Staycation Strategies

Our family has been blessed to enjoy vacations from Disney to the mountains and Australia to France, but this past spring break we stayed close to home. There were several reasons we stayed home and played nearby, including time and financial considerations. While there is nothing like the traditional vacation, staycations have become popular during the financial slump of late as unemployment has risen along with travel prices. We hit the hot spots and a few out-of-the-way new favorites too, slept in our own comfy beds and made the most of our time together. All things considered, everyone had a blast.

The Upside
Staycations are far less costly with no lodging costs and minimal travel expenses. Staycations obviously have costs including transportation, dining and attractions, which ultimately benefit local restaurants and entertainment businesses. Some companies and visitors’ bureaus have even begun promoting staycations to help replace tourism dollars lost from out-of-town visitors. Avoiding the hassle of travel is another benefit. The stress of packing, long drives or waits at airports are removed. After all, how many times have you heard someone say, “I need a vacation to recover from my vacation?”

The Downside
With proximity to home comes proximity to work, so set a no-work-related-activities policy, including not taking any work home with you. Send e-mails to co-workers saying that you will be on vacation and don’t let a misguided sense of obligation or your closeness to work woo you into taking calls or checking in. Our fast-paced work world of immediate access can be just the kind of stress you need to get a break from in the first place. Try to make your staycation as real as possible and avoid getting caught up in the everyday activities of life from laundry, grocery shopping or mundane errands that eat up your precious time. Also, unless it’s the intended purpose of your time off, avoid spring cleaning or other household projects. If your goal is to “get away from it all” and create as close to possible the feeling of a traditional vacation, you have to get out of the rut of day-to-day routines.

The Funside
The only limit to staycation activities may be your imagination. The possibilities are limitless and these are a few things we tried and a few more you might want to give a go. The beauty of living near the metroplex is the availability of so many amazing destinations right in our own backyard.

Museums. For a free but priceless experience in Waxahachie, check out The Ellis County Fine Arts Museum and The Webb Gallery for amazing local art. Museums in the metroplex are almost too numerous to count including the Children’s, Women’s, Holocaust, Flight, Cowgirl, Railroad and even a Conspiracy Museum. We spent nearly three hours at The Dallas Museum of Art and our kids reveled in the ability to create their own art, including their versions of the masterpieces hanging on the walls. The materials were provided by the museum, including sketch pads, paper and pencils. Admission was free because we went on a Family Fun Day sponsored by WFAA.



Zoos and aquariums.
Everyone loves the zoo and there are some amazing ones close by in Waco, Fort Worth, Dallas and the incredible 1,700-acre Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, which is dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered species. Visitors can view more than 1,000 animals from their own car or on guided tours. Many zoos, including the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, offer day camps or even overnight activities. We checked out The Dallas World Aquarium and were amazed by its beauty and variety of plants, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians representing five continents, 14 countries, three oceans and numerous seas and rivers.

Sporting events or activities. Professional, college or your own athletic conquests are great options for staycationers. This spring break we found a great bowling alley that catered to the family with five-pound balls and ramps for the kids to roll their bowl down the middle of the lane and automatic gutter rails that rise for children and release for adults. There was even a special one-hour lane rental during spring break. We also attended a Dallas Mavericks game with reasonably priced tickets and enjoyed free refills on our sodas and popcorn. The kids especially loved riding the free Gator’s bus in the West End to the game and adding their names to the others on the seats with a sharpie provided by the driver.

Wet and wild. Community swimming pools provide another great opportunity for family fun. One of our favorites is the Lancaster Aquatics Center and admission was only $5 a person during Spring Break. The indoor pool features a kiddie pool and frog slide, lazy river, lap pool and a two-story slide for the big kids. We also checked out Frisco Aquatic Center for only $8 per adult and $6 per child. Guests can play indoors or out as they take a ride down one or all of the exciting water slides: Big Blue, the Green Gusher and the Pipeline and enjoy the large kid’s area complete with bridges, slides, climbing ropes and water sprayers.

And more. We also enjoyed a magical evening at Medieval Times for a great discounted price. There are so many other family fun options to consider from camping, to amusement parks, festivals, train rides, mini golf, laser tag and video games. Don’t forget about special couple activities from local plays, home tours, concerts or our downtown comedy club. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to check Web sites for coupons and special deals.