Campus Connection

Faculty expert answers questions about ‘getting away’ close to home

As you plan your summer vacation, are you looking close to home? A staycation can provide all of the fun or relaxation of a vacation, but without leaving the area. Staycationers spend evenings at home or in a nearby hotel while taking day trips within a short distance of home. [caption id="attachment_46221" align="alignright" width="240"] Dan Plunkett, assistant professor of Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation.[/caption] Dan Plunkett, assistant professor of Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation, answers some questions about staycations. Q: What are the major pros and cons of a staycation? A: A pro is that it’s cheaper than taking a vacation because you are eliminating the transportation cost and sometimes the hotel cost too. You can absolutely have staycation by sleeping in your own bed at night and participating in day trips in your area. A con is that if you are not leaving your home, you can feel like you are not getting away from any of those stressors — whether at work or home — that push you to want to go on vacation in the first place. A staycation does not really allow you to “get away from it.” Q: Is there anyway to prevent that feeling of not getting away while on a staycation? A: It’s about your mindset. One way to make a staycation more of a vacation is to try something new and different — get out of your day-to-day routine. For example, if you often hike at Hixon Forest, try a different spot. Go to Perrot State Park or look for great hikes across the border in the Winona area. Do what you enjoy doing somewhere else. If you can, stay in a hotel. That also has more of a feel of a vacation even though you are not traveling too far away. Another way to avoid the pitfalls of a staycation is to unplug by leaving the technology at home. Our day-to-day routine is to keep up on social media and the news. Try to disconnect, go out and do something fun. [caption id="attachment_46223" align="alignright" width="400"] Downtown La Crosse.[/caption] Q: What are some examples of things to do on a staycation in the La Crosse area? A: The area has a lot of great recreation opportunities. You can get out on the water with kayaking and canoe rentals at spots like Lake Onalaska or Perrot State Park. There are also a lot of family friendly events and festivals happening in the area, as well as the Children’s Museum of La Crosse. Q: Is summer a good time for a staycation? A: It can be. It depends on where you live. It is in our area if you want to get outside and enjoy the outdoors — like water sports, hiking and biking. At the same time, travel in the summer can be expensive due to high demand — hotel rates will likely be higher. - Dan Plunkett just finished his second year of teaching at UWL. He teaches tourism related classes in the Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation Department. Plunkett was recently interviewed about staycations by wallethub.com.