Get Away Without Going Away
Spending your vacation at home? You can still make it memorable
While visiting a fabulous eco-resort is a great experience, not all of us can afford it. And frankly, while environmental impacts are minimized at the resort, getting there and back means travel and its accompanying greenhouse gases—although, of course, you can always buy carbon offsets for your travel.
So what’s the eco-vacationer to do? Maybe we should just stay home…
Hardly! We sometimes forget that “vacation” doesn’t equal “travel.” Vacationing at home doesn’t have to mean three days watching reruns and reading the newspaper. It also doesn’t just mean taking lots of bike rides and long walks. Here are a few ideas for local vacations that are restful, inexpensive, and earth-friendly. And, of course, FUN!
Oh, Say Cannes You See?
Love movies? You don’t have to go anywhere to experience a film festival. Rent (or borrow from the library or friends) films on a specific theme. Here are a few to get you started:
- International: Asia, Paris, Spanish-language
- Actor/Director: Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg
- Type: Romance, Sci-Fi, Silent
- Classics: All those films you’ve always wanted to see (but haven’t gotten around to), like Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Citizen Kane
Make it an event with special food and a great space (pillows, blankets, etc.). Don’t forget to turn off the ringer on your phone—you should never take a call in a theatre!
Turn Off, Unplug, and Tune Out
In our digital age, there’s not much that’s more relaxing than cutting yourself off from electronics for a while. Consider making your vacation wireless, clickless, and beepless. Set an automatic-reply on your email and phones letting people know that you won’t be available (and how to reach you in case of emergency ONLY), and start discovering the silence you used to enjoy. Read that book that’s been staring you in the face, or catch up on journaling, gardening, or scrapbooking. Think about it as your own personal “1900 House.” You’ll certainly feel relaxed—and isn’t that what vacations are all about?
Home School
You don’t have to go away to spend time learning about other cultures or yourself. Spend several days focusing on one issue or skill, and you’ll leave your vacation knowing how to make enchiladas from scratch, understanding the demise of Roman civilization, or looking forward to the vegetables from your new garden. You can go to the library (or the internet) for instructions and information.
Get Your Game On
Organize a two- or three-day tournament and invite family and friends. Choose table games like Scrabble, Monopoly, or poker, or test yourself with sports like football, golf, soccer, or badminton. This is great for families or groups. Don’t forget refreshments and prizes (“Get Out of Dishwashing Free” card, anyone?).
Think About the Place Where You Live
Sometimes we have to really look to see our home towns through fresh eyes. Spend your vacation exploring your local area like a tourist. Most towns (even small ones) have a Chamber of Commerce or a local visitor’s center. Check your local newspaper for fairs, festivals, and sporting and cultural events. If you don’t find enough ideas there, here are a few more:
- Go to that restaurant/bar/park/museum you have always wanted to visit
- Create your own local tour of houses, gardens, or parks (or ask your friends to design you one)
- Visit a part of town you haven’t explored
- Try a new kind of food or activity
And make sure you don’t forget your camera! You’ll be amazed at the images you can get of places near home when you really open your eyes.
A State of Mine
If you’d like to venture a little bit further out, consider doing a regional tour. Visit your state’s tourism website for ideas on things to visit in your area. Checking out the calendar of events and travel planners will help you get the most out of your time. You don’t have to live in a big city to find fun things to do. For example:
- Museums (historical and art)
- Historic sites and old forts
- Walking tours and hiking/biking trails
- Free events at libraries, schools, and religious institutions
- City, state, and national parks
- Vegetable harvesting and fruit picking
Get Festive
Many small towns have yearly festivals like the Jazz Festival or the Rice Festival. At the Peach and Melon Festival in DeLeon, Texas, for example, you can participate in the watermelon-spitting contest or the Melon Patch Bike Tour, watch a tractor pull, a parade, or a fiddling contest, and, of course, experience the crowning of Miss DeLeon (and Little Miss DeLeon!). Look in your state’s tourist guide for a calendar of events, and plan your vacations accordingly. Instead of just popping into the festivities, or missing them altogether, make it a real event for you and your family.
Relax and Recharge
Have a vacation budget but would prefer to stay near home? Consider spending a day at a spa or salon. Many places offer all-day packages for treatments like massages, facials, pedicures, and bodywraps. Then again, you could always check out a book from the library and have an at-home session with friends or family. You can also look into local beauty schools and massage therapy schools for discounted treatments.
And whatever you do, don’t forget to plan ahead. Get any chores done, and make sure that people know you won’t be available. Who does laundry when they’re on vacation, anyway?
-Jennifer Brown