We've talked a little bit about "staycations" in the past, on this site, but there are things besides the local tourist attractions that many families can enjoy. I'm just starting to learn more about the happenings in my area. There are some annual events that are actually pretty nice. A recent one had food, music, prizes, games, and all of it was free. Some events have a small fee, but even so, they are nice, affordable events. Check with nearby Chamber of Commerce and such to see if there are nice events in your area. Even the bank has a "customer appreciation" thing here, where they serve food and have raffles. There are many things I didn't even know about that will give us some things to do this summer, even though we won't really have the opportunity to "travel" per se, we can still feel like we're "on vacation" as we discover all these events.
I think you bring up a great topic. I am always trying to find local things to do, especially those that are free or low-cost. Not only does it give us something to do, but it exposes us to the many different cultures, people, and opportunities right here at home.
In the nearby town, there are bed and breakfast inns, economical for a short vacation and considering that travel time is approximately 1 hour. There's also a resort there with several swimming pools and the vast compound can accommodate thousands of guests. Both the inns and the resort offer overnight booking. We haven't tried it yet since our priority are the resorts that we use to go to.
Someone else was talking about fun stuff for kids in their area, and it made me curious. We don't really have much that's directly for kids, but there are some general events as well as family outings. There is also a country fair and things like that, but the ones I mentioned are on a smaller scale. Apparently, there will be a Fourth of July party as well, instead of just the fireworks display. It's an all day thing. It is nice to get out and meet people.
My husband and I are lucky enough to be able to stay in the same town we went to college, and during college we didn't really get to enjoy all the things our town has to offer. What I like to do is look on our city calendar to see what events are coming up, and there always seems to be a ton of events (sometimes even too much so we don't have time to go!). I heard from someone that you should try and play tourist; just go to your city's tourist stop (where they have all the info and stuff) and pretend like you don't live in that town and see what they have to offer. I haven't tried that yet but I need to do that sometime soon!
I live in a place with world renown hiking and camping sites. People here are into dirt biking and quading as well. There are many natural beauties here like cliff jumping and natural hot springs. I have yet to experience it all, but look forward to it. I'm the type of person who has to get away and get a break from the monotony of work. For the last couple of years I've taken some very expensive vacations, but maybe this year I will explore more local events and activities. Thanks for the idea!
Earlier this year I visited quite a few places where I either hadn’t been in years, or had never been at all. Some were a bit out of the way, but it was still cheaper and more convenient than paying for plane tickets to go island-hopping. And there were a few events I wasn’t even aware existed until I attended them myself. Just goes to show how much there is to explore close to home.
One of the best things that I have ever done is to buy a tourist guide of my own home town. When you're at home, you think about the things that are functional - where you need to go to shop, or school, or work, but when you look at it from another angle it can be very fascinating indeed, as it gives you the chance to see what visitors would think of your local area. You will find that there are a great number of fantastic things that you can do, that you just don't hear about unless you try your best to find the information.
am planning a trip right now to the city of Brotherly Love for a weekend. I think I will go by train instead of driving because there are alot of toll fees on the way to Philly. The trip by train will be more relaxing and something I have not done in a very long time. There are always things to do in this area because it is the Capitol City with lots of events.
If you want to travel on a shoestring budget without compromising the vacation "feels" then it's ideal to explore your own locality and see if there are newly unearthed wonders you haven't been to before. Three years ago, I was so surprised to discover there is actually a hot spring resort a few towns away from the city I live in. I was so pumped up I invited two of my friends with me. We spent the entire day there and the resort was absolutely breathtaking, surrounded by natural wonders (i.e. a network of small layered waterfalls flowing over huge rocks and boulders). Budget-wise, it's all good. Local travels actually make you less of a stranger to your own country and they're nowhere near as expensive as foreign travels.
I've never really travelled far from home for vacation. We usually just went boating on the river or went to he coast. I don't like traveling much, doesn't matter what mode of transport, they are all miserable to me so I would prefer to not go farther than a two hour drive. Now I never travel more than 3-4 miles from home tops unless it's an absolute necessity. I just don't have the money, and it's not worth it.
