The Staycation Is Soooo 2008
Roll on, Summer of 09! Staying at home is sooo last year. According to a recent travel survey, America is on the move again! 95% of respondents said they are planning to get away this summer. No more navel gazing and lawn mowing. It's on to brighter things such as cruises, the Caribbean, and even Europe. Plus, with "historically low airfares" and gas prices down a buck fifty per gallon from a year ago, you can even visit *gasp* other parts of America!
Looks like we won't have to suffer through any more People magazine articles suggesting you eat brussels sprouts and stick up a poster of Big Ben if you can't afford to fly to London.
Check out our posts under the "travel cheap" tag for bargain hunting tips.
(Photo: TedsBlog)
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I can't wait for the day when my chest grows large enough to hold my drinky cup!
I was planning a trip to Vegas over Memorial day weekend until I noticed that airfare prices are double because its Memorial Day weekend.
I've since given up on that idea. I guess I'll just stay home and play online poker.
@lalaland13: That'll teach you for trying to make a living doing something you're passionate about! Maybe a nice job selling widgets or numbers would be more suitable?
We're going on a super-fancy vacation from Michigan all the way to Wisconsin. Ooooh.
Taking the train, though, which is pretty cool.
@ElleDriver: Yeah, I'm thinking her kids are lucky. How many kids have moms with built in bouncy castles? It's kinda like that creepy sunflower on Conker's Bad Fur Day.
I approve of this post:
^leaving for Thailand in a week.
We're doing the opposite. Saving up this year, taking a cruise next year. Last year we did a couple of road trips (Texas and downstate Illinois.) I like going against the flow :).
I will be traveling from Los Angeles to... Tahoe! But don't worry, I'm taking Southwest so I can avoid all those stupid baggage fees.
Flying from Ks to Seattle in mid august. about $200 round trip. Didn't go anywhere last summer, so I've made a promise to myself to do something this summer.]
Staying around the Alki Beach area, if anyone's familiar with the area.
@humphrmi: Ooooh, did you do Lincoln mania in Illinois? With the 150 year thing it's been all-Lincoln, all-the-time around here for the last 18 months. :)
@CumaeanSibyl: Hopefully you don't have too long of a stopover in Chicago. If you do, I recommend Giordano's across the river from the station.
I'm in the lame 5%. My biggest summer plans involve a super-fun weekend in lovely Springfield, Illinois, learning about the law pertaining to school boards. That's sort-of like a vacation, right?
@jmhart: Where do you get your airline tickets? I'm looking for a good deal on a rountrip ticket to China for my brother in October, and I'm not seeing these "historically low" prices everyone's talking about :(
@humphrmi:
We're doing exactly the same thing. We're taking a weekend jaunt to my reunion in South Carolina. But next year we're doing an 8 day Alaska cruise.
Driving down to Delaware this weekend..
Hoping to take another road trip to Maine later this summer
Gasoline prices are going back up. Fast.
Sorry to contradict the great consumerist.com, but I think the staycation talk will soon be back with a vengence.
going on Vaca to Maine in a 1.5 weeks!!! hooray!
except at the end of my vacation in have to go to this wedding there :P
but at least a nice week of Lobster, fishing, and beach.
Driving to Washington State for a Family Reunion... Love me a road trip.
I'd love to fly- but even historic lows on flights and having to get a Car if we fly- it still winds up being more more than I'd like to throw on a weekend trip that ISN'T Vegas.
I'll be discovering quaint, unexplored regions of my backyard. The first day I think I'll start just north of the patio gently making my way to the north-east corner with the wonky sprinkler head. On Tuesday I'll do a have an unstructured perambulation of the center-most region highlighted by the mysterious elevated mound which will probably turn out to be an ant colony. Finally, I'll wind up in the deep southwest near the trash cans ultimately resulting in a deeply satisfying re-acquaintance with the 20 year old motorcycle my brother has indefinitely stored in my backyard "for a few weeks". I don't know how much this journey of discovery will cost me, but I believe the personal growth will pay in dividends which, with time, will blossom handsomely. I'd invite you, but there's only so much room on my radio flyer wagon and my daughter is kind of picky about traveling companions. Sorry...
