This week’s edition of Thrifty Living 2012 concerns an alternative to expensive vacations – daycations. Hey, we all love the thought of taking a week or two and jetting off to some wonderful destination. It’s a terrific idea. However, those vacations can cost a lot of money.
I’ve mentioned before that Don and I don’t take vacations. They are too expensive for us right now. We sometimes get the opportunity to visit a new place as part of a job and we grab the chance to do a little sightseeing. But those jaunts are work related and usually only one of us is doing the traveling.
Daycations, however are a wonderful alternative to the expensive vacation. We can leave our house in the morning and be back in our little cottage by nightfall. New York is an obvious destination for us as we live about 75 miles north of Manhattan. There’s so much to see and do there. We can drive in or take the train or the bus and we are instantly transported to a thriving metropolitan area with museums, plays, shopping and endless things to do.
Or how about taking a train ride to some new-to-you destination? You can sit back, read a book and let someone else do the driving. I did this frequently when I lived in Boston. I didn’t have a car. But I’d hop on the train and travel to Philadelphia or New York. Sometimes I’d rent a car and drive to Maine or New Hampshire or out to Cape Cod. There’s nothing like a day away to put life in perspective.
Don and I will sometimes drive to the Berkshires for the day. This gorgeous area of Massachusetts is full of wonderful sightseeing opportunities and it’s only a few hours away. Last fall, we took a daycation to Boston. I got to show Don a bit of the city I used to live in and love and we went to a Red Sox game that night.
When we lived in California, we could drive to the beach, the mountains or the desert in the course of a day. We had lots of opportunities to explore that beautiful state.
Daycations are a viable alternative to expensive vacations. And if you have pets and don’t want to leave them for too long, a day away is just the ticket. In our case, one of our dogs is ill and frail. A daycation is a way for us to travel….but not too far.
If the thought of saving up enough money for the annual vacation is overwhelming you, consider a series of day-long trips. You save the cost of a hotel. You save the cost of plane fare. I bet there are plenty of wonderful places to discover within a couple of hours drive.
Please visit the rest of the Frugal Five, Brenda, Elaine, Jen and Diane for their tips on daycations.
Very wonderful post! We all have places we can visit to get away from home for a day and have fun! ♥
How lucky to live so close to so many wonderful cities and to be able to use the train is such a bonus. Love those big urns in the photo.
Claudia love the shot of the train station? that’s what it is, with the turquoise ceiling?
We don’t like to leave our cat for too long, so the daycations are perfect for us also.
Wish we had trains nearby here, what a great trip that would be.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I love Daycations. We were fortunate enough to just take a nice vacation with our kids but it was more tiring than a Daycation by ourselves. Love this post, Claudia- xo Diana
I love day trips! Just enough time to change gears and relax! You can do them more often than a regular vacation, too!~Hugs, Patti
My girlfriend and I are taking a “daycation” to visit Richard from My Historic House, next Wednesday. Not working OT that day, plan to eat out and just browse..no buying but plenty of looking!
We will be doing lots of close to home things this summer because my husband started a new job in November, and he gets NO vacay for one year. Ugh…we have ALWAYS taken a week in the summer somewhere, and then a few other short trips during the year. So it will be hard. But there is a lot nearby that we have yet to see and do.
I love daycations– I come home feeling like I’ve been on an adventure and widened my horizon. San Francisco is for me like NYC is for you, and provides endless options. Just fill the gas tank and go… so much cheaper than airfare! You can save on parking if you park and take BART into the city, although my friends and I like to drive in and split the cost of parking.
Hugs,
Jill
I lived without a car in Boston for 20 years. And with the cost of a car payment, insurance and now gas, I’m thinking about giving it up again.
New England is a great place to do day trips. I call them Carpe Diems.
We do this too. There are always more than enough wonderful places right near home to explore. Where you live is perfect for this, with a couple of big cities nearby and beautiful countryside as well.
what a fun post!
S
xo
We sure are lucky to live in this area, Claudia. We aren’t planning any big vacation this year-both kids will be in college in the next 2 years!!!! There goes the money! :)
If I feel like a trip to the mountains I spend the day at Mohonk or Minnewaska, if I want the beach I go to the coast. Glad everything is relatively close since the gas prices are increasing every day. Have a thrifty day!
-Lynn
I live less than an hour from Niagara Falls and last summer was the first time I rode on the Maid Of The Mist. A friend and I decided to hunt out all the local attractions last year instead of taking a trip and it has been really fun! ~ Maureen
There is no place I would rather sleep than in my own bed and vacations have gotten so expensive, that I love the idea of daycations. I live near the mountains now, so that is where we often take a day trip.
Laura
I hate to stay overnight anywhere. I love to go, but I love to come home at night and be with my pets and in my bed.
What happened to the “followers”, do I have to re-follow you? I’m confused and so technologically challenged, I’m not sure what to do.
You are lucky to have lived (and still do)close to many different cities to visit. My son is obsessed with all things NYC. Not sure how it began but it’s his dream to visit someday. He already has his trip planned out and the money saved. He just needs to get over his fear of flying!
Daycations are great and you always appreciate your home more at the end of a long day.
Daycation! What a great idea! Wow, it must be great living so close to N.Y.C. I haven’t been there in years. I have relatives out on Long Island (Riverhead and Northport) but I haven’t been out there since about the year 2000. I would love to visit the Native American Museum.
We have some lovely little towns that we can visit here in Michigan and we can pop on over to Canada but most big cities are at least 4 hours away. I love Chicao!
~Sandy
Yes, yes we do this too. We also have a credit card that gives us free hotel rooms and that is what I use when I visit with CC.
Great post. That’s the cool thing about living in Philly … you can get to NYC, Washington, etc!
I think Daycations are good for so many reasons. Good for saving money, good for taking a moment to discovering your own backyard, and great for spending one on one time with your honey.
Love the suggestion Claudia!
I love your blog and just started following you. I love doll houses too by the way. Look forward to seeing your stuff.
My hubby and I love to take daycations. Not only are they less expensive, but there’s no packing and unpacking, and it’s amazing how many places we still have not seen in our lifetime, that are very close to us.
I think the Daycation is exactly the solution to the ever-increasing prices of gasoline. In almost any area, there are places of interest to visit. I’m planning a few myself for the summertime!
I agree, Claudia… Daycations provide a wonderful break from the ‘every day’ and are a good option when money is tight. And I’ve learned that there are many, many places very near home that are wonderful discoveries. You don’t have to go far!