According to Wikipedia, a 'staycation' or 'stay-cation' is a neologism for a period of time during which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes or takes day trips from home to area attractions.
With money tight for many Americans, more people are planning staycations. Planning a staycation only has a few simple requirements. One is that it must be treated as a real vacation. It means turning off cell phones and putting away the chore list. Dates must be set, just as they would be to take any other trip, and people must be informed that regardless of where you are, it is a vacation.
Who needs the stress of packing, scheduling, airline delays, and worry about the safety of home and pets? Top it all off with the stresses of battling crowds and your shrinking budget, and the lure of opting for a Carlsbad staycation sounds pretty darned great.
We've come to think of vacations as the time when we step away from our day-to-day life and experience the adventure of new places and new faces. The objective of a staycation is to relax, enjoy our family, and have fun at home in a way that best fits our personal financial situation. This means different things to different people. For one person, it might mean a full week of beach time. To someone else, it might mean visiting all the local art galleries and museums.
It's interesting how people know so little about the attractions in our own area. We travel far and wide, but tend to overlook what's available within 90 miles of home. A perfect staycation is planned just as you would a far-off vacation. Be a tourist in your own town. Learn as much as you can about the area and what attractions are available. Don't be afraid to do a bit of driving. Day trips can uncover a wealth of fun places you never dreamed were so nearby. Make planning your staycation a family project. Start researching information for your staycation at least a few weeks before your departure from your workaday life. VisitCarlsbad.com is a great resource for regional attractions and events.
So what should you do on a staycation or spring break? Well, the first objective is not to do the things you wouldn't do on vacation, such as mowing the lawn or painting the house. Your staycation needs to be a getaway from the everyday. Attend to all that stuff before you go, just as you would do in preparing for a traditional vacation. Leave the dirty laundry alone. Set the chores aside. Don't even answer the phone or e-mail. Just enjoy your staycation together so you can look back fondly on the great memories.
We have a tendency to see the grass as being greener on the other side, but it can really be quite green right under our feet. You don't have to stay at home for it to be a staycation; Carlsbad has many accommodation choices, from bed & breakfasts, to seaside hotels. If you love the great outdoors you might try camping.
Because you're saving money by staying close to home, bust loose and dine at some of your town's trendy new eateries. You can splurge in other areas, just as you would on a traditional vacation. If you want to go to brunch, get a massage, go shopping, take the train to San Diego, or even hire a cleaning service to come (you get maid service in a hotel, right?), you should do so without guilt if you can afford it. It contributes to the carefree mindset you're trying to capture with your staycation. It makes all the difference between a staycation and just a week hanging around the house.
Try playing hometown tourist and enjoy the fun things that Carlsbad and our surrounding area have to offer. An added benefit of going to the touristy spots in our area is that when you pass by these spots after your staycation is over, your fond memories will be triggered and you can relive the fun. You may also be more inclined to do such fun things during the rest of the year when you're not vacationing, which might provide a nice little escape that can help stave off burnout. With proper planning and an open mind, a staycation or spring break can be just what the doctor ordered for the rejuvenation you need.
Be sure to check out the new, user-friendly Web site at VisitCarlsbad.com for all your staycation and spring break research.
With money tight for many Americans, more people are planning staycations. Planning a staycation only has a few simple requirements. One is that it must be treated as a real vacation. It means turning off cell phones and putting away the chore list. Dates must be set, just as they would be to take any other trip, and people must be informed that regardless of where you are, it is a vacation.
Who needs the stress of packing, scheduling, airline delays, and worry about the safety of home and pets? Top it all off with the stresses of battling crowds and your shrinking budget, and the lure of opting for a Carlsbad staycation sounds pretty darned great.
We've come to think of vacations as the time when we step away from our day-to-day life and experience the adventure of new places and new faces. The objective of a staycation is to relax, enjoy our family, and have fun at home in a way that best fits our personal financial situation. This means different things to different people. For one person, it might mean a full week of beach time. To someone else, it might mean visiting all the local art galleries and museums.
It's interesting how people know so little about the attractions in our own area. We travel far and wide, but tend to overlook what's available within 90 miles of home. A perfect staycation is planned just as you would a far-off vacation. Be a tourist in your own town. Learn as much as you can about the area and what attractions are available. Don't be afraid to do a bit of driving. Day trips can uncover a wealth of fun places you never dreamed were so nearby. Make planning your staycation a family project. Start researching information for your staycation at least a few weeks before your departure from your workaday life. VisitCarlsbad.com is a great resource for regional attractions and events.
So what should you do on a staycation or spring break? Well, the first objective is not to do the things you wouldn't do on vacation, such as mowing the lawn or painting the house. Your staycation needs to be a getaway from the everyday. Attend to all that stuff before you go, just as you would do in preparing for a traditional vacation. Leave the dirty laundry alone. Set the chores aside. Don't even answer the phone or e-mail. Just enjoy your staycation together so you can look back fondly on the great memories.
We have a tendency to see the grass as being greener on the other side, but it can really be quite green right under our feet. You don't have to stay at home for it to be a staycation; Carlsbad has many accommodation choices, from bed & breakfasts, to seaside hotels. If you love the great outdoors you might try camping.
Because you're saving money by staying close to home, bust loose and dine at some of your town's trendy new eateries. You can splurge in other areas, just as you would on a traditional vacation. If you want to go to brunch, get a massage, go shopping, take the train to San Diego, or even hire a cleaning service to come (you get maid service in a hotel, right?), you should do so without guilt if you can afford it. It contributes to the carefree mindset you're trying to capture with your staycation. It makes all the difference between a staycation and just a week hanging around the house.
Try playing hometown tourist and enjoy the fun things that Carlsbad and our surrounding area have to offer. An added benefit of going to the touristy spots in our area is that when you pass by these spots after your staycation is over, your fond memories will be triggered and you can relive the fun. You may also be more inclined to do such fun things during the rest of the year when you're not vacationing, which might provide a nice little escape that can help stave off burnout. With proper planning and an open mind, a staycation or spring break can be just what the doctor ordered for the rejuvenation you need.
Be sure to check out the new, user-friendly Web site at VisitCarlsbad.com for all your staycation and spring break research.