Why a Staycation Is My Family’s New Vacation

I think we may have been late boarders to the train, but this summer, my hubby and I have decided the best vacation is to simply stay home.

According to the wisdom of the internet, “staycations achieved popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007-2010.”

Wait, is the financial crisis over? I guess I missed that too.

At first we were considering flying to Pennsylvania to visit with family – incurring a bill from four trans-continental plane seats and exorbitant price tags to rent a house near the Jersey Shore and take day trips to New York City. Then we considered a road trip up the California coast, but after a tiresome, nerve-frazzling, not-very-tasty restaurant outing with our five and one-year olds, we decided that a week of car rides, hotel stays, and meals on the go are not our current idea of fun.

We looked into an all-inclusive Mexican trip, which seemed liked a bargain until we factored in the generic food, tacky rooms, and tourist traps that do not equal holiday in our minds. Finally, I had to ixnay my husband's dreams of a farm stay with the logic that if he had the time and energy for farm work, why not just stay home to tend the garden and build something on our own property?

Wait! Eureka! That's it!

We stay home.

I've been told we need to take our kids on vacation because the family memories are important. But why not create those memories close to home? I've also been told it's better to think of a holiday with young kids like an adventure instead of a relaxing vacation. So why not have adventures at home or on mini-day trips nearby to minimize the stress?

Here are some perks of opting for a staycation:

• The travel is cheap – Obviously, if we don't leave the house, we don't need to pay to ride a plane, train, car, or bus. The only travel expenses will be for any day trips we choose.
• Lodging is paid – We already foot a mortgage bill to live in a home we love, so why pay even more money to go stay somewhere else?
• The accommodations are to our liking – Our staycation accommodations will include high thread count linens, down pillows, a fridge stocked with farm fresh goodies, gorgeous mountain views, free beach access, hiking trails nearby, and our favorite neighborhood babysitter right across the street.
• The food is amazing – One of the problems with being a Real food foodie is that most eating establishments on the road are down-right unacceptable or at minimum, over-priced and ‘eh'. On the other hand, the food at our house is our food, so we're a bit partial when we say, ‘Mmmm!”
• Our sleep-trained baby will not be displaced – Don't underestimate the disruption of a baby's nap schedule as a way to ruin a perfectly good vacation.
• With the money we save we can… Add a new deck onto our house, or add the guest bathroom that we've been wanting. Buy a nice bottle of wine and some fresh fish to grill. Save for a vacation to the North Shore of Kauai next year. Or just save.
• There's so much to explore – In the day-to-day we are often rushing about barely taking the time to absorb the wonderful world around us – the beautiful canyon in which we live, the Pacific coast beaches minutes away, the hidden gems of culture and culinary surprises in Los Angeles, our local farms, and the sounds of our own backyard in the middle of the day.

What are your plans for the summer?
Do you have a staycation experience you can share?

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