Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Experience activities close to home with a staycation. Newsday via Getty Images Although the term “staycation” has been popularized by the media over the last decade or so, it actually was first reported as a viable vacation option in 1944 by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Since then much has changed with the way people vacation, and today many travelers choose elaborate trips to exotic destinations that seemed unthinkable for prior generations.
In fact, the luxury travel industry generates almost $2 trillion annually. However, despite the surge in luxury travel, staycations – staying at home and participating in leisure activities within a day trip distance of your home with no overnight stay required – have become popular alternatives for many people. Some staycations actually involve staying overnight at a local hotel in order to get the feel of a true vacation.
Inflation and the hassles of airline travel are the two reasons cited most by people, especially families, opting for a staycation. With the average cost of an overnight domestic vacation ranging between $50 and $100 per person, it’s easy to see why more and more people are choosing staycations. Here are several easy ways to enjoy a staycation: Have Fun at an Amusement Park Amusement parks provide plenty of thrills for guests.
Getty Images Long a family tradition, amusement parks offer enough activities to fill an entire day. Thrill seekers can enjoy a fast-paced roller coaster (many still prefer the rickety wooden ones), bumper boats, go-karts, or a wide variety of wet and wild water slides. Leisurely activities include miniature golf, antique car rides or trains that circle the park.
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is often referred to as the Roller Coaster Capital and features 18 world-class coasters. However, Cedar Point is much more than the winding, up and down thrills of a coaster. Three areas filled with rides and attractions for kids and families, plus an 18-acre waterpark with plunging slides and shallow-depth, make this an ideal destination for a staycation.
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Spend the day swimming, boating, fishing, hiking or playing a friendly game of volleyball. Tobyhanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 5,440 acres, including ithe 170-acre Tobyhanna Lake with 60 overnight mooring spaces. Anglers can test their skills catching such species of fish as bass, pickerel, yellow perch, catfish and sunfish.
Deer Creek State Park , Utah, offers zipline tours, kiteboards and Rainbow Bay Aqua Park, a fun floating obstacle course. Visit an Arts and Crafts Festival Plenty of towns hold local arts and crafts festivals. Getty Images Virtually every city or town, no matter the size, offers arts and crafts festivals throughout the summer and fall.
In addition to a wide array of homemade arts and crafts, food vendors tempt visitors with delectable specialties that you can only find at a fair. Visit Berea, the Folk Art and Craft Capital of Kentucky, to experience spoonbread at the historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant. Berea has one-of-a-kind shopping and dining experiences, like the Kentucky Artisan Center , displaying the artworks of more than 850 Kentucky artisans, and the new Honeysuckle Dining and Bourbon House.
While there, hike the Pinnacles in the Berea College Forest, considered among the very best hikes in Kentucky. Go Hiking Hiking is one of the world's most popular outdoor activities. Getty Images Hiking is a wonderful family activity, ideal for bonding and exercise.
No matter your skill level, there’s usually a trail suited to your experience and endurance. The Greenstone Ridge Trail is a 40-mile-long hiking trail on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, northern Michigan, ideal for intermediate backpackers and hikers. Lower Yosemite Falls Trail , Yosemite National Park, California, is a 1.
2 mile trail that is considered relatively easy, thereby perfectly suited for most ages and abilities. With so many hiking trails throughout every part of the country, it might be time to consider purchasing a quality pair of hiking shoes for your next adventure. Attend a Music Festival Attending a music festival provides plenty of excitement.
getty No matter your preferred musical genre, it’s likely that you can find a nearby music festival to suit your tastes. These range from enormous multi-weekend extravaganzas such as Coachella to more intimate one-day events spanning pop, hip-hop and country rock. Hangout Music Fest , set in Gulf Shores on the Alabama border with Florida, is a beachside festival that combines electronic beats with indie bands.
Pitchfork , held annually in Union Park in the West Loop area of Chicago, curates a multitude of genres for this midsize festival. The publication started the festival in 2007 to support new artists and build a community of music lovers. Catch a Baseball Game Baseball games offer a lot of fun for all ages.
Getty Images Today’s ballparks, both at the major and minor league levels, feature much more than the game itself. Ballparks now offer a wide variety of family activities, including carousels at some stadiums. The Cincinnati Reds: Great American Ballpark have built into their stadium a fan zone that features interactive games for the young fans, a playground, picnic deck and concert stage.
The Reds feature family days on Sundays throughout the regular season and giveaway promotional items to the little ones. They also have several fireworks nights, always a popular attraction. Minor League stadiums offer similar attractions, such as Kids Run the Bases, Bring Your Pup to the Ballpark and batting cages for all ages.
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