@Eyebrows McGee (popping ~May 29): Nope, sadly we missed most of the Lincoln-mania. It was a trip to the Special Olympics (one of my kids is in Young Athletes) in Normal. Which I understand isn't really "downstate" but it is for me (Skokie). Chicagoans consider anything south of Joliet to be downstate.
@tbax929: 12 day British Isles tour in 2010, first cruise with the kids. Looking forward to it.
I'd love to take a nice trip this summer but too many of my asshole friends are getting married. These damn weddings are sucking up all my PTO.
You can take the subway to the beach in some places.
Frankfurt for 600. Still have upcoming trips to Australia for $950 (and Sydney/Cairns RT for $220) and Korea for 1k.
These prices are just ridic. How can people afford NOT to travel right now? Unfortunately, all these travel deals are preventing me from adding to my new car fund, but there's plenty of time to buy one of those on sale with Toyota's projected losses for this year!
@dorianh49: South Korean Airlines is a good buy, find an Asian travel agency.
It all depends on time of year and lead time. Summer's usually not a good time cause they're selling all their tickets to students, so there's no need to lower prices.
@humphrmi: As a native of Northbrook, I fully understand that everything south of I-80 is "downstate." :)
Australia in December FTW!
@Eyebrows McGee (popping ~May 29): I get to drive up to Chicago for a business weekend. I think you've outlamed me.
I'm taking a cheap vacation to Veranda Beach this year. They have maid service but it's grumpy.
@HIV 2 Elway: I'm one of those assholes this year! Although after having to use all of my damn vacation days on my friends' weddings for the last three years, serves 'em right. I have no pity.
(Plus I even intentionally put mine on the Sunday of a holiday weekend; about half our guest list will have that Monday off.)
I'm going camping. No "hide-a-fee" airlines, farked-up car rentals, hotel horrors, or tourist traps. Just me, my tent, my fishing pole and a can of bug spray. Ahhhhhh I can't wait!
@Eyebrows McGee (popping ~May 29): I'm with you on this one. I'm a lamer too. My plans this summer revolve around being miserable in the heat from being pregnant, and then popping out said kid...
Zurich, Munich, Berlin. Can't wait...it's my first time to Europe, and one of my first opportunities to go in 4 years (I haven't had 2 weeks in a row free). Yay!
I have seen so much of the US, and some of the rest of the world. The US is wonderful to see, but it is time to branch out!
@HIV 2 Elway: You, too? We're swamped by the most weddings, baby showers (family ones, no less) and other compelled-to-attend events than we've ever been invited to attend in one year. I swear it feels like almost everyone we know chose 2009 as the year to wed or reproduce!
WHO responded to said poll? Dipwads who bought houses 400x what they could afford?
IF people are out of work, and foreclosure rates have gone up by 1/3 over last quarter, those idiots who are spending money they don't have, are the same morons who got us into this mess in the first place.
WHY don't we charge a stupid tax? Honestly, tell people they're too damn stupid and they should pay said tax and they will.
@dclamster: Zurich is excellent. If you get a chance, take a trip outside of the city. They have glaciers in Switzerland! And you can walk through them!
I know a couple high level airport workers and they claim that the deals will only get better. The business travel has dropped off the map and the unemployed can't afford vacations.
@sanjsrik: My work is seasonal and if I did not have to take summer classes I would be in Europe right now. I have a good amount of savings and not much work available for another 3 months. Damn you trying to finish school in 4 years.
@sanjsrik:
...or those of us who were responsible and are in a position to take advantage of the low rates on travel right now.
You picked one of the three good months to visit. Don't get too attached to the beauty, it won't look like that again until June rolls around.
Opposite here. We were invited to seven weddings last summer, and only one this summer. Whew! I love going to weddings - but it seems like it's all or nothing.
@William Brinkman: When you didn't even have the money in the first place? When you get there and the prices are ridiculously high because of the exchange rate?
I will be visiting other parts of America! Such as the great Midwest (wedding). Road trips are nice. Someday perhaps I'll go to Europe, but since I can't' afford a passport, it follows that I also cannot afford a trip to another country. That's what I get for being a liberal arts major, though.