staycations042808
Your summer 'Staycation'
In tough economic times, "getting away from it all" might mean a stay-at-home vacation. Thankfully, there's plenty to discover in these parts.
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Share on DiggAfter driving to Dallas during her daughters' spring break, Sharon Knutson saw that her summer course was clear: The Black Hills would just have to wait.
Instead, the Blaine resident and daughters Emily, 5, and Anna, 11, will be tourists in their hometown, packing fun excursions around the Twin Cities into their annual July vacation.
"We'll go to the zoo, and to Stillwater. We haven't done the Zephyr train ride, or that steamboat thingie," said Knutson, an executive administrative assistant at St. Jude Medical. "We will still vacation, just enjoying the things that bring other people here to our state."
As with many (non)travelers, it's all about the petrol. "Gas prices were the sole factor in this decision," she said. "I actually made the decision when gas went over $3 [a gallon], and now it's jumped to $3.50, and I have no faith it's not going to go higher."
Knutson is not alone, as many families and individuals are scaling back summer travel plans because of rising airfares and gasoline prices. The Energy Information Association said gas demand has gone down 0.4 percent this year, the first decline since 1991, and further declines are expected.
"The main slowdown we're seeing is air travel, especially where the euro is involved," said Wendy Wiegel, vice president for travel at AAA Minneapolis. "So far on auto travel, we're not really seeing a decrease from last year. Our members are still getting information and planning, even if they are undecided about their plans."
For the undecideds who opt to remain in town on a "staycation," options abound -- especially if you set out to see and do things you've never seen or done before. The key: sliding into full vacation mode.
No Mount Rushmore? Take fun family portraits at a half-dozen local monuments (no gnomes allowed). Spa trip fell through? Get a massage and other indulgences right here. Can't get to Wrigley Field? Head to Miesville or Dundas for an idyllic small-town baseball game, or park outside Midway Stadium a few hours before a St. Paul Saints game for some old-fashioned (and family-friendly) tailgating.
Take a guided tour.
Go fly a kite.
Or just stay at home, making sure to shut off the cell phones and have someone hide the laptop. Do nothing. Plan nothing. Just be.
Bill Ward • 612-673-7643
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