With many people choosing to combine staying at home with road-trip style vacation this summer, we thought it would be good to share some tips to make the most of your ‘staycation’ if you haven’t planned this kind of vacation before. The staycation has been a staple for families that cannot take a full two or three month extended vacation for years.
Whether you own an RV for personal travel, or live in one full-time, here’s how to prepare for the ultimate RV staycation.
Treat Your Staycation Like a Vacation
The recent events have set the world on what seems like a weird on-again, off-again type of stage, forcing many to rethink their highly anticipated getaways. Though you may not live on a tropical paradise year-round, consider what you were hoping to accomplish with your vacation. Was it to relax and rejuvenate? Was it to spend more time with your family? Was it to start a new creative endeavor?
Whatever the reason, treat your staycation with similar respect. Those that work from home can have a hard time separating free time and work time. Though you are still in your hometown, start your own digital detox, unplug from the world, and treat it like you’re a million miles away.
Build anticipation by saving the date on your calendar.
Explore Your Locale during your Staycation
RVers are used to hitting the road for lush campsites by lakes or parking at the seat of soaring mountains. During the tourist season, these places become over-crowded. If you’re practicing physical distancing, explore areas in your hometown for availability. You may be able to find secluded areas that allow you to get away without leaving home.
Also, consider traveling to a campsite in the off season when tourism is low.
Your hometown could be a treasure trove of campsites , RV parks, or things to do just waiting to be discovered.
Plan Your Staycation Adventure
Sometimes, driving your RV to another location isn’t in the cards. In those cases, your backyard is your best friend. Plan your activities to center around the comfort of what your home has to offer. Staying in your RV could be a fun adventure for your family.
Activities like hiking, sleeping under the stars, and setting up for a picnic are all great for that outdoor camping feel. Delineate a ‘kickoff’ activity. One that designates the beginning of your staycation. This could be watching a movie, sharing a drink with your partner, or lighting up the fire pit.
Remember time not planned for, even leisure time, is time wasted. Creating a themed itinerary can offer a unique experience your family will remember for years to come. Consider fun themes like “Wacky Science”, or “Think like an Artist” if you have kids. It’s not hard to find loads of ‘science experiments‘ that are fun & entertaining and can be done with common household supplies. Or for the artsy types, maybe turn your RV into a ‘studio’ to allow family members to explore their artistic talents! You could feature an artist each day, and let your family try their hand at Kandinsky inspired painting one day, try Jackson Pollock the next, and so on. If you need more ideas, check out Pinterest for great projects that are inspired by famous artists.
Oh the Places You’ll Go
A vacation doesn’t have to be lavish to be rejuvenating. Choosing the right activities and making a plan can make even the simplest efforts into lasting memories you cherish with your family for years to come. Determine what is important for you and have that be the center of your focus during your ‘vacation’ time and you’ll have a wonderful “staycation”!
What makes for a great RV vacation is spending time with the people we love creating memories together.
