Rising food and gas prices and a floundering economy are making weekend getaways more difficult. If you can’t leave your city, enjoy a staycation instead. Become a tourist in your hometown, taking advantage of all the sites you probably neglect in your everyday life. Why should tourists have all the fun? Remember to take your camera!



One of the fastest growing cities in the country, Atlanta has no shortage of sites to see. Start your staycation downtown. Visit the Georgia Aquarium and then head over to the World of Coca-Cola to learn the history of one of the world’s favorite soft-drinks. End the day with a walk through Centennial Olympic Park. Don’t forget to snap a few pictures in front of the Fountain of Rings. Be sure to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site and Ebenezer Baptist Church. Finally go shopping in Underground Atlanta.



Purchase a Go Chicago Card to ensure the best bargain entrance to some of Chicago’s most popular destinations. At the top of every visitor’s list of things to do in Chicago is to visit the Sears Tower, so plan to do that at some point during your staycation. Take a trip to Museum Campus to visit some of the city’s best museums. You’ll get the best view of the Chicago skyline from Adler Planetarium, so be sure to take a few postcard worthy pictures while you’re there. If you’d prefer to take a guided tour, hitch a ride through the Chicago lakefront and downtown areas on the Gray Line Hop on Hop Off tours.



There’s so much more to Detroit than 8 Mile! During the 1960s, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, and the Temptations dominated the music charts. Plan a visit to the Motown Historical Museum to see where the artists learned the lessons on the best way to deliver the Motown sound. The neighborhood around Wayne State University is bustling with activities. Don’t miss the newest exhibit at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. If you feel you must get away, take a short car ride through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.




First off take a trip to the Houston Zoo and experience "life in the wild" right in the middle of the city. If animals aren't your thing, visit the Natural Museum of Science or Space Center Houston. Visit the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. For shopping, the Galleria is a must stop. Don’t feel bad about spending. With all the money you’ve saved on air and hotel fares, you can afford to treat yourself to a few things!



First things first - on your staycation, take a break from dieting and yoga and all of the other health and fitness programs that everyone in LA seems to be involved in. Visitors from other cities in the U.S. are always encouraged to visit In-N-Out Burger, so you should do the same. Have a burger and fries – you’ll need the energy for the rest of the day’s activities. Visit Grauman’s Chinese Theater and see if your hands fit into any of the concrete handprints and footprints left by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Of course you must visit Hollywood and Vine and walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame.



There are innumerable amounts of things to do in the city that never sleeps. Take in a play on Broadway, or off-Broadway. Visit one of the cities numerous museums like the MoMa or the Met. Of course, a trip to New York isn't complete without a visit to Central Park. From roller skaters, to drummers, to break dancers, you never know what you'll see! You've probably seen those red double decker tour busses carting people around; schedule a trip on one. You're sure to see the city in a way (and from an angle) that you've never seen it while learning interesting facts that you may not have known. When you're done, try something new for dinner. You can find all kinds of restaurants in New York; consult a Zagat and choose a place.



Ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is making a comeback. Visit the New Orlean Museum of Art, which houses an astounding collection of art from Sub-Saharan Africa. For shopping, you'll want to check out Magazine Street where you'll find new and antique fares in the many boutiques. Tour the historic French Quarter and then climb aboard the Steamboat NATCHEZ for a tour of the city from the water. Finally have dinner on Bourbon Street. Try to get a seat at a restaurant where live jazz is playing.


Think the legislation on Capitol Hill is all that goes on in DC? Well you’re wrong! Take a trip to the U Street Corridor or Blues Alley, in Georgetown, to experience some of the best live jazz music DC has to offer. Of course if you have time you should visit the National Monument, and the White House, include a tour of the home of Frederick Douglass on you list of places to see, too. If shopping is what you’re into, you can find a mix of high end, trendy, and small boutique stores in Georgetown.

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