Planning a Staycation
Updated March, 2024
During the summer of 2020, Staycations became the norm for many families. With high fuel prices we’ve been experiencing we expect they will be front and center in family vacation plans again this year. We hope that we can offer some ideas and insight into planning your family Staycation this summer.
Rethinking Summer Vacations
During the past few years we have seen a lot of changes in our lives. With the pandemic a raft of measures were put in place that severely limited travel. Governments asked citizens to eliminate non-essential travel. The Canada/U.S. boarder was closed to non-essential travel on March 18, 2020.
Families still need to vacation. For some it’s a needed chance to relax, and unplug from the day-to-day. Sometimes a vacation is planned around the concept that a-change-is-as-good-as-a-rest. This approach sees families planning to experience new things, see new sights or visit attractions. All of these options can be achieved with a staycation plan.
What is a Staycation?
It seems pretty straightforward. Staycation is a portmanteau of the words “stay” and “vacation.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as: “A holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.”
The general feeling is that it is a fairly recent addition to the English language but our research has discovered that it actually has been around for a while. Merriam Webster has discovered the word used in a newspaper advertisement going back to 1944. You can read their “Words-at-Play” entry for staycation here.
Staycation Considerations
Staycations are very flexible in terms of length. Because most of the travel is eliminated they can be short. When a vacation involves long travel distances it makes sense to plan for a longer stay. Staycations are often less expensive. There are some things you will need to give up. Jet lag, and white knuckle drives on unfamiliar freeways are two that come to mind.
Planning your Staycation
Give thought to
- Set a goal
- Relaxation/get active/learn something
- Give thought to how “unplugged” you want to be
- Decide on duration
- Make sure there are elements that appeal to everyone in the family
- Consider a theme
- Become a tourist in your own region
- Local history
- Agri-tourism
- Love of Horses- click here to read our Introduction to Horses Staycation
- Hiking & Nature Trails – click here for our nature trails
- Birdwatching –click here to read our birdwatching Staycation and- click for info on birds of Riverbend
- Fishing – click to read our Fishing Staycation blog post
- Golf – click to view our list of nearby golf
- First Nations Discovery – click here to read our Indigenous Culture & History Staycation
- Nostalgia/#TBT
- Get crafty
- Write a book or family history
- Campfire cuisine
- Commune with nature
- Assemble supplies/appropriate clothing
Camping Staycations
A campground in your own back yard is an easy choice when you want to get away for a weekend, but it can be an ideal option for your staycation. Booking a stay at Riverbend Campground means you are away from your home which gives emphasis to the vacation aspect. We offer discounts for mid-week and week-long stays. If you have vacation time saved up you can book a month and save even more.
Contact Riverbend Campground and start planning your staycation by email: reservations@riverbendcampground.ca or phone: 403-938-2017. or book online by clicking the button below.
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