{"id":400,"date":"2009-05-22T20:07:09","date_gmt":"2009-05-23T07:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/backyardcity.wordpress.com\/?p=400"},"modified":"2012-07-08T00:01:41","modified_gmt":"2012-07-08T00:01:41","slug":"discover-ways-to-take-a-staycation-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/discover-ways-to-take-a-staycation-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover Ways to Take A \u201cStaycation\u201d This\u00a0Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0 economy has most families\u00a0 looking for ways to save money and as summer approaches the lingering question \u00a0may be whether or not to take a vacation.<\/p>\n

If a vacation seems out of the question then you may want to consider a “staycation” and explore the area you live in for free!<\/p>\n

A few summers ago when my children were easily bored at home, I decided to explore our city for a week and make it an adventure for them.\u00a0 So, for the next five days we had a blast.\u00a0 On Monday we took our own tour of the downtown area.\u00a0 After finding the best place to park which happened to be $5.00 for the day (if you got a stamp from a local establishment) we started out on foot.\u00a0 We visited 2 very old churches, a museum and touch a trolley ride.\u00a0 We packed our lunch in our ready to use picnic basket<\/a> and ate a picnic, too.\u00a0 On Tuesdays the zoo offers free admittance so that is where we spent the day.\u00a0 We made sure to go to all the shows and also took advantage of\u00a0 the zoos wading pool.\u00a0 Wednesday was our day to volunteer to deliver meals to the needy.\u00a0 This was a great experience for my children to see the great need in our city and be a part of the solution.\u00a0 On Thursday we went to a sprinkler park and we made sure to pack a picnic lunch with lots of water.\u00a0 Don’t forget the sunscreen either.\u00a0 On our last day I let them decide where they wanted to go from a short list I had come up with.\u00a0 They chose the discount movie theater and off we went.\u00a0 It was nice to be in the air conditioned theater.\u00a0 We went out for ice cream afterwards and talked about our stay-cation.<\/p>\n

My children were definitely surprised at the fun they could have without leaving town!<\/p>\n

If you are new to a city there is usually a directory that lists most of the attractions and the chamber of commerce is also a great resource.<\/p>\n

Have a great summer no matter where you go – you may surprise yourself!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0 economy has most families\u00a0 looking for ways to save money and as summer approaches the lingering question \u00a0may be whether or not to take a vacation. If a vacation seems out of the question then you may want to consider a “staycation” and explore the area you live in for free! A few summers ago when my children were easily bored at home, I … Continue reading Discover Ways to Take A \u201cStaycation\u201d This\u00a0Summer<\/span> »<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,14,16],"tags":[282,377,378,509,561],"class_list":["post-400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-backyard-fun","category-entertaining","category-outdoor-living-spaces-2","tag-local-attractions","tag-picnic","tag-picnic-baskets","tag-staycation","tag-vacation-ideas"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Nnyf-6s","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1591,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/one-hot-solution-for-summer-staycations\/","url_meta":{"origin":400,"position":0},"title":"One Hot Solution for Summer Staycations","author":"Sara May","date":"May 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Thanks to record-high fuel prices, many families are choosing to vacation at home this summer rather than spend hard-earned cash filling up the gas tank.\u00a0 One of the most popular additions homeowners are\u00a0bringing to their backyards to create an at-home\u00a0vacation experience is a fire ring. Fire rings are generally constructed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/getitdoneblog.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/no-gas-sign.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1683,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/beach-accessories-to-improve-your-vacation\/","url_meta":{"origin":400,"position":1},"title":"Beach Accessories to Improve Your Vacation","author":"Trey Collier","date":"July 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Planning a trip to the beach this summer? Taking sunblock, bathing suits, towels, and sunglasses are a given, but there are so many\u00a0other items that could really make your experience the best.\u00a0 These accessories will make your beach time so much more fun (and comfortable). Radio Pillow: Perfect for not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Beach Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Beach Accessories","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/beach-accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"man doing hand stand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/pexels-photo-414012.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/pexels-photo-414012.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/pexels-photo-414012.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/pexels-photo-414012.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/pexels-photo-414012.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1681,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/multitasking-in-your-backyard\/","url_meta":{"origin":400,"position":2},"title":"Multitasking in Your Backyard!","author":"Trey Collier","date":"June 24, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"In my busy world, multitasking is important. The ability to do multiple things at once saves me time and money. I also enjoy products with dual functions to get the most bang for my buck. In the office, my printer\/copier\/scanner allows me to perform several jobs with one unit. For\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1782,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/folding-picnic-tables-for-tailgating-and-more\/","url_meta":{"origin":400,"position":3},"title":"Folding Picnic Tables: For Tailgating and More!","author":"Trey Collier","date":"September 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Picnic tables are a great way to provide ample seating to your outdoor events. Picnic tables, however, are traditionally stationary.\u00a0 How can you enjoy the benefits of extra seating and the ease of portability? Folding picnic tables! They are available in many designs, including the football folding picnic table shown\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Football Folding Picnic Table","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/PIC\/football-folding-picnic-table.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":959,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/enjoy-a-picnic-this-afternoon\/","url_meta":{"origin":400,"position":4},"title":"Enjoy a Picnic This Afternoon!","author":"Trey Collier","date":"September 24, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"My daughter and I have \"afternoon adventures\", as we call them, at least once a week. Some times we go to the park, sometimes the museum, but we almost always have a picnic at the end of our adventure. There is something exciting and relaxing about enjoying the nice afternoon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1947,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/thinking-outside-the-picnic-basket\/","url_meta":{"origin":400,"position":5},"title":"Thinking Outside the Picnic Basket","author":"Sara May","date":"December 29, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"When you think of the word \"picnic,\" do you automatically associate it with warm and\u00a0sunny outdoor excursions to the park or the beach?\u00a0 If we open our minds a bit, though, we can quite easily visualize picnics\u00a0happening\u00a0anywhere, at any time of year.\u00a0\u00a0 Picnics don't have to take place out of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Picnic Baskets and Picnic Totes","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/PIC\/504-42-777-lg.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2562,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400\/revisions\/2562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}