After spending hours on Google looking for a nice but not too pricey place to spend a few days after we took our son to college, we decided to have a staycation instead. If we stayed at home, we wouldn’t have to leave our dog, pay resort fees for a golf course we wouldn’t be using, or eat restaurant meals three times a day. Once we started making a list of things we wanted to do close to home, we realized that the hard part would not be filling our time, but fitting it all in. Here are some of the things we did.
1. Indulging in Belgian beer and frites.
Mmm. So what if I have to spend the rest of my staycation burning off those calories!
2. Hiking at Great Falls Park (Great Falls, Md.)
The falls are lovely, but we took our dog on hike in the woods on the other side of the canal. There are several different trails, all well-marked with colored blazes and sign posts.
3. Cycling on the Capital Crescent Trail (Washington, D.C. to Bethesda, Md.)
Another adventure in Maryland, this time on our bikes. We ran out of paved trail after 8 miles, but the 16 mile ride (roundtrip) got us home in time for lunch.
4. Getting a manicure and pedicure (Arlington, Va.)
It’s much easier to book appointments with my favorite technician on a weekday, and the atmosphere at the salon was even more relaxed.
5. Taking a leisurely walk for fro-yo (Alexandria, Va.)
I am totally hooked on the peanut butter flavor!
6. Going for a long run on the Mt. Vernon Trail (Alexandria, Va.)
This really is my favorite place to run!
7. Cycling on the Custis Trail (Arlington, Va.)
(source)
The Go Fourth 8K spends a few miles on this trail, so I knew it was hilly. I just had no idea that the whole route is a series of steep hills! Good thing I had an ice bath after my long run to refresh my legs.
8. Catching a matinee movie.
This was a fun diversion, but I wouldn’t want to pay full price for a 90 minute movie!
9. Going out to dinner with friends.
No better way to refuel than some chili mac and cornbread!
10. Relaxing with a good book (or a good bone!).
Have you ever taken a staycation?
Were you able to make the most of it or did you get stuck in your usual routine?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
when Id tried before CHILD I ended up back to the normal routine…which wasnt BAD because I love my routine but it wasnt STAYcationing.
the six year old made CERTAIN we had no routine during ours.
I LOVED IT.
Sounds like she would make a good cruise director! Go, go, go!
This sounds like the perfect staycation to me! Glad you enjoyed!
I'm a fan of the stay-cation.. It's so much easier, and nice to wake up in your own bed. Last summer I made a point to try a new-to-me restaurant every day during my vacation.
We only ate out twice (first and last nights), but that's mostly because we had food that we didn't eat last week that needed to be cooked.
Nice staycation! I would love to bike around D.C. I would just have to take a train down first. 🙂 I hope you are refreshed and ready for anything!
Looks like a great stay-cation. We did one last year and had to make an effort to not do our regular stuff – no laundry, no bills, just relax. It was challenging, but it was also nice to not have to worry about all the details of an actual trip.
We did have to sneak in some laundry, but that's because I only have to pairs of padded bike shorts!
Well, sheesh. Your Staycation ideas are way fancier than mine. Can I come along? Invite me to Staycation or somethin'! All travel expenses paid by you, of course.
I could probably send my car to come pick you up — once I invent a programmable robot car and patent it!
Sounds like fun. You should check out dog-friendly hotels. There are lots of them out there. And get a place that has a kitchen. My family used to vacation at Myrtle Beach for a week and we ate out maybe twice during the week. The villas we stayed out were off the main strip, but had an apartment-type feel.
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