Staycation or Vacation?
The concept of staycation – staying home and relaxing instead of going on an expensive, stressful vacation, makes more sense than ever during a global recession.
We still want to break away from our routine and recharge, but most of us are looking for frugal vacations rather than costly ones.
Staycations are easy and inexpensive. Vacations, on the other hand, tend to be complicated and costly. They often involve a lot of advance planning and many expenses, such as air travel, hotel, and car rental.
When it comes to air travel, it’s not just the expense I object to. I don’t know about you, but I hate to fly. I always hated flying. Being locked up in a small, pressurized cabin with no hopes of getting out until the plane lands has always made me more than a little nervous.
The added security measures and the gradual deterioration in customer service over the past decade are making the entire experience even worse. Of course, flying is also extremely unhealthy.
If it were up to me, I would never fly again.
Obviously, I sometimes have to fly. But when it comes to planning a vacation, in recent years the desire to avoid flights has certainly had an impact on my travel plans. Even if in our case, a staycation is not necessarily about actually staying home, I much prefer going someplace close to home over picking a far away destination that would force me to fly.
Recently, my husband and I spent a lovely long weekend staycationing in Half Moon Bay and in Carmel, California. Both locations are a mere 2-3 hours drive from our home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Instead of the elaborate vacations of years past (such as our visit to Barcelona and to Mercat de la Boqueria), which involved several flights and hotels, we picked a nearby destination that enabled us to really take it easy.
We spent one night in Half Moon Bay, where we enjoyed a gourmet dinner, followed by a lovely breakfast and a stroll along the beach the next morning. Yes, the Northern California beach is cold – you definitely need a jacket there, even in July:
But it’s also pristine and magnificent:
After breakfast, we drove along the beautiful, picturesque California Highway 1 to the Carmel area. On our way, we stopped at Ano Nuevo State Park. Hiking in the fresh air was pleasant, and watching the local elephant seals pick a fight with each other was hilarious:
Taking in the views from the gorgeous highway was one of this road trip’s main attractions. We saw several historic bridges that were built during the Great Depression. The magnificent Bixby Bridge was one of them:
We did indulge in fine dining – this is important to us. But we completely avoided shopping, which we hate (you just add more clutter to your house when you buy stuff. I hate clutter.)
By the end of the weekend, we were happy, relaxed, and ready to face the new week.
Air travel is usually pricey and stressful. A staycation is the perfect solution for me.
Have you been traveling this summer?
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Tanya responds:
Posted: July 27th, 2009 at 7:43 pm →
I never fly at all. It’s been 10 years since I last flew. Some say I have a phobia. I let them call it what they want.
1. We often take cruises. We took a 2-week cruise to Hawaii past New Year.
2. We often travel California coast (from SF to LA) with stops such as Solvang and Big Sur.
3. We plan to travel to San Diego later in August.
4. Over Passover break, we drove to Arizona to see Grand Canyon, and then to Las Vegas. It was a great trip, we saw some magnificient things. Although long drive was a little hard on the kids.
5. Last year, we took a train trip to Seattle with Alex. It only lasted one day, and he loved it. There were lots of kids on the train, so he had playmates.
6. I wouldn’t mind traveling further around the country by car, but my husband is not a fan of long car drives (and it would be hard on the kids). So I let him travel to Europe without me sometimes, and he is leaving to Swezerland later this week with his friends. I hope to have a good time staying home with kids, visiting local museums, amusement parks, etc.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: July 27th, 2009 at 7:52 pm →
Interesting, Tanya! I had no idea you don’t fly. I don’t think I could give up on flying altogether – but I definitely want to minimize it.
RC - RC Rambling responds:
Posted: July 27th, 2009 at 9:09 pm →
With our big family vacation last year, we had already determined that this year’s vacation would be low-key. And since we prefer to vacation in the fall, we have been staying close to home this summer.
