The big three-day weekend has finally arrived. At quittin’ time today families across America will be headed on trips to the beach or having backyard BBQs with family and friends. With gas prices so high, I heard on the news this morning that less will be traveling for the weekend. What’s a family to do?

According to “Good Morning America,” take a staycation. Love this term. I’ve been talking these up to friends for years. A staycation is when you make a vacation at home. Plan things around your home — either literally in your house, or in your city. GMA showed how to change your backyard into a fun area for the entire family by adding games like croquet.

Here are some more ideas:

• Parents night in. Years ago, many, many years ago, the famous “General Hospital” couple Felicia and Frisco Jones didn’t have money for a honeymoon. If memory serves me right, a good friend of theirs put them up in his penthouse (nice friend) and created a honeymoon with special themes. Each night was a different theme. One night was a Paris bistro with Beret’s and twinkling white lights and French music playing. Another night was an Arabian theme with an I Dream of Jeannie-like outfit, a tent and Arabian music to set the mood. You get the idea. You may not be able to be as free with the ideas as a soap opera, but it may spark an idea of your own. Put the kids to bed and have a creative honeymoon night of your own. (Watch the video at the bottom of the post to see the Arabian night.)
• Turn your backyard into a water park. If you don’t own a pool, don’t sweat it. Get a $5 wading pool, one of those wacky sprinkler attachments and let the kids have a blast getting soaked.
• Camp in your back yard. Pop up the tent, bring out the smores (use the grill) and have fun sleeping under the stars. Camping bonus — the bathroom is only a few feet away. If it’s raining or too hot where you live, put the tent in the living room and have a sleep-in!
• Visit your area tourist attraction. It could be a children’s museum, water park, theme park, or just the regular city playground. Pick up the tourist booklets you see around town and be a tourist in your own backyard.
• Go shopping. There are always great Memorial Day sales going on. Check out your local newspaper for sales and stock up on sale items.
• Make it a picnic. Box up that lunch and head to the fields with a red checkered blanket and a Frisbee or kite.

The idea is to be creative. Don’t just stay home this weekend — make it a staycation.

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