No vacation? Plan a staycation!

Up until a few weeks ago, I had big plans for a roadtrip to St. Louis.  I'd get to see my Texas Rangers play, visit a new ballpark and meet up with some other Rangers fans.

But then I lost my job.

I knew my trip was no longer a possibility.  Or at least not a responsible one.

I was really bummed. I'm still bummed.  I try very hard to see my baseball boys at least once a year, but it seems that's not in the cards this year.

After a few days weeks of pouting about my lost summer vacation, I decided it was time to move on.  That's when I realized I could still do something fun this summer.  And I could do it without spending a lot of money or even leaving town.

That's right -- I'm in the process of planning a staycation.

My first stop was the Travel Iowa web site.  I know a few of the people who work at that office, and I figured they'd have some great ideas.  I was right.  I spent a long time clicking through the web site, pondering my options and writing down a few that interested me.

My second stop was Des Moines Is Not Boring -- one of my favorite local blogs.  I remembered that they'd posted about a staycation at one point, and after a little searching, I found the entry. Pete had a few good suggestions too.

My list of ideas now takes up an entire notebook page.  I just have to narrow it down to a few things so I can stay within a reasonable budget.  Right now, I'm aiming for the weekend of June 22 for my staycation, so stay tuned to see what I plan and explore!