Everyone is used to taking their normal summer vacation with their family or friends, but unfortunately, this summer is going to be a bit different.
The pandemic has left most people feeling skeptical about getting onto a plane, causing them to cancel their vacation plans. Although you may not be able to hop on a plane and go to an exotic location as easily as usual, there are still plenty of ways to get out of the house and take some much needed time off. The best part? Going on vacation this summer doesn’t have to break the bank!
Camping
Camping seems like the real no brainer when it comes to alternative vacations this summer. State and National parks can be found all over the place in every state, coast to coast. Each one of these parks is a potential campground!
Chances are you probably are only an hour's drive from a State or National Park. Planning a camping trip doesn't have to be too much of a hassle – and let’s face it, there aren’t many cheaper vacation options than packing some bags and setting up camp somewhere.
Glamping
If sleeping on the ground in a tent drives you away from the idea of camping, that’s okay – lately, campgrounds are starting to realize people like a little more comfort in their camping experience. In response, many campgrounds have begun to offer premium cabin rentals. These cabins will typically have the same amenities of a hotel suite or Airbnb, but are located in the woods.
Take a look at specialty sites like UnderCanvas, which specialize in glamping in National Parks. This means that you can roast marshmallows at night under the stars, but still wake up in a comfy bed in the morning.
Road Tripping
What if you’re not an outdoorsy person though? Well going on a road trip might be the summer getaway for you then. Just rent an Airbnb, or hotel room at your destination, and load up the car! Hopping in a car and driving to your destination may seem old and outdated, but it’s still ridiculously fun.
There is no better feeling than going for a roadtrip with some family or friends. Those long drives provide the perfect opportunity to catch up with each other, and spend some real quality time together.
Drive a Recreational Vehicle (RV)
Maybe you’re still a little skeptical of staying in a hotel or Airbnb (completely understandable). You can still get the experience of taking a road trip without having to risk exposing yourself. Renting an RV is probably the best alternative to hotels, and sites like Outdoorsy make it easy even for beginners to rent.
RV parks are starting to open back up, so each passing day it's getting easier to find a place to park your RV overnight. Services like HarvestHosts can match you with breweries, wineries, and farms that will let you park overnight, while Boondockers Welcome will match you with private hosts willing to let you park on their property. If you don’t already have one, RV’s are fairly inexpensive to rent, and they double as your transportation and housing. So you really only have to worry about buying food on an RV trip.