How to Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown

Do you feel that your budget is a little too tight for a trip somewhere? You're not alone. Many people are choosing to spend their vacations at home or in their hometowns rather than traveling somewhere. But staying close to home doesn't have to spell out impending boredom. You can spend more time feeling tranquil, less time behind the wheel, and keep some money in your pocket as well. Why not become a hometown tourist and spend some time relaxing in and exploring your very own backyard? By choosing a staycation over an expensive vacation, you’ll save money and fall in love with your city all over again.

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Visiting Local Attractions

Surround yourself with passionate fans at a baseball, football, or any other type of sporting event, and get into the spirit of your city by experiencing it the way a tourist does. Try attending a day game in order to save money on tickets.^{[1]XResearch source}
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Get out on the water. If you live near a lake, get your fishing license and enjoy a day of fishing, canoeing, or out on paddle boats! You may enjoy just finding a stream and dipping your feet in the water.
- For safety, make sure that everyone wears a life jacket in the water.
If you’re near the mountains, no matter the season, there is always something to do, from skiing to hiking. You can even find hot springs to dip into in the middle of winter or a river to dangle your feet in after a thrilling white water rafting trip.
If you’re near the seashore, you can spend the day sun bathing, playing miniature golf, cooling off at a water park, or riding roller coasters at an amusement park. If you stay the night, you can enjoy the sunset (or sunrise) depending on the coast.
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Take advantage of the season. Depending on whether it is fall or spring, you can go to a local pumpkin patch, apple farm, or even cherry picking! It’s affordable and the fun doesn’t end when you leave the farm--you can go home and cook up lots of tasty treats with the fruits you picked.
- Check out free seasonal festivals and celebrations! Do tourists come from near and far to attend a festival in your city? Go see the cherry blossoms or the famous hot air balloon festival you've never gotten around to experiencing.
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Book a tour. Most people never bother to take a tour of their own city because they assume they already know everything, but there is always more to learn! You can see your city through new eyes while learning your city’s history on a walking or bicycle tour.
- If you live on the water, you might enjoy a harbor cruise tour, some of which may offer a sunset cruise or dolphin or whale watching experience.
- For a totally different point of view, sign up for a helicopter or biplane aerial tour of your city.
Most large cities offer an all-inclusive city pass that allows entrance into several major attractions such as the aquarium, zoo, amusement parks, and museums at a discounted rate. Check with your local library to see if they offer any free attraction passes, which can be checked out and used for entrance into local parks or attractions.
If you're a thrill-seeker, why not spend an exciting day screaming down the hills and around the bends of a rollercoaster at your city's amusement park? Try going on a weekday to avoid long lines, and enjoy acting like a kid again!
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Making the Most of Your City

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Embrace your town! If family or friends were to come and visit, where would you take them to show off your town? Learn about your town’s history, and visit museums and nearby botanical gardens and parks. Some towns may even offer a fun ghost tour or a walking history tour.
- Visit the places that you have always promised yourself you would get around to seeing “one day”. Now’s the time!
- Locals can often get discounts on attraction tickets, entrance fees, and day spa passes. Just ask!
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Bring a camera. Wherever you decide to go, don’t forget to take your camera or cell phone. You don’t want to miss out on capturing those special memories!
- Although it is wonderful to take plenty of photographs, make sure that you stay in the moment too.
- Take pictures like a tourist, not just selfies! Aim to get pictures in front of local landmarks or your town sign. This will put you in the tourist mindset.
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Rent a racy car. Even if you’re just driving around town, renting a car makes your vacation feel more special and exciting. Consider renting a convertible or a sports car to make cruising around a novel and fun experience.
- Another option is to enjoy not having to drive at all. Leave the car at home and take a nice walk to dinner out, or leave the driving to someone else and hire an Uber car.
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Attend free local events. Many towns host free community events, such as free movie showings, concerts, and arts, music and cultural festivals. Check out your town’s calendar, and attend as many free events as you would like.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Bring along a picnic with delicious finger foods, fruit, cheese, and wine. Spread it all out on a soft picnic blanket and enjoy!
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Go on a date night. If you have kids, make sure that you remember to set aside some time to reconnect with your partner too. You and your significant other can enjoy dinner out, go on a wine tasting tour, attend a concert, or go see a play at a local theatre.
- Plan ahead and schedule a baby-sitter for your date night, or ask a friend or relative to watch your little ones while you enjoy your night out.
Whether you're interested in learning to cook or drawing a still life, take advantage of any classes your community may offer. Most community centers offer discounted classes for residents. You just may make some new friends with similar interests as well!
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Method 3

