I find stay-cations relaxing. No itinerary, no packing, no airport security. Doing whatever we want to do whenever we want to do it. You can turn off your cell phone and your computer and read a book, play a board game or go for a walk. Order food in and eat on paper plates if you don’t like the dishes piling up.

To me, a vacation is about spending time with my family and reconnecting. That can be done at home as easily as at a vacation destination.

Last year I took a week off, and we didn’t go out of town. It was nice. We took the kids to Meramec Caverns, 6 Flags, Grant’s Farm and did a tour of Busch Stadium and walked the riverfront. They loved it, and we didn’t have to board the dogs!

I’m glad you mentioned boarding the dogs. That’s another big expense when you go out of town.

“staycation” is NOT A WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s a marketing gimmick. But it has become a part of pop culture lexicon.

The question should be, is a relaxing vacation possible. I would rather have oral surgery than navigate any airport in any city with baggage and a small child. This time is a great opportunity to rediscover all of the attractions the area has to offer that may have been taken for granted. So, get to Grant’s Farm while it’s still there!

No, staying at home for me would not be relaxing! We’re driving to Michigan for a week and can’t wait to get away from here and our every day lives. If we were at home, things would get in the way and relaxation would take a back seat. We plan to stay at a cottage on a lake with some family and relax. Gas prices may be higher than ever before, but spending time with my grandparents (both in their 90’s and very still healthy) takes precidence and I wouldn’t give that up, no matter how much gas is.

I definately agree that when we, (myself & husband) stay-cation versus vacation, we find ourselves working on houehold projects, helping someone move, cleaning the garage or storage area, ect.. Last year we made the mistake of telling my mother the week we scheduled off from work and she planned her move around the same time! I never thought about how you are more likely to do things around the house because you are there and it needs to be done. We definately need to leave town in order to get a “real” vacation. For us, taking the kids to in-town attractions, playing board games,and just spending time is not a vacation, We call it “family time”. Its the agenda in the evenings and on week-ends, not one or two weeks out of the summer. That time is set aside to vacate house, city, town, maybe state, and when possible, country!

With summer comes paying for summer day camp for us working mothers. I am not a working mother by choice but by life circumstances, it is what it is. The increased gas and food prices as well as paying a summer day camp tuition (for 2 school aged children) and having my 2 children’s birthdays in the summer for me means that we have absolutly no money for vacations nor too many other “extras” this summer. I think there are a lot of families that just don’t have the extra money which is why stay-cations are the only option possible for them. I do not think they should be spoken down to (as your article sounded to me) simply b/c they are not financially capable of getting out of town for a vacation this year. Visiting attractions around town is fun for my children and I b/c we don’t do those things any other time of the year. I do not blame it on the price of gas nor my increased mortgage payment (which increased by $40 2 months ago b/c my personal property taxes went up 12% last year). I blame it on the increase in standard living necesities YET a non-increased in my income. Gas, food, utilities continue to get more expensive for me but my paycheck stays the same. That stinks. But we make the best of it. Besides, just my taking a day off work in the middle of the week, constitues a “vacation day” to my kids. That is sad but it is what it is, again.

I was not talking down to people who could not afford to leave town for vacations…I was talking down to those spin masters who try to convince us that it’s just as good (and maybe it is for some people, but most people get sucked into chores). I received an interesting call yesterday from a mom who identified herself as a single parent, and said when she had little to no money for vacations, she would take her boys to one of the Campgrounds for America. The accommodations were free or cheap. The meals were simple, and entertainment involved hiking and playing games. That sounds like a really good alternative for those us squeezed by grocery, gas and mortgage costs. The health benefits of a week away are undeniable. Our culture is too quick to dismiss the importance of vacations…which has left most of us vacation deprived. Like I said, I grew up without vacations…