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THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024
JOHNSTON SUN RISE
Become a Local Tourist this Summer CLUBS, MUSEUMS, ATTRACTIONS LET YOU KNOW YOUR OWN
STATE Have you ever spent years living in a city but never really explored it? If so, you’re not alone. Many people will spend their lives living in a place for a long time but never visiting the sites that are so interesting to out-oftowners. The same attractions that get visitors excited may not seem so appealing because, well, they're just so familiar. If you want to make your staycation fun, pretend you're a tourist visiting your own town. Not only will you have a good time, but you'll also come away with a better understanding of your own town's culture.
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NIGHTLIFE
MUSEUMS Look for a museum either within your own city or within easy driving distance, and make it a point to go there. You may think of museums as stuffy places filled with art or incomprehensible science displays, but that's rarely the case. Small-town museums cater to niche interests such as local artists, city history or even specific hobbies, industries, sports and activities. Bigger museums in major cities offer impressive displays, of course, and they usually rotate over time. If it's been a while since you've gone, it could be worth a visit to see the new materials and special exhibits that were hidden down in the basement the last time you visited.
Make Your Staycation Unique
Another thing locals often ignore is their own city's nightlife. Virtually every city, big or small, has venues that are open into the evening hours for dancing, music, games and drinking.
If you haven't seen your own local nightlife lately, your staycation could be a great chance to relax and enjoy yourself without going too far from home. You can take some time off from work, grab some friends or your partner, and spend time doing what you want, when you want.
GRAB A CAMERA Finally, if you enjoy photography or just want to explore your own town, pick up a camera and start snapping pictures. Architecture, people and events can be a lot of fun to photograph. They can also let you see your own city in a new light, just like a tourist would when they visited for the first time. Take pictures of old buildings, interesting locations and eye-catching scenes around town. You may just fall in love with photography as a hobby.
• Take in local culture. Rather than spending the week lounging around the house or
Staycations might not seem as glamorous as traveling abroad or as relaxing as spending a week in an oceanfront resort or condominium, but there are ways to make staycations more fun and seem like a true departure from everyday life.
the backyard pool, explore the cultural opportunities in your own state. We tend to take such opportunities for granted in our own area. Exploring local history and artistic opportunities in the same way you would when traveling can provide a sense of excitement similar to that experienced during more traditional vacations. Visit a local zoo, take in a performance at a local theater company or take a guided historical tour of an area of your hometown or a nearby city.
• Experiment with new cuisine. One of the joys of travel is the opportunity to dine out
• Indulge in an extraordinary activity. While families typically choose staycations to
and experience cuisine native to particular locales. But you don’t need to travel abroad to enjoy this particular benefit of traveling. The internet is home to a wealth of recipes from countries far and wide. You can choose recipes online and prepare meals from a different country each night, or pick a ‘country or region of the week’ and prepare a different dish native to that area each night. This provides a great departure from ordinary family dinners and can make for a fun activity for the whole family.
save money, forgetting the budget to enjoy one extraordinary activity can make a staycation more fun and memorable. Spend one day during the staycation doing something you would not ordinarily do, be it visiting an all-day amusement park, taking a helicopter tour of a nearby city or going to a ballgame. Such a break from the norm, even if it’s only for a single night, can make staycations feel more like vacations.