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Planning a Full Staycation

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Set a date. Just as you would for an out of town trip, the key to enjoying a successful staycation is planning ahead. Start your preparation by figuring out how much time you can take off work or school, and plan accordingly. In order to give yourself plenty of time to relax and to feel refreshed upon returning to the daily grind, aim for about a week off.
- If you only have a weekend or a few days off, don’t worry! You can still have a wonderful time playing tourist in your hometown in just a couple of days.
- Try to give your work plenty of notice, in order to avoid the stress of trying to quickly finish up projects before your vacation begins.
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Establish your budget. Treat your hometown vacation as you would any other holiday, and create a realistic and inclusive budget. No matter how much or little you have to spend, you can have a great time and usually not spend nearly as much as you would on traditional vacation.^{[3]XResearch source}
- A budget of around $500 for a week is generally a good place to start.
- Make sure to take the cost of activities, eating out, gasoline, and any spa treatments into account when planning your budget.
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Choose your activities. Mix it up and include a variety of activities. For instance, plan for some outdoor activities if the weather is expected to be nice, include some physical activities such as hiking or sports, and incorporate something new that you have never tried before.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Pick up a copy of your city’s travel guide, and start choosing the activities that sound intriguing to you.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Take care to not pack too much into each day. You should leave plenty of time to relax between activities.
- Build anticipation for the staycation by creating a vision board to inspire your vacation plans. Cut out pictures out from magazines to add ideas to your collage.
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Ease into your vacation. When you leave the office, try to leave your work worries behind and make a smooth transition into vacation-mode. On the evening before your staycation officially starts, plan a stress-free dinner, put on some lively music, open a bottle of bubbly, and let the relaxing begin!
- By creating an ambiance of fun and relaxation on the very first night, you’ll set the mood for your entire vacation.
- Try incorporating physical reminders that your home is your vacation retreat for the week. Candles and fresh flowers help to create the illusion that your home is a temporary hotel.^{[6]XResearch source}
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Let go of chores. Use your time off having fun and exploring your hometown, not cleaning and catching up on chores. As you’re relaxing, you will inevitably create at least a little mess. Try to turn a blind eye to it for now, and let it wait until after your time off is over.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If you must occasionally lightly clean or do dishes during the course of your staycation, try to tackle it first thing in the morning in order to get it out of the way for the day.
In order to make your staycation extra restful and special, you may want to consider purchasing a new hammock, or renting a hot tub for the week, which costs around $300. If you have children (even if you don't), you might drag out the tent and sleeping bags, and after a backyard campfire, enjoy a night of sleeping under the stars.
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Tips

There are lots of things to do right in your own back yard. A little planning is all it takes to have lots of fun and become a tourist in your own hometown! You can go online and search your selected city. Activities are listed such as biking, hiking, bowling and more to help accommodate your staycation plans. Many apartment complexes even offer a clubhouse with pool tables, large screen TV’s, and a picnic eating area; these amenities help make your staycation affordable and fun.
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Don’t let Mother Nature rain on your parade. If the weather turns bad, make sure you have plenty of indoor activity options available as a back-up plan.
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Warnings

Be careful to stick to your budget. Don’t let unexpected expenses add up and cause you to go into debt.^{[8]XResearch source}
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