9 Staycation Ideas for the Last Days of Summer

By Elana Goodwin on July 28, 2015

The end of summer is fast approaching and going away on vacation can be costly – especially if you’re planning a trip last-minute. So instead, plan a stay-at-home vacation, or “staycation” during your last weeks of summer, to do with your family or friends.

Here are 9 great summer staycation ideas for you to consider.

Photo Credit: Flickr

1. Camp out in your backyard. You don’t need to go far to go camping; you can sleep in your backyard on your staycation in either a tent or just under the stars. Plus, unlike sleeping out at a public campground, your bathroom is only steps away and it’s clean.

Be sure to check the weather forecast for the night so you don’t end up getting rained on and stock up on ghost stories. Flashlights and s’mores are a must.

2. Visit your local museums. Instead of going to visit another city and taking in their museum exhibits, consider going to a museum during your staycation. Lots of museums get new features and exhibits so even if you’ve been to a specific one before, they may have things you haven’t seen previously.

3. Go to a nearby pool or lake. Water-related activities almost always occur during summer vacations and there’s no reason your staycation has to be any different. If you don’t live near a beach, go to your local pool or search for the nearest lake so you can spend a day by the water. If you’re not into swimming, look into places that rent kayaks, canoes, or paddleboats, or check out local river cruises.

4. Hit up a local tourist spot. Oftentimes we don’t end up visiting tourist spots that are in the city we actually live in. Personally, as someone who lives in Cleveland, I only went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once in my late high school years because a bunch of my friends figured we should probably go there at least once as Clevelanders.

There are probably local tourist traps in your city that you also haven’t gone to and a staycation is a perfect time to play tourist in your own town.

5. Take yourself out to a ball game. Baseball is a summer sport so if you haven’t gotten to cheer on your team, taking in a ball game is a perfect staycation activity for you to do either with your family or friends. Make a day out of it by hanging out downtown around your stadium or playing baseball yourself before heading to the game to support your team.

Photo Credit: Elana Goodwin

6. Take a hike. Enjoy the great outdoors during your staycation. You can walk to your favorite local park for a nice stroll or see if there’s a national park close to you and head there for the day. Be sure to wear a good, comfortable pair of shoes you can walk and hike in and take plenty of water and sunscreen.

7. Attend a local festival or throw your own. Summer is the season of festivals and though it’s almost at its end, there may still be festivals happening around your city or state – from art to food to movie festivals. Check out what’s going on in your local scene and incorporate it into your staycation or throw your own festival. Gather up a bunch of movies you’re been meaning to see and host your own movie festival on your couch or do something more creative and then throw a festival to show off your work to your family and friends.

8. Get on a bicycle. They say you never forget how to ride a bike so even if you haven’t hopped on one in a while, a staycation is the perfect opportunity for you to dig out your old bike from the garage and explore your community or local park. You can also find biking trails at lots of metroparks and other cool spots in your area so do some research if you want to bike somewhere different than just around your neighborhood.

9. Do something creative. A staycation is a great time to do something creative that you wouldn’t ordinarily get to do either on a real vacation or during a regular day. Have photos you’ve been meaning to edit or organize? A scrapbook you’ve neglected? Perhaps you’ve been meaning to start practicing your guitar again – whatever it is, a staycation will give you the chance to get back in touch with your creative side and do something artsy.

So if you want to go somewhere fun or do something special this summer but don’t want to spend a lot of money, a staycation just might be the perfect answer for you – and with summer’s end within sight, you should start planning yours sooner rather than later!

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