Staycation Ideas

Archive for the ‘Spring’ Category

The Boys of Summer are…well…not back, but on their way. In the months of February and March they’re in Spring Training, which makes going to watch them a perfect Spring Break weekend get-away. Visit your favorite Major League Baseball team as they hone their skills for the upcoming season. If you want to meet and greet your favorite players, collect autographs, and commune with fellow fans, a Spring Training break is the perfect plan.

How to Make it Happen

Location. Location. Location. That’s the key to pulling off this Staycation without spending a lot of money. But if you live near one of the hosting southern states, it can be done. Admission is charged for Spring Break scrimmages, but it is still considerably cheaper than regular season games. If you are staying overnight, be sure to plan ahead as hotels will fill up. Budget in money for food, although if you are road tripping from a nearby state, save money by packing a cooler with sandwiches and drinks for the car ride.

For a complete list of where and when your favorite team will be practicing and playing, consult the Major League Baseball website, MLB.com, or visit individual team websites (you can link to these from the MLB site). Arizona and Florida are the hosts for all Spring Training sessions. If you do live up North—or just too far away to drive––you still might want to splurge a little for the chance to see your favorite players up close. Look for organized air/hotel packages arranged by team travel agencies that often provide discounted, group deals. But start looking in early winter––you will need to plan ahead for this.

If a trip to Spring Training is just out of the question, try to attend a Fan Appreciation Day hosted prior to Opening Day. Teams will list these events on their websites.

Follow-up Activities

• Attend an actual baseball game—MLB, minor leagues or even college.
• Join a company or neighborhood softball team.
• Play catch with the kids in the backyard and maybe help them start a baseball card collection.
• Host a baseball movie night. Some suggestions include: Bull Durham, Eight Men Out, The Natural, Major League and Field of Dreams.

Geocaching is a fast growing phenomenon that involves using GPS technology to locate specifically placed, but hidden containers, called geocaches. Think of it as a treasure hunt for adults, although children will enjoy this too.

How to Make it Happen

To participate in geocaching, you will need a GPS device and the ability to hike, sometimes in rough terrain. The website, www.geocaching.com, provides helpful tips on how to get started, the location of geocache, and reviews on GPS devices.

Active geocachers not only hunt geocache, they also place them and create hide and seek adventures for others. When you find a geocache, you sign the log left with the marker. You then get online and share your adventure—including stories and photos—of locating the geocache.

Geocaching.com claims there are almost 765,000 active geocache in the world: surely one of them is near you!

Additional Activities

1. Visit different geocache locations around the country.
2. Try orienteering. 
3. Go trail hiking in the mountains.

Spa-Finder has launced a new advertising campaign just for the staycationer with their “Spa-Cation” a new “stay-cation” alternative that’s almost as budget-friendly (no airfare or lodging required) but far more rejuvenating.

From the ancient mineral baths of the Dead Sea to the legendary Golden Door spa of California, great spas of the world have been coveted vacation destinations for centuries. But with so many luxurious day spas located nearby, there’s no reason you can’t pamper themselves and still remain close to home.

We all know that life can be stressful.  And our bodies and minds, without proper attention, end up taking the brunt of that stress.  That’s why with haute mud wraps to hot-stone massages,chakra realignments to miracle treatments that have you aging in reverse, there has never been a better time to take care of yourself (mind, body and spirit) and take a spa-cation!  Your body will thank-you!

There’s a trick to flying a kite. It isn’t easy-just ask Charlie Brown about those kite-eating trees. But if you can get that kite in the air, the site is awe-inspiring. Surely, you’ve been to a park where everyone stops to look at the kite flying above them. We all wish it was us.

How to Make it Happen

Perhaps the best way to learn is by doing. Buy a kite, pick a breezy day and an open space, and see if you can get your kite in the air. If you find you need a little more help, check out this website, www.ehow.com/how_1289_fly-kite.html.  There are also video guides on YouTube, which you can find using an online search.

If you want to make this a bigger project for your family, try making your own kites from a pattern or kit. Kite kits can be purchased from hobby stores. Let the kids help assemble the kite and decorate it anyway they want.

