For a lot of us, the best vacations of 2009, were the ones that folks took advantage of, right in their own backyards....especially if you are one of the families hit hard by this recession. However, before you start thinking, "aw, that aint no fun," think about this.

Vacations are meant to refresh us, not drain us emotionally, physically nor financially. For an average family, taking into consideration the cost of a vacation, during this economically unstable year, many could not comfortably afford it. Many chose to make the most of their vacation time by taking it at home, and visiting selected places of interest to see in their own local area.

Camping is the least expensive way to provide accommodations. Most people enjoy getting back to nature, keeping things simple, enjoying family time uninterrupted. If you have a big back yard, all the better. If not, camp sites are usually not too hard to find. Search the internet for your locality.

By visiting around your own home state, there is almost always places of interest and fun to be had. By making a hundred mile radius, in your area in which to visit, you will save a ton of money on travel expenses. Save the curises and air tickets for a more prosperous time.

Food is a necessity. However, picnic lunches and backyard barbecues are fun. Invite a few neighbors, friends and family and enjoy some relaxing time together. Have everyone bring a dish. An old-fashioned "pot-luck" supper.

Almost all towns and cities have parks, these can be fun for kids and just as relaxing for the bigger kids who took them there!

By vacationing locally, you not only save money, you can save yourself a lot of time and energy. Accommodations in hotels, if not booked super early can be hard to get. You've got to pack many suitcases and double-check to make sure you didn't forget something. Then there is the slight possibility your luggage can get lost. Or, heaven forbid, some unexpected problem pops up at the last minute, and you must cancel many reservations and most of the time you lose your hard-earned deposits!

Sleeping in a strange bed for a week, may or may not be comfortable. However, who does not enjoy coming home after a long vacation elsewhere and not look forward to sleeping in their own bed!

When you add up the benefits of staying home this year and weigh up the expenses and negatives of traveling afar, for most of us, this was the year to take your vacation at or near home.

Now, you saved money, you saved time, you saved frustration in making plans that may or may not have happened, you saved your energy for the most important people you love..your family. And, by the way, don't forget crawling into your own comfy bed at night, that's not too hard to take either!

Staying fairly local keeps the tourist money in your own state, too. More importantly, you will get the full benefits of what a vacation is suppose to do. Being refreshed, not drained physically, emotionally and financially... now that's a vacation worth thinking about, at least for 2009.

Learn more about this author, Victoria Rose Perkins.
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