Great Tips/Ideas for Spending Your Vacation at Home

In one of the funniest episodes of the sitcom, Different World, Dwayne Wayne tells a fellow professor that he and his wife Whitley are taking an "imaginary" vacation. They have several brochures and are going to visit a new place every week.

With gas prices rising as they are, and terrorism continuously being a concern, many are opting to bypass their vacations. Are you one of those people? Well, just maybe you can still have that vacation and not even leave home. No, I'm not talking about Dwayne Wayne's "imaginary vacation", but I'm speaking of having a wonderful family vacation right at home. Take a week or two and put together an "at home" vacation plan. Here are some ideas to consider -

Look into special concerts/events taking place in your community. For example, is there a festival going on anytime this summer or fall? If so, you might want to schedule your vacation around that festival. I can't tell you how many festivals go on in my community that I've never once attended.

Explore local tourist sites. How many of us have even bothered to visit our local art museum or historical site(s) in our home town? If you were going out of town, you might very well put the museum on your activity list so why not visit it at home?

How about a day of shopping? Take a day to visit those small little quaint boutiques and shops that you've never had a chance to see. Be sure to stop for lunch. Choose a local café or someplace you've never tried before. After all, that's what you'd do on vacation - right?

What about a spa day? Do you have a local spa in town? Take the day to get a massage, manicure and/or pedicure. Then pamper yourself with a nice lunch at a posh hotel, or have lunch at the spa (if available).

You can fit in some imaginary travel by having a movie day. Choose a matinee, first because it's cheaper, but also because you rarely have the chance to go to the movies during the day. Want to make a day of it? Pass up on the movie theater and host your own movie marathon. Be sure to have the right "ambience" in your home. Have plenty of popcorn, beverages and snacks. Even consider renting a big screen tv for the week if it fits into your budget (you're saving money with no hotel expenses so you might can splurge on this).

Pool/beach day - If you don't have a beach in your town, consider a day at your public pool. End the day with a picnic in the park.

A day at the zoo - Even smaller cities have local zoos. Some of them have small train rides and great exhibits. Many of us pass on visiting the local zoo, but lots of schools make the zoo a field trip destination, so why don't you consider it on your "at home" vacation.

Want to feel like you got away? Makeover your bedroom and bath into a fancy spa retreat. Choose a destination theme like - Hawaii, Bermuda, Fiji or even Africa. Purchase "little things" for your bedroom or bath in this theme.

Now a vacation is for enjoyment and rest, so one thing about taking an "at home" vacation is to ensure that everyday, mundane tasks and responsibilities are not a part of your daily routine. So it's imperative that you arrange for somewhat to cut the grass (just as if you were out of town) and that you fight the urge to do any "home improvement" projects. Also consider unplugging your phones. If you were actually in Hawaii no one would be calling you now would they? So act like you are actually away and ignore the phone calls. The same thing applies to mail, etc. Bring the mail in the house and just let it stay on the table until your vacation is over.

Some other fun ideas might be to -

Rent a boat for a day, or go on a day cruise.

Go roller skating - this could be a blast for the family.

Plan a day of nothing but golfing. Be sure to have lunch at the country club and make a full day of it. You might also consider taking golfing lessons during your vacation.

Learn a hobby like knitting or crocheting.

Spend an entire day with old friends.

Pretend to be celebrities and rent a limo for a night out on the town.

Take up a challenging game like backgammon or chess.

Finish a 1,000 piece puzzle and have it mounted and framed to remember your vacation.

Scrap booking - Organize and put together all of your pictures into a fantastic photo album.

There are so many things you can do on your "at home" vacation, but remember - no stress, no responsibility, just have fun, fun, fun!