As for this fall – our vacation is planned. And although the drive will be a bit longer than some (about five to six hours), it won’t be as long as last year’s Florida event. Plus, I found a lodging deal – and we are staying in an apartment-type suite. For us, we prefer to eat out at lunch and maybe one or two nice dinners, but otherwise, we like to eat in, since we have time to relax and truly enjoy cooking and eating, as well as dining as a family. This suite has a full kitchen, so it will be ideal for our plans (and easier on the wallet).
Also, we are heading north when others head south, so we’ve seen discounts that way, too.
We did consider a staycation, but I think we have done well in planning a trip well within our means – and we will really spend some time learning about one of the many gorgeous and historic areas surrounding us. Beauty and relaxation can be found just about anywhere – even without a plane ride to an exotic location.
Davina responds:
Posted: July 27th, 2009 at 10:10 pm →
Hi Vered. I share your discomfort around flying. I’ve never enjoyed it. If it’s an overnight flight I barely sleep. I love the idea of staycations because I find the planning and preparation for a trip wears me out, not to mention the fallout upon the return: jet lag, laundry, etc.
I’ve considered taking a cruise, but wonder if I’d feel restless “trapped” on a ship. One adventure that I’d love is to drive either south down the west coast, or north to Alaska. Camping is another favourite of mine. And closer to home there are quite a few islands that can be visited. I could easily book a bed and breakfast and spend the weekend hiking, or just reading and napping… oh and eating good food. That’s a must — we agree on that one too.
Mike Goad responds:
Posted: July 27th, 2009 at 11:28 pm →
It’s been about 7 years since I’ve flown. As I recall, it was flying to Vancouver to catch a cruise and then flying back home from Anchorage.
Our travel plans for this summer have been scaled back drastically since I took this contract job. It was originally intended that I work June and July and then take August and September off and come back for the rest of the year. We were planning to be gone the entire two month, traveling through the north Rocky Mountain states.
However, since the contract didn’t get approved until the beginning of July, we’re only going to be gone for about three weeks. Actually, I could stay and work those weeks or I could take an additional week, but, since they are time off without pay limiting it to 3 weeks will allow us to travel to Colorado and Utah at a more leisurely pace — a week at Rocky Mountain National Park, four or five days in Moab, and several days at Mesa Verde.
Our major travel expense is our motorhome. Its sticker price was a lot more than the price of our house. Of course, we bought our house in 1981 and paid a LOT of interest over the years.
When we’re traveling with the motorhome, it’s like taking your second home with you. You just change the outdoor scenery every so often.
So far as a staycation, I guess an interesting retirement is like a long term staycation, except when we’re traveling away from home — or back to work for a short period.
J.D. Meier responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 12:08 am →
It’s great that you know what you want, and it’s so easy for you to just do exactly that.
I didn’t know Half Moon Bay was a real place. When we play fooseball, one of the guys named one of his shots, Half Moon Bay. It’s a good shot, and now I’m curious about the real Half Moon Bay.
Lance responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 2:18 am →
Hi Vered,
Wonderful, wonderful photos! And you do look so relaxed – which speaks to just how good this vacation was! What great places you have to visit within a couple of hours from home. The coastline has to be incredibly moving to see and really experience.
Welcome back home! And good for you – staying “local” and having a wonderful time exploring the world around you. And that is a great reminder – that there’s much near most places that could be a wonderful visit…
Builder Jack responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 3:59 am →
I like the idea of a staycation as the old staying goes you do not realise what you have until its gone, thiis is true for historical site or places of outstanding natural beuaty that may beon your doorstep.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 4:14 am →
@ RC: Five to six hours is not too bad. “Beauty and relaxation can be found just about anywhere – even without a plane ride to an exotic location.” – I agree!
@ Davina: “the fallout upon the return” – yup, I forgot about THAT.
@ Mike Goad: “It’s been about 7 years since I’ve flown.” Wow. I’m jealous.
@ J.D. Meier: Yup, a very real place. Beautiful, too.
@ Lance: It was certainly more relaxing than some of our more elaborate vacations.
Tara@Sticky Fingers responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 4:40 am →
We have done the staycation quite a bit (most places are a few hours drive away here in England!)
However the big big drawback is the weather. When it rains it’s cold and damp and awful and no amount of wrapping up is going to convince the kids they’ve had a good time!
We aren’t taking the weather lottery this year for a change. We are going abroad and heading for the sun. Or at least the heat.
The other thing with travelling is I get to show my children how beautiful the world is and meet new cultures and ways of living (we don’t tend to do the ‘touristy’ areas).
Dr. J responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 5:30 am →
WOW! Great photos of a great staycation!!
Half Moon Bay is a favorite of mine. I first discovered it on Microsoft Flight Simulator as it has a wonderful little airport right near the bay. Seeing it for real last year was a thrill, and I have the tee shirt to prove it
-)
Dot responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 5:59 am →
I like to fly, although I agree that the customer service has declined a lot. The extra time for security adds a bit to the stress, too. My staycation this year was staying home and enjoying my home. I really needed the rest. But I have taken staycations where I just checked into a nice hotel and let them pamper me, or traveled to see sights that were almost local. Your photographs are gorgeous. I’m glad you had a good time!
janice responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 6:16 am →
As you know, we just had a staycation and loved it. I had a really good rest and some quality time with myself as well as my family. The essence of a staycation for me is that it’s deliberate and done for clearly defined positive reasons; it’s not the same as “We’re not going away because of________ (add any number of reasons voiced in the negative, no matter how frugal or sensible they are.)” Nor is it the same as the UK phrase ‘Sod Abroad!’ where folk are almost aggressively, patriotically defiant about thinking the UK’s better than foreign places. As Tara says, you can reach loads of lovely places in the UK within a day – it’s a relatively small island – but the UK weather is really cold, grey, miserable and wet a lot of the time, so many Brits crave a bit of warmth as well as a change of culture and colour. In the States, a drive across country can take you to a warmer place. Here, the only way to guarantee warmth is to fly somewhere. Flying doesn’t really bother me except for the damage to the planet, so we no longer fly as often as I’d like to.
BEAUTIFUL photos, Vered and you’re a stunner!
Nicole responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 7:26 am →
I just want to know more about the food. OOOhhh…I can only imagine…
Kathy responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 7:31 am →
Ever since I became a mother, I’ve been a fan of staycations. Fifteen years ago, I took my then 2 children ages 3 and 5 on a “real” vacation. We traveled by plane – and the kids cried. We stayed in a hotel – and the kids cried. We went to the beach – and the kids cried. We ended up spending most of our time around the kiddie pool at the hotel – something we could have done with a LOT less crying not to mention for a lot less money – closer to home.
The thing is – years later – the one who cried through that whole vacation is STILL a pain in the ass when it comes to traveling. When he became a teenager – he quite crying and started whining and complaining.
Before I had children, I traveled abroad extensively. I then discovered some people just aren’t “built” to travel. I obviously gave birth to such a person. I just hope he doesn’t fall in love and marry a person with the travel bug is all I can say!
Marelisa responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 8:00 am →
Hi Vered: You had a change in scenery and you were able to relax, and those are two of the main elements of a successful vacation. I don’t share your dislike for flying though. I’ve always thought that airports are glamorous; I guess there are just some childhood beliefs that stick regardless of evidence to the contrary.
Betsy Wuebker responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am →
Hi Vered – Thanks for the link back on our post about the downtown Minneapolis staycation! We’re obviously fans of the concept. While we were dating, we vowed we would visit all the regions in Minnesota. Having lived here for so long with little familiarity outside the Twin Cities and the more typical resort areas seemed wrong. We began with the North Shore – the part north of Duluth that fronts along Lake Superior – and fell in love with each other and Grand Marais.
After we married, we expanded our view of staycations to include anything within one day’s drive – so Galena, IL and my home state of Michigan make the list, as well as the five state region surrounding Minnesota. There is plenty to see and do! And we’ll be documenting more of it all on our site, with trips planned in the very near future.
I love Half Moon Bay, Carmel, the 17 Mile Drive, Monterey and Pebble Beach area. It’s all so beautiful. I have stayed at the Inn at Pebble Beach, and it was fabulous. About the only disappointment was realizing my golf game was best suited to the putt-putt course. Your photos are just lovely and brought back fond memories. Thanks again!
Don Mills Diva responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 8:23 am →
I LOVE Northern California.
We went to Quebec for St. Jean Baptiste Day for a little family vacation this year and it was great. It was a 6.5 hour drive and that was far enough!
Carla responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 8:35 am →
I guess I am the queen of “staycations” though they rarely last longer than a few days. I do regret never having the opportunity to travel abroad when I was “young, healthy and free”, but I do what I can with the time I have now. The San Francisco Bay Area is a unique place in that there are not many other places where you would WANT to stay for a vacation, even after a 2-3 hour drive.
We love driving up highway one, exploring Sonoma County, Napa, and going to southern California (though its a six hour drive away from Berkeley).
Bamboo Forest - PunIntended responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 8:57 am →
I really do like the idea of a staycation. True, you don’t have as many options where to go. But the options available are usually large enough to make for a really enjoyable vacation. It also gets you to enjoy the more local areas you may have overlooked otherwise.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 9:26 am →
@ Tara: I don’t plan to give up on travelling abroad, not so much because of the weather – it’s beautiful here – but because if the desire to see new places that are very different than my own backyard.
@ Dr. J: Hehe I don’t buy T-Shirts as souvenirs, I like to buy a shot glass at each spot. But you don’t drink. : )
@ Dot: “But I have taken staycations where I just checked into a nice hotel and let them pamper me” – sounds good!
@ janice: “the UK weather is really cold, grey, miserable and wet a lot of the time” – I honestly don’t know how you do it. But then again, your grass is so green. In warmer places it’s yellowish-green. So all that wetness creates some great natural beauty, at least for visitors. I remember on my first visit to the English countryside – I was a kid – the deep lush green was striking.
@ Nicole: Maybe in a different post.
@ Kathy: “I just hope he doesn’t fall in love and marry a person with the travel bug is all I can say!” I hope so too.
@ Marelisa: Hehe airports used to be glamorous – I used to love flying. But I don’t think they’re glamorous anymore. In fact, they’re just as depressing as hospitals!
@ Betsy Wuebker: “we expanded our view of staycations to include anything within one day’s drive” – makes sense. I think I’ll adopt your definition.
@ Don Mills Diva: Yup, 6.5 hours is a challenge. I think anything over 4 hours becomes a challenge.
@ Carla: “The San Francisco Bay Area is a unique place in that there are not many other places where you would WANT to stay for a vacation” – I agree.
@ Bamboo Forest: Exactly.
I Love California - Blogger For Hire responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 9:35 am →
[...] I mention that I love California? It’s the best place for a staycation, [...]
Tyler - Building Camelot responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 9:48 am →
Looks beautiful! We’re going on a vacation down the Florida panhandle in a month. Not quite a staycation but it’s not too far of a drive and our oldest daughter has been wanting to go the beach for a long time now. This is the first vacation we’ve taken in over 4 years and we found a great deal on a house that we’re splitting with some family to keep the costs down for everyone. Plus, it helps us by having a few more sets of eyes on the girls.
Kim Woodbridge responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 9:58 am →
I don’t like flying either – I’m not afraid of it – it’s just such a hassle. I don’t take many vacations as such but do visit family twice a year. Since they live in rural Vermont and I live in a big city, it’s a really nice change of pace. We almost always take the train – it only takes a little longer than driving, it’s relaxing if it isn’t crowded, and it’s good with kids because you can walk through the train, visit the cafe car and play in the aisles. And I’ve done it enough times that I know which are the quietest days to travel and how to get the best seats
Lori Hoeck responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 10:05 am →
Vered, it looks like you all had a grand time! Nice shot of the shoreline. That secluded-looking beach looks like a nice place to hike for a picnic.
I live in the front range area of Colorado, so staycations are easy, varied, and bountiful. Two years ago, my husband and I decided to play tourists and caught up on local attractions one or both of us hadn’t taken in yet, including whitewater rafting, riding the cog railway up Pikes Peak, taking the train under the Royal Gorge bridge, and playing in Indian ruins. What can I say? I live in a great state.
MommyNamedApril responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 10:20 am →
living in central florida, we’re masters of the staycation
although, i would like to go somewhere cool (literally) at some point!
Elliott - 21st Century Dad responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 10:37 am →
@Marelisa: I agree completely. Airports always seemed full of energy. How many stories unfolded there – tearful goodbyes and reunions, new beginnings, etc.? 9/11 seemed to suck the life out of that childhood belief of mine.
Now that I live in Tennessee, the staycation options are more plentiful. So many wonderful places are an easy drive from here. Add up the time you spend driving to the airport, getting through security, waiting, flying, getting your bags, finding ground transportation at your destination, etc. There are a lot of places you can drive to in the same amount of time with much less stress!
Tricia responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 11:21 am →
Your staycation sounds and looks divine!!
Natural responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 3:35 pm →
we’re going to NC in september, but i don’t mind a staycation. i love staying home, there’s always something to do.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 3:41 pm →
@ Tyler: Sounds like a great plan!
@ Kim Woodbridge: Rural Vermont sounds awfully exotic to this City Girl.
@ Lori Hoeck: You DO live in a great state. It’s fun to pretend to be tourists and do the local attractions.
@ MommyNamedApril: You should come here. Northern California, and especially San Francisco, are stubbornly, maddeningly cool.
@ Elliott: I’ve never been to Tennessee.
@ Tricia: Thanks! It was.
@ Natural: I love staying home too.
Kelvin Kao responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 3:49 pm →
You got some gorgeous pictures there! Nope, no travel plans so far, but I do feel like I need some sort of vacation time, even if to just stay at home or walk around the park. Need a break, heh.
Kelly@SHE-POWER responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 4:21 pm →
I don’t like flying, mostly because of the discomfort, but I don’t let it affect my choice of vacation. I love overseas travel – different cultures, languages, food etc – and that means flying. But this year we have decided to have more low key holidays/mini breaks rather than the epic 5 week trip to Europe last year. This yea our focus has been more on extending our home (I have my own writing studio now!) and visiting friends and family with maybe a trip to far north Qld thrown in for some serious heat.
I do enjoy a short staycation like you described. It is far less stressful when you are travelling for shorter periods of time. Our recent trip to Melbourne and Albury was wonderful and even with splurging on some great food and wine, it was still a cheap getaway. My next staycation is going to be a weekend in inner city Sydney with a girlfriend, Bunny and her daughter. We’re going to do all the touristy things and it should be loads of fun.
By the way, the Northern California coastline does look lovely.
Kelly
John Hoff - WpBlogHost responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 5:58 pm →
Those are some beautiful pictures. I love the ocean (surfer at heart – originally from Huntington Beach, CA).
Those quick little getaways really do help and they are such money savers. Problem is, these days everything is so damn expensive. It’s crazy how expensive hotel rooms are.
As for flying, I see your point but somehow it doesn’t bother me much.
Wilma Ham responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 6:29 pm →
I had to laugh, stressfull busy vacations are such a contradiction and yet you hear people do it. I love relaxed staycations when you don’t have to travel for long and I can relax as soon as I arrive within a few hours from leaving home in a peace of nature that is stunning.
Being in nature is the best way to recharge and give it to me anytime above exotic places only available through flying. However flying is necessary to visit relatives unfortunately and when it has to happen, well I make the most of it and take a staycation when I am back home.
Flight Attendant Uniforms - Blogger For Hire responds:
Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm →
[...] reading: A staycation is better these days. Media Portrayal Of Women Indian air hostesses too fat to fly Being overweight [...]
UrbanVox responds:
Posted: July 29th, 2009 at 2:16 am →
ummmmm
that sounds AWESOME!!!!!
