Many people think that because of the price of gasoline and airfare, that taking a vacation is just too expensive now. But tough economic times often help people get creative with their money and their time. Many people are now choosing to have stay-cations instead of vacations. This is a great idea and can really help the family to still have a good time while they are close to home. A stacation can be a great option to traveling to a destination and spending money on a hotel or airfare. Many state tourism boards are doing research about the possibility of people staying closer to home and visiting destinations that have been under their noses for a long time without any second thought. One of the best ways to have a good time on vacation close to home is to just pretend like you are going somewhere you have never visited before.

Many people are surprised by all of the cool and interesting things they can do close to home: things tourists do there when they come to visit. When you are planning your staycation, do the same kind of research and planning you would do if you were going to a destination to stay for an extended period of time. This can help you find the gems that have been under your nose for years without you noticing and can provide a lot of great activities for you to do close to home. Many people take for granted all of the local attractions like museums and historical places that can really be great to visit on a vacation. Many popular tourist destinations are starting to offer special discount packages for residents and are calling them staycations. More and more people are starting to cater to the needs and desires of local vacationers and want to provide services to them at a discount rather than to no one for full price.

Another great way to spend summer vacation is to take day trips instead of a longer vacation away from home. Many children won't even notice the difference and will be glad that they get to sleep in their own bed at night. If you still want it to feel like a vacation, you can do a two day trip and spend just one night in a hotel and then go back home after the second day of fun and play.

You can really find great deals in your own backyard and the offers are even better on Thursday and Friday, before the weekend. Look in the newspaper for special ads about getaways for locals and special deals on hotel stays. You can also just get a tourists map of your local area and find some places that you want to visit and see. Many people are surprised by all of the cool things that can be seen so close to home. Some say with astonishment, "I never knew that was so close or so much fun." You can even take mass transportation around the town, like a train or bus, instead of your own car, so it feels more like a vacation than a Sunday drive. See what is offered in the way of tours by the local bus company and you may be surprised how many interesting places there are to visit close to home.