Extreme Staycations

Many have bemoaned the rise of the so-called staycation—if not in concept, than certainly in lexicon. (Disclaimer: Whether the fledgling economy deletes your vacation or not, I fully support treating your hometown as a destination.) Even so, my eyebrows are sufficiently cocked at what the Wall Street Journal recently proposed as an extreme iteration of the trend, a term I’d like to unofficially coin as the “fake-ation.”

The WSJ reports:

While more hard-pressed Americans are spending their vacation time at home lately, not everyone is happy about it. Barbecues and reruns don't match the thrill of travel. So some are going to great lengths to foster the illusion of a wayfaring vacation. They'll sample foreign tourism, wilderness camping, hotel living, and beach-going without ever leaving their living rooms.

The WSJ goes on to chronicle a few such intrepid staycation-goers’ plans. Take Karen Ash, for instance, of New York. Her weeklong Japanese vacation will include buying postcards and souvenirs at a traditional Japanese market, admiring bonsai plants, watching Japanese films, eating ramen (and even ordering in Japanese!)—all without leaving the Bronx:

The only thing American about Ms. Ash's trip, she insists, will be the U.S. dollar she uses to buy her miso soup. Her detailed itinerary includes participating in a tea ceremony at the Urasenke Chanoyu Center in the Upper East Side, a taiko drumming concert in the Upper West Side, reading Japanese newspapers and an evening of watching "trashy Japanese soap operas" on DVD. She'll stroll around the city with her fanny pack and camera, unafraid of conspicuously looking like a tourist.

But even more unconventional is the story of Bob Porter, an Oregon literary editor who moonlights as a staycation planner (has it really come to this?). As a joke last spring, Porter reimagined a friend’s apartment like a hotel, complete with  “Do Not Disturb” signs and fresh soaps and towels in the lavatory. The stunt has spread by word-of-mouth, and his faux-hotel outfitting has emerged as a small side business (from $50 for two nights). Wake-up calls, maid service, and even room service (delivery from a local restaurant) are all part of the deal. 

Call me goofy, but for me, the thrill of travel has little to do with tiny shampoo bottles or jarring wake-up calls. 

What do you think? Would you pay someone to transform your home into a hotel?

Photo: Charlie Quinn

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Comments

[Jamie]

I might, if they included a free kids club...

[Jamie]

I might, if they included a free kids club...

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

I don't think so.......

How about charting your own adventure close to home......tons of people don't know about all the fun and exciting things to do in their own backyards.

[Celia Paschoal]

This summer I've decided to rediscover DC with my five yrs son Gabriel. We ventured on DC Ducks tour and we learned a lot about DC. Then we visited lots of museums and different small gardens and places in DC (we visited a small version of the Spanish steps) between Florida Ave and Phelps Street by the Russian Cultural Center. We visited lots of Embassies and learned so much about other countries and how charming Washington, DC is. All that for less than $50 dollars. Staycation is one way of rediscovering your town and finding out forgotten things that you pass by everyday and don’t notice anymore. I am all for it if you are in a low budget and get afford a trip to another country or town.

[Mazda Bob]

What if the refrig was stocked with free beer?

[Katie]

@Mazda Bob: That would help, but the free beer fridge you're referring to was, admittedly, made much exciting by the crashing waves of the Pacific just a few steps away:

http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/it/2008/06/a-winning-pair.html

[Emily]

If the $50 weekend included maid service, I'd hire him in a heartbeat. And yes, tiny shampoo bottles do give me a thrill. In fact, I always take them with me from hotel rooms and when I'm feeling in the need for something new at home, I whip them out in the middle of the week and wash my hair with a new shampoo. Seems crazy, but the change in shampoo smell perks me up. Clearly I'm easy to please...