Have you ever stayed in a hotel in your hometown? Slept somewhere different in your house? Or tried to make a mini vacation out of going practically nowhere at all? If you haven’t, allow me to elaborate and give you 10 good reasons to take a staycation.
Staycations seem like a new concept nowadays but when I really stop think about it we’ve been doing staycation activities for as long as I can remember. For example, when we visited my grandparents we always used to “camp out” which simply meant that everybody slept in the basement on pull out couches or mattresses. It wasn’t much when I think back about what it took to do it, and yet we (my siblings, cousins and I) always thought it was super cool and a huge treat to be able to “camp out”. The same kind of feeling when your parents agreed to let you rent a movie on the weekend, a simply joy our children will sadly never know. Simple staycations are definitely a way we can help the next generation enjoy some of the simple things we loved as children.
On the same note, sleeping on the floor in a sibling’s bedroom for the night is an equally simple and inexpensive way to have arrange little staycation (especially for the kids) that costs absolutely nothing. You could go all out and add a theme, throw a few treats in the mix and you’ve got yourself a night to remember! The many reason to take a staycation do not outweigh the endless amount of of staycation ideas either! Check out my full list of Family Staycation Ideas here to get you and your family started.
On the more luxurious side of things you can always stay at a local hotel. This is an option that I would certainly recommend especially if the adults are trying to fully enjoy a staycation as well as the kids. Getting away from the house, the chores and everything that is screaming “clean me”, “feed me”, “fix this”, “do this” for the night is certainly a better idea than an at-home staycation. As a kid I remember going to a local hotel with my friend when her dad would come to visit. We always felt so ritzy to be able to spend the night at a hotel locally. Now that I am an adult I still feel pretty privileged to be able to spend the night at a local hotel but have realized the many benefits that these nights away can have. Going away as a family and being able to spend intentional time together without having the headaches that sometimes planning a large vacation can have (especially if you are the vacation leader/planner/packer as I always am in our family) is a nice breath of fresh air.
Now don’t get me wrong… I love planning big vacations and I love going on vacation, but doing something that requires virtually no planning and has all kinds of benefits certainly grabs my attention and is something that I’ve ran with.
Here are some of the many benefits of going on a staycation and all the reasons why you might want to consider a staycation for you and your family as well:
- Minimal planning – it doesn’t get any easier than going on holiday in your own home or in your own town!
- Explore your home – staycations are a great way to do things in your town or neighboring communities that you wouldn’t normally do. Think of the things you would suggest visitors try and try them yourself!
- Save money – a staycation can cost as little ($0) or as much as you want it to
- Save time – you save time planning, save time researching, save time travelling, all in all you save time in every aspect.
- Minimize travel – you literally don’t have to go anywhere!
- Feel refreshed – there is something about a night at a hotel that makes me always feel refreshed.
- Relax & unwind – It’s a staycation after-all! Make sure you take time to relax and enjoy it as though you were on a big vacation (that’s the whole point!)
- Re-connect – take advantage and just “talk”. The same way you do sitting on a beach in Cuba or on a road trip.
- Experiment for a further/longer vacation – I need to elaborate a little bit on this one for all of the parents worried about taking their young children on vacation. Going to a local hotel or one that is a quick drive away, like the gorgeous Rodd Miramichi River in our case, is a great way to test out what the kids will be like in the car, what packing will be like, the things you might want to buy before a bigger trip, the sleeping arrangements, how it goes sharing a hotel room with the whole family, etc. If these things have you concerned it might be worth trying a local hotel stay before making the leap to a full on vacation.
- Kids love it & Adults love it – let’s be honest, we all love acting like kids and camping out or spending a night at a hotel!
Enjoy all the benefits of staycations, take advantage of exploring your home and feel refreshed.
Xo Jenna
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