Staycation Ideas

Posts Tagged ‘Outdoor Staycation Ideas’

I had a really enjoyable evening tonight.  My wife and the kids and I went on a nice bikeride around our neighborhood.  We started out not really with any destination in mind but ended up at a nearby park to let the kids play for a while.  As I was bicycling around and enjoying the beautiful summer evening a thought occurred to me, “now this is a great staycation idea!”.   One thing that kind of put a damper on the evening though was the fact the we realized our daughter is over the 40 pound weight limitation of the bike carrier.  Looks like we might have to invest in a good bike trailer.  Any ideas?

There have been a few terms tossed around this summer regarding the idea of enjoying your summer at home. We have heard the terms:

• Staycation – enjoying a vacation in your local community
• Fitcation – enjoying some time off while focusing on your fitness
• Daycation – taking day trips usually on one tank of gas or less

But now the Austin Daily Herald and the Mower County Fair Board has introduced a new term “Fair-cation”. Which, you guessed it, means going on a vacation at the county fair.

The Mower County Fair Board created this word to help promote the 124th annual Mower County Fair which is taking place in Austin, Texas between August 5-10th. If you want to learn more about this fair, you should really read the rest of the Austin Daily Herald’s article.

Some interesting fun facts about fairs:

• The New York State Fair is the longest running state fair in the country started in 1841
• Mercer County, Kentucky claims it is the longest continuous running country fair in the country
• King County, Washington is the longest running county fair west of the Mississippi

As I was doing research for this article I found a great article at Kids Party Fun.com which had an wonderful staycation idea for kids. Set up your own country fair in the yard or nearby park! Kid’s Party Fun: Country Fair

Enjoy your county fair.

Do know what I love about the internet? Finding a good blog is only one click away. I found a good one tonight and wanted to share it with you. Check out, GettingOutside.com They have lots of great ideas for enjoying the great outdoors. They have a great forum thread entitled, “Some Ideas for Camping on the Cheap.” Here are some of their suggestions:

1. Plan Ahead
2. Use “Survivorman” Tactics (live off the land)
3. Hike and Bike
4. Carpool with friends
5. Bring the Right Tools
6. Conserve Firewood
7. Enroll in a course at a local state park.
8. Eat Like a Pioneer

They have some other idea as well. You should really read the rest of the article for yourself. After that you should unplug your computer and get outside!

Enjoy your staycation.

We all know that with record breaking fuel costs, flying on a commercial aircraft is expensive and cumbersome. I’m sure that for many of you, the airline ticket prices may be exactly why you are thinking about a staycation in the first place.

However, not all flying is cumbersome.

In fact, flying a small personal airplane can be a extremely rewarding and exciting experience. There is no better way to explore your local community and the sights it has to offer than from the air! One good way to do this is by signing up for a a flight lesson. Be a Pilot.com and 2,000+ participating flight schools have teamed up to offer a “Introductory Flight Lesson” for only $99. You’ll get 30 minutes of flight time in the air with a certified flight instructor flying around your local area. As long as your house isn’t located on the final approach to a major airport, there is a good chance the instructor will take you to see an aerial view of your home. Just be sure to bring your camera! Like I said before, there are thousands of participating flight schools. I did a search near my home and there are over 15 schools just within 25 miles!

Visit Be a Pilot.com for more information and to sign up for your first introductory flight.

You heard it hear first folks, a “fitcation.” It is my term used to describe the idea of using your staycation as a means to focus and improve your fitness. Now I have to admit, this staycation idea was inspired by a post from the Fit Chicks Rule blog: Take a Fitness STAYcation this Summer!

The basic idea is to capitalize and focus some downtime on your health and fitness. Some specific fitness ideas that you can do close to home:

• Explore your local bike trails
• Take a extended hike at a local state or national park
• Go canoeing or kayaking on some local rivers and lakes
• Sign up for some local 5k or 10k races. Can’t run? Find races that allow you to walk.
• Organize your own neighborhood Olympics. Meet at a school track and have competitions in various categories (I actually did this one a few years ago…it was fun!)

If you have any other “fitcation” ideas be sure to share them. The only requirement is that it be 1) Fun and 2) Healthy.

Have a fit staycation!