Additional Activities

1. Once you have the kite, don’t let it get crushed by shoving it on a shelf in the garage. Take it out again. Become an expert and give advice to others trying to get theirs in the air!
2. Have everyone in the family design his or her own kite. Have a family contest to see which kite flies highest. Which stays in the air the longest. Which looks the best.

Looking for staycation ideas?  I (now) have a book of them!  I am very proud to announce the release of  my book “101 Great Staycations”.

With summer fast approaching and our country deep in a recession, many families are wondering how to plan a memorable summer vacation while at the same time being very mindful of every dollar spent.  Many families are wondering if they can even take a vacation at all? The answer?  Plan a staycation!

A staycation is a unique way of combining the word stay (as in stay-at-home) and vacation.  Staycations involve taking in the sights and sounds of your hometown and local area all while trying to recreate the vacation-like experience.  The hardest part of  planning a staycation is finding those activities that provide the most fun for every dollar.  Another challenge of staycations, is finding something that your kids will actually enjoy doing.

“101 Great Staycations” easily conquers both of these inherent staycation challenges by providing over a 100 unique, fun and creative staycation ideas to help assist you in planning a fun and memorable staycation experience.

Each stayaction idea contains:

1) Background and Photo – a background synopsis of each idea accompanied by professionally photographed photos to help provide you with staycation inspiration

2) How to get started – this section provides detailed steps and instructions for each staycation so that you take the idea and run with it!

3) Additional activities – Within each staycation idea you’ll find an additional activities section that helps provide follow-up and ideas for variants on the main staycation.  If you take into account all these additional ideas, there are easily over 150 staycation ideas for you!

I also realize that staycations can occur in the summer, spring, winter and fall so I’ve grouped the staycation ideas into categories by season so you plan a staycation year round! We have staycation for summer, spring, fall and winter!

When you compare the cost of traditional travel versus a staycation, you’ll realize that taking a staycation can save you literally thousands of dollars IF you know how to properally plan and prepare.

This e-book which I’ve spent countless hours writing, proofing, editing and compiling can be yours today for only $12.95 but you must act TODAY because once summer is here I will be raising the price significantly due to higher demand.  This is a introductory price!

Purchase and download  a copy of “101 Great Staycations” today!

The city of Denver has recently announced an interesting stimulus package: 100 bargains at the “mile high” price-point of $52.80.  These bargains include special hotel rates, sport team ticket prices and other local Denver attractions.  Designed at encouraging outside tourism to Colorado’s capital, the Examiner.com’s Diana Rowe, smartly pointed out that Denver-ites can also take advantage of these prices and enjoy a Denver staycation.  And to further encourage other citizens of Denver to participate in these staycations, Ms. Rowe(a.k.a. “Denver Travel Examiner”) has put together a great list of staycation tips:

Here are some of her suggestions to make the most of your staycation:

• Plan as though you actually are taking a vacation.
• Research your destination.
• Book a hotel.
• Visit local attractions.
• Finally, act like you’re on vacation (take pictures and buy a souvenir)

She provides several other tips and specific staycation ideas for the Denver area in her article. You can click here to read the article in it’s entireity:

Denver Travel Examiner: Tips to make the most of your Denver summer staycation

My neighbor’s son celebrated a birthday at his house this past Saturday. As I watched him and his friends drench themselves with water guns and water balloons, I thought to myself how fun it would be too make your own waterpark! My nearest waterpark is about 60 minutes away, cost $10 to park and admission is $27.99. I roughly figured that to take my wife and kids for a day could cost me at least $115 including admission, food and $4.00 a gasoline there and back.

I did a little search and found some great alternatives to spending a day at the waterpark…make your own. The nice thing about investing in a waterslide is being able to use it again and again. It can quickly pay itself off versus weekly trips to the waterpark. The other added benefit is being able to entertain your kid’s friends. Can you imagine the cost associated with taking your son and his 5 friends to the waterpark for the day? Outrageous!

Here are some nice slides available from Amazon.com (yes, they sell more than books and CD’s!)