Your Guide for the Perfect Staycation

August 2018 // By Natalie Jean

Every few weeks I get the travel bug. If I could, I would hop on a plane and travel to my heart's content! Unfortunately though I don't have an endless amount of money, so sometimes I have to stay close to home and do my best to feed the travel bug. 

Have you ever done a "staycation"? Mark and I love to do them when we don't have the time or necessarily the money to go on a big trip. This time, we decided to explore towns around Harrisburg. We always seem to find a great new restaurant or coffee shop.




I was so excited the other day I couldn't even wait for Mark to get home from work so I drove to New Cumberland and walked around, got a delicious bagel from Brew Crumberland's Best, and read on a park bench for a little. I never realized how cute this area is! 




Another spot I noticed while walking around was this cute, old theater. Mark and I love old theaters and spots with a history or character. I can't wait to come back with him and check it out!






Have you ever done a "staycation" before? They are actually quite fun if you plan for them. Here are a couple of tips that we find really useful when we want some adventure or to explore some place new without having to travel far from home:

1. Designate a Time. Will you just have a jam-packed weekend, or will you take time off of work and go slowly, experiencing all your area or the area you visit has to offer? If you designate a time it will be easier to create a schedule of where you want to go and how long you want to spend at each restaurant, shop, museum, landmark, etc.

2. Plan Your Food. Do you have a budget to eat at a restaurant each night or do you have one specific place you'd like to visit and then eat at home the rest of the time? Trust me, figuring that out before hand will keep you from overspending and also save you from an awkward conversation as you're getting the bill at another restaurant.

3. Treat Yourself! If budget isn't an issue for why you aren't traveling far, treat yourself to a night in a nice hotel nearby or a spa treatment! Explore your area and relax while doing so.

4. Take Lots of Photos. Just because you're at home doesn't mean you can't document it :) You'll want to remember your mini-adventure.

5. Something New. Pick one thing that you've never tried before and do that! A restaurant, kayaking, rock climbing, pottery, an Escape Room, antiquing, etc. Trying something new always gives a fun twist to your vacation!




If you're ever in New Cumberland, PA be sure to make a little pit stop and try some great food at a local restaurant or get a cup of coffee at BCB! I had such a nice afternoon when I visited. 
SaveSave

Comments

  1. I am in dire need of a vacation or at least a staycation these days. I recently started with a new job, so going on a week-long vacation isn't feasible at this time, but I would take a weekend off to go somewhere new, fun, and exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great tips! We did a staycation back in the Spring and it was a lot of fun! We took our local transportation (which we never do) and went into Uptown (we live in Charlotte). It was fun taking our 2 year old to some of the parks, grab a bite to eat somewhere we've never been and walk around as a tourist.
    We hope to do more of those soon! I'll take more pictures next time ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Staycations are so much fun!! I was just telling my husband that I need one soon haha just a night away from home, closer to the beach to relax. These are awesome tips!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah that would be so nice :) I wish I lived near a beach!

      Delete
  4. We are doing a semi-staycation for our anniversary this Labor Day weekend. We are about an hour from Hershey, so we've planned some activities there, including the theme park and a couples cocoa massage!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my goodness, all of this is so cute! It literally looks like the perfect staycation. I also love those tips! Figuring out a few of the plans ahead of time will help with feeling less stressed while on the trip and wondering, "So, what should we do next?"

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes to all the photos and planning out food destinations - such great ideas. If I don't have a plan, the day can end up wasted!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It totally can, and then I feel so defeated afterwards. Planning is really important!

      Delete
  7. Your pictures are gorgeous! :) All these photos and food pictures look soooo amazing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks like a cute place! I have never done a staycation before, although I do get my whole summers off so it's like an endless staycation. There's some really great tips here...maybe for my next long break! I am from Lancaster, so I was excited to see a local place in your post!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts