Viva la staycation!
// July 19th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Feature
I kind of hate the word staycation. Maybe it’s because it’s been incredibly overused in the last few years of financial crisis. Or maybe it’s because what it implies is a little on the depressing side. It gets you all excited with the “-acation” part of things, but then demands that you stay put.
Unfortunately, due to some poor pre-planning and a general laziness when it comes to reading the fine print, I will be taking my own staycation this year. Not only do I have to cancel the cabin I rented on MDI, but I will also not be getting my deposit back (infernal no pets policy!). Well, broke and homebound doesn’t exactly scream “best vacation ever!”, but sulking isn’t going to make it any better. Neither will wasting my precious work-free days sleeping in and watching game shows.
So I’m grounded. There will be no airplanes, hotels, or charming cabins on lake. No continental breakfasts, or needs for tiny toiletries. But that absolutely does not mean that I have to have a sucky vacation. As always, the name of the game is creativity and can-do attitude.
Get in the spirit. Just because I’m staying home doesn’t mean that I’ll be doing chores, returning emails, or organizing my photo albums. Sure, I’ll be wasting a full week’s worth of time that I could be spending being productive, but productivity is for suckers. Pure leisure is what vacation is all about, and I will be using my seven days for fun and relaxtion, and DEFINITELY NO LAUNDRY- with no exceptions.
Day tripper. Hotels can be exciting and all, but super expensive for what is essentially just a bed to crash into at the end of a day of hot and heavy adventure. That’s where the day trip comes in. All the excitement of traditional vacation travel, but significantly cheaper, and I actually get to sleep in my own bed at the end of the night. Maybe I’ll hitch a bus to Boston for the day to wander the shops and museums, or convince a friend to jump into the car and just drive as far as we possibly can and still make it back to home base before sunrise.
Finding my inner child. Not every town is blessed with a Disneyland or 6 Flags, but usually a few hours to a few minutes drive to can yield a local water park, traveling carnival, or at least some passable mini golf. Sometimes, being a grown up can be overrated, and I don’t ever want to stop appreciating the pleasures of eating cotton candy and funnel cake for breakfast, or enjoying a serious turn on the Slip ‘n Slide (or Crocodile Mile- whichever is handier). Sure, I’ll probably get a sunburn and a tummy ache, but if I don’t wind up with a fun hangover, I’m probably doing it wrong.
Beach bum. This is the sweatiest time of year, and I don’t know about your state, but Maine is definitely not big on the AC. When that one big summer heat wave hits, all I have in my arsenal is a highly ineffective combination of ice cubes, box fans and sucking it up. And of course, there’s always the beach. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a river, lake, or ocean, as long as it’s wet and sandy, I’m all over it. The beauty of the staycation is that I’ll be grabbing my beach hours during the week, while kids are stuck at day camp and their parents are stuck at work. With fewer people to hog the prime towel spots and kick sand up into my business, I’ll have lots of quality inner tube time to float around with my trashy novel uninterrupted.
Hometown exploration. Especially considering that gas & even bus travel are far from free, it’s likely that I’m going to have to spend at least a few days of my staycation actually staying. Now I’ve lived in the same place for the last 10 years, but there are still things I’ve never seen or done in my fair city, and I think I’m going to dedicate an entire day to doing them all. New restaurants, out of the way parks and walking trails, paintball ranges… even sort of mundane things like stores that sell thing that don’t interest me, or supermarkets that I’ve never shopped at. Who knows, adventure could be lurking anywhere, and I’m gonna turn the town inside out to find it.
Tourist trap. Even if I should run out of unexplored nooks and crannies in my city, there are still ways to keep things interesting. I’ve been strongly considering spending a night on the town in tourist disguise. I’ll throw on some roomy khaki shorts, grab my digital camera, and hit the streets like it’s my first time. I can ask for directions to places I know, and take get strangers to my picture in front of every monument I can find. Hell, maybe I’ll even go on one of those Downeast Duck Tours.
Hunker down. Rest is an essential part of vacation, and while I don’t advocate spending an entire week lazing about, I do think I might dedicate one full day to tapping my inner sloth. There’s likely to be at least one rainy day on my schedule, so I’m planning ahead with an entire day’s worth of crappy movies, serious lineup of favorite snack foods, and a full 24 hours of quality sweatpants time. Or perhaps I’ll just lock the doors, turn off my phone, and read an entire book from cover to cover.
The point is, I refuse to let my staycation bum me out. Staying home is not a prison sentence, as long as you don’t let it drag you down. Less money will not equal less fun unless you make it that way.
Yes, it’s that time of year once again where the temperatures cool, the leaves begin to turn, and the summer fun gear gets put away. Usually, I can get away with riding my bike until early October, just about the time when I finally stop wearing shorts and start in with the long pants. Unfortunately, I’ve had to cut my bike riding season short this year, as I’ve broken two spokes on my rear wheel, rendering it effectively useless until I can find the money to have the wheel respoked and trued. This happened about two weeks ago, so I’ve been off my bike since then, and my body is rebelling about that. I knew when I popped the first spoke that I’d have to hurry to get the wheel fixed, but when I went out for a ride a few weeks ago, and I heard the “twhang” of snapping metal as my rear wheel started to wobble, I knew it was over. I may actually have to get the entire wheel rebuilt, as it seems the spokes are old enough that they’re breaking. That will cost me. So for now, my bike sits sans rear wheel, and I wait until I have enough saved to get it fixed. Who’s up for some skiing?
Autumn seems to have come sooner than usual this year. Here in Maine, the entire month of June was a complete washout, quite literally. Twenty-one of the thirty days in that month were filled with miserable rain. The temperature rarely rose above the 70 degree mark. Even July had its fair share of rainy weather and cool temps, though the end of the month finally brought us some favorable weather. It was only August that brought warm weather and sunny skies, but even that was somewhat uncomfortable for some weeks, with temps reaching the 90s and humidity levels near the same number.
Showing professionalism and courtesy, the guides – Paul and Moe – introduced themselves and went over some safety rules and the process for getting into the kayaks. After some group introductions, we were fitted with paddles, PFDs (Personal Floatation Devices; a.k.a, life vests), and watershoes. A short hike through a small pasture led us to a grass outcropping where Paul went over proper paddling technique while Moe readied the kayaks. A few minutes later, we were on the dock climbing into the slim, colorful plastic boats. With everyone in the water, we shoved off and began our trek.
As we made our way downriver, a high pitched chirp pulled our attention to the treeline. A large brown Osprey thrashed from its perch about 100 yards in front of us and soared over our heads as we approached. Though it’s never guaranteed, wildlife is usually a part of these tours, and Bald Eagles have been known to frequent the area from time to time. Though we didn’t see any eagles this time, the Ospreys provided a great – albeit short – step into the wilderness.
