Midwestern Staycation Tips: 5 Ways To Make Staying Local Exciting

Between PTO and filling your gas tank, traveling out of state can cost a pretty penny. Looking for ways to spend less while having fun? Here are five staycation ideas that will help you play tourist in your own city.

Go to a Local Event

A key part of getting hyped to go on vacation is planning what you’re going to do. That shouldn’t change just because you’re staying in your own zip code. Before your staycation starts, find an exciting event to go to. First thing’s first, let’s all remember that the word exciting is different for everybody. While local concerts are the obvious option, loud noise and crowd don’t butter everyone’s biscuit.

Here are a few events to look for in your vicinity that might not be on your radar:

• Tour Vintage Car Shows: This is a small town favorite in the Midwest. Sometimes they occur on a weekly basis. Stopping by one of these shows is sure to take you out of your everyday routine and might even make you feel like you’re in a different decade.
• Farmers Markets: Visit a farmer’s market and pick up some local produce and baked goods. Bonus points if you use those items to make a picnic at a local park afterwards.
• Go to a Game: You don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy the energy of a game. You can find a baseball game in almost any Midwestern small city and the tickets are typically cheap. Even if you’re not tracking the score, there’s no better place to have a hotdog and a cold one on a blue bird day.
• Explore a Small Town Festival: If you’ve seen the signs for “Garlic Days” or “Rhubarb Days” and the town that’s hosting the tiny festival is only fifteen minutes away, why not go? You’ll hear some music, see some small town art, and you’ll definitely eat some good food. Who knows, it might be so fun that it becomes a yearly tradition!
• Check out Local Theater Events: MacBeth playing at the local college this fall? Does your community theater put musicals on each season? If it’s been a while since you’ve seen a live play, you don’t have to spring for traveling Broadway tickets in the nearest big city to enjoy yourself. Try out your local theater scene. After all, if it’s cringeworthy, at least you’ll have a story!
• Attend State Park Events: Last time I went camping, I noticed the bulletin board in the State Park campground was full of events. They had a birding event in the morning, a reptile talk in the evening, and a kid-friendly activity about nests around noon. State Park events could be a great day to round out the day’s activities.
• Browse Local Craft or Art Fairs: See beautiful art, listen to music and meet interesting people when you visit your local art shows.
• Take a Literal Tour: When I went to visit my hometown last summer, I took a riverboat tour of the Mississippi. It was cheap and fun and helped me see a town that I was familiar with in a different light. Traveling local is a great way to get to know your region in a brand new way.

Here’s the thing, these kinds of events aren’t always going to show up on your Facebook feed. Go out of your way to find something that strikes your fancy. Listen to local radio. Check out the bulletin boards at your library. Read the paper. I’m confident that you’ll find something that will make your staycation memorable.

Find Your Staycation Uniform

They say you should dress for the job you want. The same witticism applies to dressing for your staycation. When you go on vacation, you pack your bags carefully. If your big floppy hat or Hawaiian shirt is a signal to everyone you know that you’re in vacation mode, throw that on to celebrate your staycation mode.

Take the Long Road

Going on vacation is all about taking your time. Driving somewhere? Take the backroads. While you’re at it, if you see a sign promising berries or fresh eggs, follow it.

Consider leaving the car behind if you’re not traveling far. Walking to a restaurant or local event can make you feel like you’re on an adventure. If you’re in a slow, sleepy town, take a different route than usual. Walk through parks and alleyways, taking the time to take in backyard gardens and pet neighborhood cats. Afterall, that’s what you’d do if you were in a slow, sleepy town in Greece, right?

Change Up Your Usual Order

Speaking of small towns, there are only so many places to eat if you’re not in a big city. If your usual spot is the only place available, order something completely different than usual. And don’t forget dessert!

Get Out of Town

Yeah, yeah, staycations are all about staying close to home but how well do you know the outskirts of your town? Exploring rural areas is a great way to experience your region in a new way. In Minnesota, there are all sorts of hidden destinations to explore. Here are some destinations to check out in the countryside:

• Pizza Farms: A great place to get a homemade slice, these places often have live music in the evening. Some pizza farms even offer camping so you can drink wine around the fire and take in the stars without worrying about getting back home.
• Goat Farms: This one might just be for me. A small town near me has a goat farm that you can visit for free seven days a week. Just do yourself a favor and Google “goat farms near me”. It’s going to be a good time.
• Pick Your Own: Pumpkins! Strawberries! Apples! Whatever fruit grows near you, heading out to pick your own breaks up the monotony of day-to-day life and puts you in the staycation state of mind.
• If you’re looking to travel locally, you could stay at a farm overnight. No, you won’t be expected to do the milking in the morning but you’ll never forget taking in the sunset with a herd of cows!

Time. Money. Hassle. There are a lot of reasons you might decide to keep your downtime local. Hopefully, you get some inspiration from this list. What about you? Do you have local things that you do that make you feel like you’re on vacation? Leave a comment! Been to the Garlic Festival? Track me down and tell me about it. I need to know… for personal reasons.