how to perfect the summer staycation

After a few summers living in Manhattan, hubs and I have come to realize the importance of getting out of the city on the weekends, both to explore and for our own sanity. Unfortunately, budgets (and work schedules) don’t always allow for that, so I’d like to think that we’re also pretty good at city staycations.

My biggest advice: get up and get outside. Sleeping in is necessary sometimes, but for a proper staycation to feel effective, wake up and get out the door before 10 am. Go get brunch or grab coffee and a bagel and head to the park. Personally, we’re big fans of people watching in Central Park or Carl Shurz, and picking which park you want to go to should be the hardest decision you’re going to make on your staycation. Carl Shurz is right on the East River, so we feel like we’re on a beach getaway, while Central Park has castles and rowboats and is in our direct path to the Upper West Side for a new set of museums and cafes to explore.

Another tip: round up your friends! Because the city empties out on weekends in the summer, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what to do if we want to interact with anyone aside from each other. Luckily, a few friends were around yesterday, so hubs and I invited whoever was up for it over to relax. We kept it low key and people came and went as they pleased, but with enough good food and beer, we were easily distracted from the sweltering city outside our apartment.

Another big tip: dress like you’re on vacation. I feel a lot more motivated to explore and see new places if I’m both comfortable and excited about what I’m wearing. You never know what you’re going to stumble upon, and it’d be a shame to feel uncomfortable going into a new restaurant or store because you feel underdressed. Now, don’t get overdressed either (I almost tripped a girl I saw teetering around the UES in 3 inch high heels at 11 am today), but leave the sweats for your Sunday grocery shopping trip.

Which brings me to another recommendation: if you’re planning a staycation weekend, don’t let your mundane errands throw you off. Just do them somewhere new! A Fairway just opened in our neighborhood, and let me tell you–I have never wanted to go grocery shopping as much as I do. Now, you can’t hope they’ll put in a new grocery store every time you want to spice up your weekends at home, but you can drive to the next town over and explore their farmer’s market (something Wino will be more than happy to offer some tips about). And buy something new! The first time I went into Fairway, I pretty much died and went to heaven:

No more plain old brie for this girl.

Anyway, I don’t want to speak for Wino, but I’m excited to have a place to share advice and travel ideas, and even just reminisce (one of my favorite things to do in between trips). But I also don’t want anyone to think that we lead this lavish life of constant travel, or to think that there’s not adventure to be had right outside your front door. When you have the urge to travel the world and see everything, it’s easy to forget the excitement that’s happening within walking (and driving) distance from your own home.

xo, the Romantic

– all photos are my own