Our kids have been on summer vacation for a couple of weeks now. During their first week of vacation I was still hoping that we could come up with some extra cash to go on a trip to visit another country or state. However, due to the ailing economy, it is apparent that we’re staying home. The good news is we live on Maui! People come to Maui for vacation. They call it paradise – one of the most beautiful places on earth! So really, there’s nothing to fret about staying home for the summer vacation. What we need to do is plan to truly make this summer break enjoyable, like we’ve gone to a “real” vacation. Thus, the idea of “staycation” came about.
What is staycation? Wikipedia has some interesting explanation: “A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays and relaxes at home, or vacations in their own country, possibly taking day trips to area attractions. Staycations achieved popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007–2010. Staycations also became a popular phenomenon in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive. The term was added to the 2009 version of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local . Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.”
So with that in mind, the kids and I planned our staycation. It was a plan in progress. We have not finalized it yet , we keep adding possibilities, but I would like to share it with you and encourage you to plan your own family staycation on Maui. Here are the top 5 activities we planned to do on our staycation:
- Attend a Festival. There are many festivals on Maui, especially during summer. So far we have attended one this summer: the King Kamehameha Parade in Lahaina. We have not attended an Obon festival yet so we are putting that on the list. It would be fun to learn and do the Obon dance!
- Go on a Boat Ride. We have been on some boat rides before, like the Trilogy Excursion, but there are so many more out there to explore. We heard about this ocean adventure with the dolphins and we want to do that. The Pacific Whale Foundation cruises are recommended.
- Zip Lining Fun. My son and I had done the zip line tour but my daughter hasn’t (because she wasn’t heavy enough at that time). So we are putting zip line fun for our staycation this year. We will maybe try the Piiholo Ranch zipline. We heard they added some new lines and activities.
- Explore the Parks. There are many great parks here on Maui, each has it own special features. For example, we plan to skate at Kalama Park on a Wednesday Night, visit hike and have a picnic at the Iao Valley Park and hike, even camp at the Haleakala Park.
- Explore the Farms. The agriculture and sustainability program on Maui is growing and it’s a good thing. There are many wonderful farms to explore, like the Alii Kula Lavender Farm and the Kula Country Farm. The farm visitation is actually becoming a popular tourist activity. Our friend Marilyn is starting “Maui Country Farm Tours” business, and we will be among her first customers.
Five on the list. I think that’s a good start. We will share more with you about our adventures. If you have any ideas or suggestion, or anything you want to share about staycation, I encourage you to leave a comment below. It would be great to hear from you!
