Rocking Your Staycation - Part 3

So, we've gone over some easy ways to make a staycation cool and not make you wish you never tried. Do some planning, take a few days off work, and really relax. A staycation doesn't have to suck, even if you come back home each evening to your own house. Doing a bit of a reset is important in life, so even a staycation instead of a real getaway is necessary to help you out in real life as well.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to make a staycation rock. Here are just some other ways to do it when you're trying to save for a bigger trip later:

Swap Houses

You don't have to take your staycation at home. Look for someone else who wants to swap houses for a few days and make it feel like you're somewhere else. Ideally you'd get to stay in a different part of the city, so it feels completely different from where you live. 

Head to a Local National Park

Pack a tent or rent a cabin for a couple nights and just enjoy nature. Unplug and relax, plus do some hiking and maybe see a few animals. If you aren't into hiking and biking, pack some games and really bond with your family over non-electronic fun. Some national parks are even awesome for foodies.

Hit Up Your City's Museums

If there are museums that you have always wanted to visit, but you don't seem to have the chance, this is the time to do it. Look at things with a critical eye, talk about the artwork among yourselves, find out what you like and what you don't. Maybe get a print of something you agreed on at the gift shop.

Go On a Day Trip

To the beach, to the nearest lake, to the mountains, to a quaint little town you never stop in. We did this a lot when I was a kid and we didn't have a lot of money. We'd get up nice and early, pack some food in a cooler and just drive. We didn't usually have a plan, but you can if you want. This is the best way to find awesome things near you or in your state. We found a ton of cool stuff this way. It makes for some cool family memories. Perhaps you'll come across something wacky and weird, like Albany, Oregon's largest possum statue on the west coast, or the world's largest thermometer in Baker, California.

Sign Up for a Class

Whether it be a cooking class, a pottery class, a photography course, or one of those painting and wine nights. Whatever it is, do it together and have fun doing it, even if it's cheesy. If that's the case, then you'll have something to laugh about later...or to savor while you're eating it if that cheesy thing is fro your cooking class.

Turn Your Backyard Into a Movie Theater

Invite some friends over, or don't, pop some popcorn and pick up a bunch of movie-sized candy boxes from your local dollar store. String up an old white bed sheet, or set up your movie screen in the backyard, throw down a blanket and some pillows, or gather your comfiest lawn chairs together, throw in an awesome movie and make a night of it.

Go Camping In Your Yard

Get out your tent, set it up in the back garden and add all your creature comforts, like blankets, pillows, bean bag chairs. This is your chance to do it up a bit like glamping. Drag your coffee table out, some string lights and a bluetooth speaker, so you can rock out and play games and eat snacks into the night. If you have a fire pit, light it up and make some s'mores and roast some dogs. Yum!

Want more ideas for your staycation? Follow my staycation Pinterest board.

Do you love a good staycation? Tell me how you make yours rock.