staycation \\ stay-ca-tion \\ = a vacation spent at home or nearby; blend of stay and vacation, noun.
We are entering the most expensive travel period of the year: Christmas and New Years. During this time, most tropical and urban resorts/hotels jack their regular high-season prices by an additional 50% - 60% to cash in on vacationers willing to pay a premium to travel during the holiday break. Wait to depart on Dec 31st or the first week of January and prices plummet {comparatively speaking}.
Christmastime is also one of the best times of year to trip style = staycation. The lights, the cheer, the winter activities and the pop-up exhibitions invite people outwards and outdoors to experience their city or town on a whole new level---the kind they don't have time or energy to explore in their day-to-day life!
- ice skating/hockey outdoors – on a lake, river or an open-air rink in the city...and hot chocolate
- tobogganing or snowshoeing...and hot chocolate
- skiing and après'ing
- winter hiking or walking...and hot chocolate
- christmas bake-a-thon...and hot chocolate
- shopping and eating out
- playing tourist for a day, visiting local sites you've never had the chance to see, or revisiting the ones that are uber-decorated for Christmas
- going on a photo safari
- spa day
- movie and popcorn day/night
- theater night — see what’s playing on the local stage
- making a gourmet meal at home and inviting friends to share it
- throwing a theme party
- games night
- cozying-up on the couch, drinking your favourite tea or coffee, and reading in front of the fire {if you're sans fire - find the channel that continuously plays a crackling fire on your tv}
- finding a spot to have an outdoor fire and doing a winter wiener and marshmallow roast...with hot chocolate
- going on a day trip to a local town and poking around or buying local ingredients for dinner
- last but definitely not least: helping the homeless through a local organization or by getting some friends and family together to make sandwiches and hand them out
[tree img by etsy (wall graphic decal)]