Scottsdale – Crystal Springs Golf and Spa Resort is a resort spa, but you can just spend part of the day there, and have a treatment or two.
Las Vegas – Atlantic City is of course is as close to Vegas as you can get in the U.S.
I enjoyed reading your staycation day trip ideas. My word for short trips which make a staycation seem like a vacation is “realmjaunts.” Keep up the staycationing!
TBell