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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.
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