Finding relaxation, close to home

Last summer, it wasn't unusual for Tara Fussell and her husband to wake up on a Saturday morning and make a spur-of-the-moment decision to head to the beach. Fussell, who moved to Philadelphia from Florida, loved lying on the sand, feeling the warm sun on her skin, hearing the waves crashing nearby.

This year, she'll still have the sun - but sand is going to be hard to come by on her third-floor deck, and the only water is going to be coming from her indoor taps.

"We'll give the Shore a second thought because of gas prices," said Fussell, 26, as she shopped for more comfortable outdoor furniture this week. "If you can't lay out at the Shore, get a lounge chair and lay out at home."

The hot vacation spot this summer may be your own backyard, or at least close to it. So-called staycations are the buzz, with stores throwing sales on products from hot dogs to backyard pools to make your "trip" more comfortable, tourist spots offering deals and travel rewards, and experts giving tips on how to make the most of an in-house, in-town holiday. (Do: Consider investing in pools and grills, planning game nights with like-minded friends, and exploring local sites. Don't: Schedule home repairs, check work e-mail, or feel bad that your getaway isn't very away.)

Blame the economy. Gas prices continue to rise - or at the very least, hold uncomfortably steady. Data released June 18 from the U.S. Department of Transportation showed Americans drove 1.4 billion fewer highway miles in April 2008 than in the same month last year and 400 million miles fewer than they had in March.

Airlines are offsetting fuel expenditures by adding charges for things like checked baggage and soft drinks. Rising food costs mean dining out - a staple of many vacations - may be prohibitively expensive. The weak dollar makes trips outside the country more costly and less appealing.

And the national foreclosure crisis casts a pall over many people's summer plans. Earlier this month, a correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart did a skit on staycations - he called them holistays - and noted that in this financial environment, people may be better served by staying in their hometels.

But all this doesn't mean anyone's summer vacation is ruined.

Groups such as the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. point out that while this year's holidays may be different, they can still be fun.

"Staycation is kind of an attractive word," said Meryl Levin, the nonprofit organization's president and chief executive officer. "People can feel they're still doing something for themselves without busting their budget."

Kay Cannon, a life and business coach who formerly served as president of the International Coach Federation, said getaways can have healing powers.

"It can be really helpful to be in a different place seeing different things. It can be rejuvenating and lead to creative thought," she said.

But staying home doesn't mean you have to sacrifice that, she said. The trick is to lay strict guidelines so your break from the office doesn't just turn into working at home - or on your home.

"If you structure it so you really are giving yourself time and space, it can be just as wonderful to vacation at home," she said. "You might want to get out and experience things like state parks or events that you've never made the time to go to before for a change of scenery."

Indeed, organizations like Levin's see opportunity as locals stay closer to home. The tourism marketing group is promoting summer hotel packages that include a $50 American Express gift card giveaway, free tickets to area attractions such as the zoo, or free parking.

Just as Philadelphia tourism folks are promoting the city's location, so, too, are the folks who promote the Jersey Shore. While some travelers may now find the beach a bit out of reach, it's the staycation location for people who formerly traveled farther south or overseas. Earlier this month, the New Jersey Department of State's Division of Travel and Tourism promoted its offerings with an event in Center City Philadelphia's JFK Plaza that featured an 8-foot-tall blue pail and shovel sitting in a sandbox filled with about 20 tons of sand.

"The feedback we've gotten shows the Shore is absolutely thriving," said Jennifer Szczepanski, the division's spokeswoman.

Individual businesses are doing their part to bring in tourists, too: In Spring Lake, N.J., one circa-1888 inn is promoting a retro-cation and a green travel program, promising to reimburse guests $1 for every mile they travel to the inn via train, bus or bike.

Pennsylvania state parks may also be getting renewed attention. Chris Novak, a spokeswoman for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said campgrounds in Pennsylvania's 117 state parks had more reservations in the first few months of this year than they had in 2007. While summer weekends are always the parks' busiest times, anecdotal evidence suggests more of the current visitors are locals, she said.

