Call it a staycation or just a vacation close to home, but traveling doesn’t mean that you have to pack up the suitcases and pack on the miles. We’re so anxious to escape the daily grind that we forget that there are things to see and do right in our own backyard. If your budget or your time is tight, you can still enjoy some memorable vacation time by exploring your city or your state.
Visit your local tourism bureau: They have lists of things to do, a calendar of events, passes to attractions and much more. Make a list of what interests you and fits your budget. For example, you might find a local brewery, historical monument, museum or amusement park.
Support local teams and arts: Lisa I lives in the Hudson Valley, New York region. Her local baseball team is the Hudson Valley Renegades, the minor league affiliate to the Tampa Bay rays Major League Baseball team. Located only a few miles from her home, she can see a professional baseball game and enjoy a day out with her family for much less than going to a professional game.
Visit local parks: Lisa also found that there are several national parks near her home, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park that she had never seen. She purchased a National Parks passport and enjoyed collecting stamps from the places that she visited. After her trip to the FDR State Park, she headed to New York City, a place where she has been often, to visit the African Burial Ground, something she realized she had never seen. This one trip to a local park opened some additional travel suggestions.
Take a cruise: The Hudson Valley is located right on the Hudson River, so Lisa booked a two-hour sunset sightseeing cruise and saw the Hudson River in a way she never has before. The cruise went past lighthouses and monuments she never saw before. She took her camera on the boat and snapped photos of the destinations she saw.
Walking tours: Finally, to finish out her staycation, Lisa signed up for various historical walking tours of her community. Here she learned about her town’s connection to various wars and learned about the people who once lived here.
Being a tourist in your home town can open up a lot of travel possibilities and fun things to do. Yes, a travel agent can still help you book your trip, find tickets to various attractions and perhaps find some additional perks that you might not have been able to get. Contact your tourist to arrange a fun, staycation that’s just right for you.
Travel Makers MD