What Is A Staycation?
There isn’t a quick answer to this question. It could and should be specific to the person looking to take time off. Prior to 2019, the word Staycation had a bad connotation. It meant I have vacation days to burn but have nowhere to go and no money to go there with. It was a sad word that was word-smithed to make it seem much cooler than it was. Then Covid hit, and we were all forced to stay home. In those days, when we lived with and our homes were all the entertainment we had, the world changed. It evolved from Vacation’s pathetic cousin to a major player with a lot to offer if you know what to do. Staycation Nation grew from that space where we rediscovered the joy of our homes and the people we choose to share them with.
The whole point of vacation is to unwind, reconnect with loved ones, and decompress from our everyday lives. The pressures of work, responsibility, and everyday life can crush you. Vacation is supposed to relieve that stress. It should give us all a chance to refresh and reboot our outlook. It’s supposed to give us time to rest and relax. Unfortunately, vacation can also feel like a burden. The planning and packing, coordination of schedules, reserving of pet sitters, and home readiness are exhausting before we even consider our checkbooks. When we have money earmarked for bills, home repairs, or everyday needs, the idea of spending a small fortune on hotels and flights takes all the fun out of time off. That’s where a staycation comes in. When done right, it can be the most low-stress, high-reward break you ever had.
It doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Fun is subjective. Time off looks different for everyone. There are those that will jet set off to exotic and high-adventure locations. Gamble the night away, ride rides at Universal Studios until you feel dizzy, or climb Mount Everest. There will always be those who seek the sand and surf of a St. Kitts vacation, where your nights are spent at the Marriot Resort and your days drinking the best Painkillers and eating the best lobster you could ever have at Ragae Beach.
I understand those people, but I also understand that sometimes you just need a break from it all and want to save money or sanity by cocooning in your own home with your family, found or otherwise. That is what a staycation is for. It is the fun we want to have even though we may never stray far from home.
For some, the idea of themed movie nights, carefully planned game nights, or backyard campouts is a dream. Others may want a quiet spa weekend, and still others want to spend their days exploring restaurants and attractions in their hometown they didn’t even know were under their noses. Every vacation is as different as the person who is on it. They aren’t one size fits all. Everyone, from outdoor adventurers to stay-at-home couch potatoes, can have exactly what they want if they know where to look.
Staycation Nation seeks to fill all those needs. Do you need to know what road trips are best for your area? Maybe you want the best smokers, grillers, and outdoor equipment you need because you want nothing more but to spend your days cooking up a storm in a backyard paradise. We can even tell you the best chairs to lounge in while waiting for your brats to finish. Want to know which bath bombs and foot massagers will be the most spa-like? Maybe you want to know how to set up a backyard camp-in theater. How about the best insect spray or tiki torches? Televisions, fans, candles, and blankets all help set the right mood when you just want to be a slug and binge everything you have been saving. We test and try everything, so you don’t have to.
Staycation Nation has all those answers and more. Staycations don’t have to be a dirty word anymore. They aren’t some bizarre side trip stuck in your culdesac waiting for the new weird neighbor to bury another body in the backyard(The ‘Burbs is an excellent example of a staycation gone very, very wrong, though). Staycations are your answer to vacationing with no stress and all the fun. Turn your rec room into a game room or your backyard into the world’s most relaxing resort. Are you looking for an immersive meal and activity event from the comfort of your kitchen that is easy to whip up and yet still impressive? Whiskey tastings, charcuterie board making, and speaker setups can all be found here.
The best part is, when it is all over, you don’t have to stop enjoying your anti-trip. Anything you bought is yours to keep and enjoy forever. If you aren’t sure how many times you will use a portable giant screen in your backyard, no problem. There are ways to rent those things too.
These low-stress vacations will be the best thing you ever did. The best thing about staycations is they are interchangeable and buildable. One year, you may splurge on outdoor furniture and a fire pit, and the next, you add a pizza oven and a hot tub. The other neat thing is one person’s staycation could be another’s low-key vacation. Maybe you will be away from home and want a vacation that has all the relaxing feel of a staycation, but you aren’t home. Every idea, every review, and all our advice is applicable to a VRBO or AirBnB. Staycations are truly the best of all worlds.
Staycations are unique to the person who enjoys them. The only rules are that they must be low-key and that you can’t go far from your hometown. The idea is that you are staying close to home to vacation. It could be anything from turning your house into the best it could be to renting a VRBO in a different part of the city from where you live to enjoy the part of your hometown you didn’t know existed. Staycation Nation wants to answer all your questions.
Where are the best hikes, shopping, theaters, or food trucks in your area? Do you love outdoor exploration? Maybe you are more of an indoor cat and want to go on a winery or brewery tour. Foodies want to know where you can get the best meals, best service, or tastiest takeout. All of these things can be found on Staycation Nation. We want to take even more of the stress out of taking time off. Vacation is only as good as how we feel when it is over.