Will def try it!
janice responds:
Posted: July 29th, 2009 at 9:16 am →
Hi Vered, didn’t realise first time round that you’d linked to my site – thank you so much! You’re absolutely right about the rain making Scotland beautiful; that’s why I’m happy here most of the year – the lush greenery, fresh air and clean, clear water – but those lizard on a rock weeks can keep me glowing all year!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: July 29th, 2009 at 9:30 am →
@ Kelvin Kao: Don’t we all.
@ Kelly: I remember your Europe vacation last year. Your local vacations this year sound just as fun, but I can definitely relate to the desire to experience different cultures.
@ John Hoff: I agree on hotels, especially in urban areas.
@ Wilma Ham: “stressful busy vacations are such a contradiction” – exactly!
@ UrbanVox: You should.
@ janice: You’re very welcome.
Jannie Funster responds:
Posted: July 29th, 2009 at 11:18 am →
You know my post today — our family day at the water park? That’s our staycation kind of thing. Ocasional weekend stuff like that and frequent swims in our pretty lake-park near our home. That’s the thing about Texas, it gets too darn hot for a lot of the fun outdoor things you guys get to enjoy on the West coast. Too hot for me, anyway.
Staycation — alas, dear Jimmy will have one all by himself when Kelly and I jaunt to Canada to my parents’ home next month. Poor Jimmy, I better give him a lot of extra TLC for staying home to keep the boat afloat.
Speaking of the cost of flying, we found out by shopping around that plane tickets are half the cost by flying into Maine and having my parents drive 2 hours to pick us up. Half the price! We usually fly into a Canadian city that’s 2 hours from Mom & Dad’s anyway, so bring on the savings route!
Those pictures you post here, the ocean ones brought tears to my eyes, I remember Jim and my trip there in 1994 when we toured on Route 1 from San Francisco to San Diego. I must dig up all those pictures. Montara and Big Sur and Laguna. Oh, Carmel — what a little paradise, just magical. We also stayed a night on the Queen Mary and visited the Hearst Castle. What an unbelievably gorgeous state. And in that last photo you look absolutely beautifully radiantly beautiful, Vered. That red lipstick rocks, and always will.
P.S. I don’t mind flying as long as I’m not over an ocean. THAT freaks me out. If I’m gonna go down I want it to be over nice solid land.
Oh and P.P.S. just wanted you to know I added an edit to my water park post to clarify it was NOT my Jim in that waterslide video, it was a clip from Youtube. I was joking, then realized after that you all might think it really was Jim. The running guy was impressive tho, yes. I’d like to try that sometime.
Michelle @ Find Your Balance responds:
Posted: July 29th, 2009 at 12:56 pm →
Our big vacation will be to New Hampshire at the beginning of September. Just a big house full of friends with a swimming hole to splash in. It just didn’t make sense to spend big bucks this year!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: July 29th, 2009 at 7:22 pm →
@ Jannie: So you grew up in Canada and you now live in Texas! That must have been quite as adjustment.
Yes, I thought it WAS your Jim.. thanks for clarifying that up.
@ Michelle: Sounds like fun!
Dominique responds:
Posted: July 30th, 2009 at 1:11 am →
We normally fly if we go on a holiday as it really beat sitting in traffic for a few hours just to cross the border with young kids. Most of the time we fly to Hong Kong to visit friends and relatives. That’s a really lovely beach and great staycation you had.
Adelaide hotel responds:
Posted: July 30th, 2009 at 5:45 am →
I agree with you at some point, MomGrind. Vacations sometimes really can be frustrating, I agree, but actually it’s all in the head. If you turn the “switch” in your head, planning, even some find it not amusing at all, can be a real “quest”. If you travel by a plain, you can get to your destination without even getting tired. I like vacations and plane travels so it is a joy for me. Of course I sometimes would rather stay at home, but I like to make my vacations a real adventure.
Tess The Bold Life responds:
Posted: July 30th, 2009 at 8:16 am →
oohhh I love both of thes places! And Highway 1 is soooo beautiful! Your photos are magnificent. However I do love to fly. My daughter works for Southwest (no. 1 airline known for sharing luv and it’s customer service). Best of all we fly free.
