By Joanna Grey Talbot

Travel is not impossible these days, but it is definitely more difficult, especially when it comes to the cost. So-called “disposable income” is becoming harder to find with today’s cost of living. Most of us don’t have jobs that pay us to travel or allow us to work remotely. We have responsibilities and families and bills to pay. Yet, we all have an adventure itch that needs scratching from time to time so what can we do?

One solution is to learn the art of the staycation. Put a new twist on staying home, explore your town, or set yourself a radius from home and see what you can find! You can make it an all-day event or a couple of hours. That’s the beauty of a staycation – you can make it what you want!

Home

• Pick a country and make that your theme for the day – eat a dinner inspired by their cuisine, watch a movie set there or featuring one of their famous actors, research the culture and see if there is a style of art you can emulate or a dance you can try
• Spend the day relaxing – take a long nap, watch a movie, read a book or magazine, drink the good coffee, stock up on your favorite snacks, order take-out for dinner, take a walk in your neighborhood
• Work on your favorite hobby guilt-free

Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman in the movie Gaslight (MGM, 1944).

Your Town

• Go on an artist date – see if your town has a mural tour or a list of public art you can explore, look online for a photography challenge and see how many you can check off, take your sketchbook or a coloring book to a local coffee shop and treat yourself to a pastry
• Visit local historical sites or museums – many are free!
• Go to the local farmer’s market and buy the ingredients for dinner
• Take a walk around downtown and explore local shops
• Eat a meal at the local restaurant you’ve been wanting to try
• Hike through a local park
• Visit a local you-pick farm (strawberries, blueberries, apples, etc.)
• Support a local sports team – to really get the bang for your buck look for teams that are a level below the pros like Minor League Baseball teams and USL Championship soccer teams.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Minor League Baseball team

Two-Hour Radius

If you stick within a two-hour radius of home, you can make it an easy day trip.

• Pick a nearby town to explore – eat lunch at a local restaurant, look for thrift stores or locally owned small businesses to shop, see if there is a park or greenway to walk, grab a coffee to go from the local coffee shop
• Pack a lunch (and dessert!) and have a picnic in the nearest state or national park. Then choose a trail and go for a hike.
• Find a small-town stage theater and see if they have a matinee performance
• Attend a festival – In North Carolina we have festivals for everything, even livermush!
• If you’re a history buff, look for a town that has a museum/historic house or offers downtown history walks

The Pepper Hola Burger at Pepper Hola in Newton, NC

No matter what you choose for your staycation, make it yours! This list is far from exhaustive. Let me know your ideas in the comments!