Travel is a passion of mine so the idea of a staycation left me a little skeptical, but my adventurous spirit said we had to at least give it a try. Recently, for a little romantic getaway, the hubby and I decided it was time to give the trend a try and here are some tips and what we thought of the experience.

If you have yet to hear of a staycation, it is when you vacation locally or even vacation at home. A simple concept with a lot of appeals especially when you may be short on time or looking to make a trip with ease.

My husband surprised me by taking a couple of days off for our staycation to happen and let me get to the planning. For me, planning the getaway is part of the fun and is the beginning of the experience. Anyone who has ever planned a big trip knows there can be a sort of pressure and stress to think of everything. When I planned our 3-week cross-country road-trip there were so many working components to the entire plan that you couldn’t avoid some of the worry and stress. Yes, 3 weeks across the country and a few days at a local cabin are drastically different experiences, but I think they each deserve a place in our lives and their own praise.

When you are looking for a trip with less stress, a simple staycation may be the remedy. The planning is usually significantly easier to staycation. For the trip itself, you probably don’t have to spend a lot of time researching places to stay or things to do because these are the things you hear about and drive by all the time. The bonus is on a staycation you get to make it a priority to do the things in your area that you have always wanted to experience, but never have taken the time to enjoy. The adorable cafe you never have time for, a fancy restaurant, a local event or hangout, an adventure unique to your area, a new bed and breakfast, the local bookstore, and boutiques, the options are truly endless. Honestly, it will probably surprise you how excited you will become when you look at your hometown from the perspective of a tourist.

In addition to planning the vacation itself, there is always planning for the things back at home. If you have children or pets you are not bringing on your staycation, planning their care is much easier when you are closer to home. Whether you are utilizing time when your children are at school and you need to coordinate a play date for the evening or a sleepover at a friend’s or family member’s house or maybe you just want the day away and plan to have the rest of the evening at home as a family. There are many options when going on a quick staycation to find care for your kiddos and pets. In fact, if you have family or friends close by offering to exchange the favor for them to take a mini staycation while you watch their kids or pets. A little planning creativity goes a long way and people that may be hesitant about providing care when you are across the country may be more willing when they find you are staying close by. Also, there is a sense of relief to not be too far away from your babies, pets, or home in case anything comes up.

Skip Straight to Vacationing

Travel time and all that goes along with the traveling process can be a bit overwhelming and is sure to take a chunk of time out of your vacation. For instance, we live in Wisconsin so when we take one of our favorite trips to Montana the travel in and of itself is a big deal. Our drive to Montana takes us over 25 hours, on the contrary, our recent staycation in Wisconsin took us less than 40 minutes. A massive difference! This means when we only have a few days we can actually go on a trip when it is a staycation. Or you can look at it as extra time actually vacationing rather than traveling regardless of the length of your vacation. Although my husband and I are fans of driving and traveling, even we enjoyed the peace and simplicity of a fast drive to our destination. It was an exciting change of pace to go from home to vacation in under an hour.

Let’s Get Packing

Before you can even begin your staycation, you have to do the vacationing essential of packing. Most people dread packing especially if you are a woman… let’s be honest they are the true packing heroes of any trip! Packing is no small feat when you are vacationing long and far away. However, a staycation is a game-changer in the packing realm. Depending on your staycation plans, your packing may literally be what you would bring with you any time you would leave the house if it is just a day out or as simple as an overnight bag for a day or two. Even if your trip is longer, you will still be packing less compared to a long trip with potential climate changes and bringing along everything you need. My packing worries were much less with my destination so nearby that if I truly needed anything we could just make a quick stop by our house and problem solved. Based on your plans during your getaway, it will dictate your packing needs a little bit. In our case, we planned to stay at the cabin the entire trip so we packed our own food, some books, movies, and games along with the normal items we would need for any trip. It is up to you what you will need in extras for your trip, but keep it as simple as possible and make this the easiest trip you have ever packed for.

Spend Less but Enjoy More

Every vacation requires a budget, but you can plan on needing significantly less money for a staycation. Less travel means lower travel expenses and since you know the area, you can shop around for deals. Choosing to stay at your local destination during the offseason when there are seasonal discounts available can save you lots of money. In addition, save money for restaurants, events, experiences, and shopping by optimizing your money using discounts and coupons. Since you are local you have the advantage of knowing where to find deals and when they are most likely available. Although a vacation is not all about the money spent or saved, it is important to stick to your budget. However, as long as your budget allows you don’t have to worry about saving money. Regardless of your budget, minimizing the distance traveled means money saved which is money you can use for another getaway. I think all of us can get on board with a money-saving plan like that!

Our Staycation Experience

Our staycation was at a nearby log cabin rental only 40 minutes away from home. Although our trip was quick, only 3 days and 2 nights, it felt incredibly relaxing. We spent our time enjoying the peace of the cabin and the crackle of the wood-burning stove. Our priority was to relax and get to connect especially when life and schedules can be very busy. We slowed down our pace of life while watching deer all day from our aptly named Deer Meadow cabin we were staying in. We also enjoyed making delicious meals and having some fun treats while playing games, reading books, and watching a couple of movies. We loved our short stay in a tiny cabin close to home. The time was so refreshing while in comparison, a long vacation just doesn’t provide relaxation most of the time. Too many vacations leave you needing another vacation, but a staycation was all the fun without the hassle. While we love to travel far distances, we enjoyed staying close to home to vacation. Each travel experience is unique, but we can’t ignore all the advantages of staycationing.

A staycation is all about what you decide to make it. However, I believe there is a staycation out there that all of us can enjoy. While our trip was just one example, there are so many variations to make the trip your own. Bring the kids, pets, go alone, check out different places nearby, go to the beach, go to the woods, stay in the city, stay as long or short as you want, pack all the things or spend your entire time out and about. The trip is yours to make the way you would love it. And trust me, you will love it! Staycations may have begun as a trend, but I hope it is around to stay! I hope this encourages you to stay close to home or maybe even at home for your next vacation.

Comment below if you enjoy staycations or are looking forward to your first staycation after reading this!