I do think the security thing is more than a little overboard. It’s an illusion that we’re really protected. I can’t complain about the wait I’m just beaming with gratitude each time we go somewhere. Oh and if you could hear the stories my daughter tells me about how difficult people can be… Just 2 weeks ago the flight attendant had to ask the passengers to turn off their electronic devices 4 times. That’s crazy!
Anyway love your photos and love you sharing about yourself! Your big fan…Tess
Sara responds:
Posted: July 30th, 2009 at 12:10 pm →
Wow. If I lived where you do, I might take more Staycations. Your photos are beautiful! I agree that Staycations are a good idea. Usually, I take one to the beach at the end of summer and during the winter. I will not get to take one this summer, but am definitely planning my holiday beach trip during December. For me, the beach is about 2 hours away so it’s not too bad.
Thank you for sharing your Staycation with us and the lovely pictures. It looks like you had a great time:~)
Smalltown Mom responds:
Posted: July 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm →
I came here from Shout. Your pictures are beautiful. Carmel is one of my favorite places for a driving vacation, but this year we went South to San Diego instead.
Bonnie | JustPeachyBabyBlog responds:
Posted: July 31st, 2009 at 7:26 am →
Oh, Vered. What gorgeous pictures.. And the cool thing about is that it was all local here in the Bay Area. Every time I feel the pressure of the living expenses here, I remind myself how fortunate we are to be a hop, skip and a jump from these beautiful and relaxing spots. The key is to take time to do a getaway, right in our backyard, you know? Pretend to be a tourist, even though we’re local. That’s the other key to enjoying a staycation.
The Stiletto Mom responds:
Posted: August 1st, 2009 at 8:42 am →
Yeah, a staycation works muuuuch better if you live somewhere beautiful like Northern California. Trust me, it’s not nearly as appealing when you live in Texas. You can choose between hot and humid or hot and dusty. This year we are going with hot and humid. However…we are going to Vermont in the fall to see the leaves change…counting the days until that one! Great pictures, I’m glad you had fun!
Herbert responds:
Posted: August 1st, 2009 at 9:11 pm →
A staycation — not a bad idea! Of course, home’s typically not the place people look to have a good time — but a short road trip isn’t a bad idea at all. In fact, it’s downright good.
An excellent way to save money too, as an after-thought. Glad to see you had so much fun, and those pictures (I especially like the one with the seals and the one before that) are great!
Barbara Swafford responds:
Posted: August 2nd, 2009 at 12:27 am →
Hi Vered,
Your photos brought back tons of wonderful memories of when I lived in the Bay Area (Burlingame). Half Moon Bay and Carmel were two of my favorite places to visit. The coastline is breathtaking.
Every place I’ve lived I’ve always enjoyed “playing tourist” and seeing the sites. It’s a great way to learn to appreciate the beauty we all have at “our back door” and save money in the meantime.
In our area the local news channel does a series of “One Tank Trips” – promoting travel within our state, keeping the dollars here, etc… Much like your staycation.
Squawkfox » July Roundup: The Buck Stops Here Edition responds:
Posted: August 3rd, 2009 at 11:44 am →
[...] Staycation | MomGrind [...]
Cath Lawson responds:
Posted: August 5th, 2009 at 12:37 pm →
Hi Vered – your pictures are lovely, you look beautiful.
One of my dream trips is to do the drive from San Francisco to LA along Highway 1 and see places like Carmel and Hurst Castle.
I don’t love flying and I worry about the health aspects. A few years ago an ex air-hostess told me that after you’ve worked there a year and a half, the major airlines ask you to sign a form agreeing not to donate your body parts after death. That is really worrying.
Because the UK is so small and we don’t have guaranteed weather, travel here is limited. I would love to be able to travel more without having to fly, which is another reason why I’d love to emigrate to the US, or Australia.
Visiting Vancouver responds:
Posted: August 23rd, 2009 at 7:25 pm →
[...] is something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time now. So, despite promising to focus on staycations, I recently took a flight to Vancouver and stayed there for a long [...]