Sunday 26 August 2007

How to Go On Holiday without Leaving Home

We've just had a week's holiday, during which we didn't leave home except for a short train ride and a couple of local bus rides. We do this every year and its a great way to appreciate your local area. Admittedly its much easier for us living in Edinburgh, a city with loads of art galleries, museums and several festivals during the year, not to mention excellent public transport links across town and into the surrounding countryside and coastal areas. However, why not try some of the following to enjoy a holiday by staying at home:


Discover some local walks or bike rides

Visit your local museum

Visit an art gallery

Visit a local restaurant that you've never visited before

Jump onto a local bus and go to an area you've not visited for a while

Go along to a local fete

Go to an evening event

Spend a day in the garden of you have one, or the local park


What are your ideas for a holiday at home?

11 comments:

Annie Jeffries said...

I love going into my teashop for tea and scones. It's like walking into another world.

Tracy said...

We do all these things, too. On a tight budget sometimes our only choice is to "vacation" locally by acting as a tourist in our own area. Look for a Denny's or hotel within an hour of your home. In their lobby they usually have pamphlets for the popular tourist attractions close by :)

Anonymous said...

This is really great should follow this to enjoy my holiday being at home ..thanks ..Nasra

Everydaythings said...

not enough people realsie this - that staying home to holiday can be nicer and far more rewarding than going somewhere else to find it!

Odessa said...

hi juliet,
i hear you and i'm so glad you wrote about this. i think it also helps to live in a city that inspires you and touches your soul.
i wanted to add these ones too:
~go to a local farmer's market
~spend an entire sunday afternoon people watching at small coffee shop
~visit a local flower farm
~take the ferry (if your city has one) to go to a different island
~go to a local flea market, you never know what treasures you can find

shadows and clouds said...

hello there! what a lovely idea! my suggestion is to go to local folk dances, if you can find them, they are usually ace fun! thanks for the felt e-mail, i've just got back from holidays and shall definitely check it out! once unpacking and washing is done i must catch up with nice blogs! btw, over on my blog i nominated you for a 'rockin girl blogger' award, which means you rock! 'hope that's okay! have a good day!

Crafty Green Poet said...

annieelf - tea and scones in a local teashop - yes we love that too, we're lucky to have loads of nice teashops in and around Edinburgh.

Tracy - good point about the info in hotel lobbies.

Nasra - enjoy your holiday at home!

Garden Girl - yes its a great way to holiday!

Odessa - great list there! Thanks!

Na - or ceilidhs as they are here. I used to go to loads, but my partner doesn't like that kind of dancing! Thanks for the award!

Anonymous said...

We do many of these. We also may visit antique shops or old bookstores, check out local campgrounds.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Marcia - second hand bookshops are my weakness, at the minute I'm trying to keep away from them (failing miserably at that!).

Larry Kollar said...

Hey Crafty. I haven't been responding much lately, I know, but I wanted to let you know I'm still lurking. Anyway…

Staying at FAR Manor wouldn't be a vacation. Too many in-laws already figure they have free labor, and that's with us working. :-P Fortunately, our timeshare is only an hour away. We're planning to do plenty of nothing there when we get there next weekend, beyond visit a local winery and do some shopping in town. The resort itself has swimming pools and miniature golf, and plenty of places to walk or bicycle.

If in-laws weren't an issue, I could make a vacation out of bicycling the miles of back roads that start right outside our door (or the nearby mountain bike trails), camping down by the creek, or hiking a little of the Appalachian Trail since it ends not far from here. Mrs. Fetched isn't much for strenuous outdoor activities though… we could catch a play at the theater in the next town up though, or drive out to the retail district & spend a few hours at the indie coffee shop.

October is the month for craft festivals here. My mother-in-law exhibits quilts, so those are always busy times (the link goes to a post with several pictures of a nearby festival, including one of her with her quilts).

We have to get away from FAR Manor to count on any relaxation. I wish it were different.

spacedlaw said...

I just had a 3 weeks holiday at home. It was grand: no travel induced stress, no luggages, no fortune spent on gas, highway tolls or outrageous everythings.
And I still came up with loads of pictures !
:)

Spending quality time with the cats was a good thing to do and I took the oportunity to enjoy more of my hobbies.
I went to visit parts of Rome not seen by tourists.
I chatted with some of our neighbours (I normally do not see them at all).
I got to spend more time with my husband and to look after myself.
I could really recommend it.