"We're seeing some increase in people who are looking to stay closer to home and for something more affordable," Novak said.

The 10 modern cabins at French Creek State Park in Chester County had 100 more reservations before Memorial Day than they received for the same time period last year, according to park manager Eric Brown. On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, the park was so packed that staff had to shut the gates at 1 p.m., turning away about 500 people. "We've never had to do that before," Brown said. "We are seeing a lot more day trippers."

Local swim clubs are also hoping for a bustling summer. In Cinnaminson, Bud Collins, manager of the Pomona Swim Club, said the last three weekends had been "pretty packed, more packed than usual."

"I would say more people are staying here than going to the Shore," Collins said, noting the 400-family member pool already had a waiting list.

At Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have announced a variety of new promotions, including Thursday pregame parties in Ashburn Alley that feature a mechanical bull, a dunk tank, and the Phillies ball girls.

Commercial businesses are trying to cash in on the staycation phenomenon. Everyone from Circuit City to the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association is dropping the word into promotional materials - the former to sell home electronics, the latter to promote creating a "retreat" in your own backyard, with an awning, of course.

Wal-Mart may be the largest and loudest staycation promoter. Its Web site www.walmart.com/staycations has a tip guide to download for "101 Days of Summer Staycations." Many of these tips encourage purchase of Wal-Mart products, such as an inflatable movie screen, three of which are listed online for less than $200. The store also is offering lower prices on items ranging from hot dogs to plasma TV sets.

Steven Restivo, a New Jersey-based spokesman for Wal-Mart, said sales of seasonal items had been brisk and the staycation campaign had gone well.

"It's obvious these are tough economic times and our goal is to help people save money so they can live better," he said.

The chain does have a longterm policy of allowing vacationers in RVs to stay overnight in their parking lots, but that was intended for people making longer trips who could not find a place to settle.

Of course, it remains to be seen how many suburbanites will travel to the city to spend the night at the Wal-Mart in South Philadelphia - despite the view of the Delaware River.

Of course, for every trend it seems there is an equal and opposite counter-trend. Trusted Adventures, an organization that offers active getaways, has started an "anti-staycation" movement, dismissing the notion that people can't afford to travel.

"Nothing can replace the renewal of spirit made possible by a real vacation escape," the company's Web site advises.

And some people say they don't need to stay home. They just need to adjust before they go.

Bill Parberry and Cheryl Swartley have a busy summer travel schedule ahead, flying to California, Wyoming and Las Vegas. They booked their trips early, they said, ensuring good fares. Parberry also will be continuing his weekly trips from the couple's Art Museum-area home to Atlantic City.

The couple have found ways to save money so they can still enjoy their trips and routines. They dine out less, combine errands to get more done in one drive, and walk when they can. They're forgoing air-conditioning when they can. The couple still make frequent visits to their condo in Perkasie, but now take one car instead of two.

"We never did that before," said Swartley, 52.

For the longer car trips, Parberry, 60, said he drives 55 m.p.h. instead of 70.

"Every five miles [slower] that you go is a huge savings," he said.

Still others scoff at the idea of staying home. Waiting in line to see the Liberty Bell this week, Mike and Marty Mills of Cloudcroft, N.M., explained why they were taking a six-week-long cross-country road trip with their daughter and two grandchildren.

"We thought, 'What are we going to do, wait around till the prices get lower?' " Marty Mills explained. "We've been planning this trip for a year."

Perhaps they particularly appreciate the frailty of life: Their son-in-law is currently serving in Iraq, they said, and they feel there's something patriotic about their trip. They've sent their son-in-law, an Air Force major, photos from their trip as they've camped across the South and up the East Coast.

"We were determined to do this and to show the kids important things about this country," Marty Mills said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing."