How to Plan the Perfect Relaxing Staycation
Staycations are the perfect way to take a break from “real life” without breaking the bank.
I don’t know about you, but for me, it feels like the last few months have been crazy, non-stop busy. I was ready to jump on the next flight to Hawaii by the time my first semester of grad school finally ended at the beginning of December. Unfortunately, for a variety of different reasons (read: empty bank account), a last-minute flight to Hawaii was not in the cards for me. However, what was in the cards, was a cozy little staycation to Ontario’s wine country.
Staycations are the best for people who are too busy to plan a massive getaway or those who need a break from regular life but don’t have the means to hop on a flight across an ocean. A local getaway is a perfect way to explore a new spot near your hometown and hit refresh before getting back to “real life”.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t always a fan of staycations. I ‘ve always loved the process of planning my trips and exploring unique, exotic regions. However, as life has gotten way busier, it’s a lot more difficult to find the time to map out a 2-week island-hopping adventure. Along with this newly busy schedule, comes a newfound respect for quiet, slow-paced trips that are about relaxing. Cue: staycations.
I have since fallen in love with exploring local areas around me and taking these mini-breaks to relax and refresh without breaking the bank. Becoming a staycationer has allowed me to explore Ottawa, a city where I once lived, a little bit better than I ever had before. It’s also allowed me to uncover my favourite staycation destination: Ontario’s Prince Edward County, where the wine is abundant and the peaceful, small-towns are perfect for relaxing.
My perfect idea of a staycation is cozying up in a cute Airbnb with a good book, a bottle of local wine, and a charcuterie board while watching the snowfall outside – I mean, c’mon is there a better way to wind down after a hectic semester?
Now that I’ve learned how to plan lowkey, laid back, relaxing staycations, I have fallen in love with the 3-day local getaway to escape “real life” without uprooting my life. In today’s post, I want to share some of my tips with you so that you can plan your own local getaway to recharge and get back to crushing it!
Go somewhere off the beaten path
To maximize relaxation you’ll want to stay away from the bright big, city lights. Instead, look for something a little quieter and rural – think charming small towns filled with ma and pa shops – just like Star’s Hollow from Gilmore Girls.
Explore the local area
I did say that my perfect staycation includes curling up indoors with a good book and local eats, but I do still spend some time walking around the local area. Most small staycation-perfect towns have adorable boutique shops and delicious local restaurants. If you’re in Ontario, wine country is my favourite spot to vacation, so exploring the vineyards and tasting the local grapes is a must!
Book an Airbnb instead of a hotel
I’ve mentioned it numerous times on my website, but I love Airbnb, it is hands down my favourite way to travel. Staycations and Airbnb’s go together like peanut butter and jelly. Airbnb’s are way homier and cozier than hotels and more often than not hosts usually let you be, so you won’t be interrupted during your stay and you won’t have to worry about other hotel guests either!
Check out my comprehensive Airbnb guide HERE!
Out of office – ON
Self-explanatory. Put the laptop and phone away and grab a book instead. Trust me, it’s a challenge to really “unplug”, but even spending a few hours getting lost in a book or a new town without constant notifications from the outside world is incredibly refreshing. Putting my “out of office” on my email accounts gives me the peace of mind I need to ignore work for a little while. Plus, after doing this a time or two, you realize that almost nothing is urgent enough to need an immediate reply.
Have a spa day
Whether you actually visit a local spa in town or bring along a few at-home face masks, spend some time on your staycation to pamper yourself. Personally, I love the at-home face mask route. Check out some cool DIY ones that you can make yourself HERE or my favourite face mask from Sephora HERE.
Spoil yourself at least once
Whether it’s dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town, an expensive bottle of wine, or a luxurious shopping day, treat yourself at least once on your staycation – after all, you’ve earned it!
Are you a staycationer? Where is your favourite local escape?
