Staycation, schmaycation. Try these instead

You’ve heard of the “staycation,” in which you behave like you’re traveling but never leave town. And now there’s talk of the “daycation,” which is, I guess, a staycation of shorter duration. If the press-release predictions are to be believed, millions of us will be satisfying our wanderlust this way this summer as the costs of driving and flying creep beyond our reach.

But you can do better. If you want to escape your workaday life and minimize spending, yet yearn for the classy assonance that gives the word “vacation” its irresistible lilt, these summer recreational options demand your attention.

AA-cation: Go to 12-step meetings and suck up the free coffee.

Claycation: Go to one of those paint-your-own pottery joints.

Delaycation: Go to the airport and watch the planes come in late.

DJ-cation: Pull out the old vinyl and spin some favorites.

Feycation: Watch “30 Rock” with Alec Baldwin and his female costar.

Gaycation: Let’s just say the list looks wrong without it.

Gourmetcation: Make yourself one great meal a day. Then return utensils to Sur la Table or Williams-Sonoma, seeking full refund.

Haycation: Buy a dozen bales at your nearest equestrian supply outlet and build a fort in your backyard. After novelty wears off, resell at inflated price to one of those noble souls constructing houses out of the stuff.

Jaycation: For a week, rearrange your life around Leno’s monologues.

Layaway-cation: Keep dreaming, another vacation will come to pass. Someday. [contributed by Travel senior producer Andrew Nystrom]

Neighcation: Go horseback riding. Don’t forget to inquire about discounts for customers willing to shovel out the stables.

Praycation: Pick out a church/temple/mosque you don’t belong to and stop in for services. Duck out before the donation basket comes around.

Raycation: Go seabeast-gawking at Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific. (But stop first at one of the Long Beach libraries that give out coupons for half-off aquarium visits.)

Spaycation: Go volunteer at your local humane society.

Spraycation: Go to a mall with a water feature and watch the soaring spouts and soaked kids. Bring towels to rent out.

T-and-A-cation: What else? Strip clubs.

Traycation: Seven days, 21 TV meals.

What type of vacation will your next vacation be? Sound off in the Comments below.

[Photo: Try a Spaycation; by Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 at 3:52 pm by Christopher Reynolds and is filed under California, Deals, Eco-Travel, Family & Kids, Gourmet, Los Angeles, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.