Home-grown holidays

Staycations are growing in popularity thanks to a weak Canadian dollar and higher unemployment rates

Staycations – you've likely heard of them. They're a vacation taken close to home (home can mean St. Albert, Alberta, or anywhere in Canada), and they're more popular than ever.

Numbers bear this out. The Conference Board of Canada shows staycations Canada-wide are up 6.1 per cent, with 41.6 per cent of Canadians saying they'll spend their summer holidays at home. Experts point to several factors for the upswing in home-grown holidays: a weaker economy with less favourable exchange rates (off about 30 per cent compared to the U.S. dollar), plus higher unemployment numbers and lower gas prices, due to falling world oil prices.

Analysts say that people still want to holiday, but may not have as much to spend. Some people want to tighten the purse strings in these uncertain economic times. The result is more of the holiday at home – car road trips, camping and time spent at the local park and pool.

"Albertans are some of the country's most-travelled citizens, and they're looking for low and no-cost ways to enjoy summer. It's definitely a growing trend," said Karen Ward, Travel Alberta's director of consumer marketing for North America. The group works with tourism partners in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Jasper and others to promote staycations among Albertans (85 per cent of tourists/visitors in the province are fellow Albertans). "Some of our partners encourage friends and family to visit from elsewhere in Canada, and we support those initiatives – it helps boost local economies."

"Everyone is aware of the Rockies in Alberta, so we want to encourage small town visits, road trips and the 'hidden gems' that locals and visitors can all discover; the off-the-beaten-path idea," she said. "And it can be as simple as a day's drive, only costing you gas money and a lunch."

With tourism currently an $8 billion industry annually in Alberta, communities and governments see the potential in drawing more visitors. When the energy sector suffers, tourism gets stronger. And that stable income and opportunity to diversify the economy is appealing to any city's bottom line – St. Albert's included, says Dawn Fedorvich, economic development officer with the City of St. Albert.

"Staycations have a great impact on our economy. They lead to increased local spending (and therefore increased employment opportunities) at restaurants, shops, gas stations, etc.," she said. "Staycations also increase pride of place, in that as residents have great experiences locally, it instills a greater sense of pride in their hometown and they in turn tell others – and word of mouth helps spread the message."

Fedorvich said the city is working with local attractions and businesses to move toward more interactive, engaging experiences – tours, dining and more. Beyond what visitors expect of attending the farmers' market, Children's Festival or Enjoy Centre, the City hopes to up the ante with "value-added extras to grow the capacity of our local attractions."

The Botanical Loop is a good example. The free bus runs every Saturday from June to September between the city's botanical attractions (St. Albert Botanic Park, Enjoy Centre, Farmers' Market). This year, recorded on-board tour information will feature local voices, like Jim Hole for the Enjoy Centre, etc., enhancing the experience for riders.

"We also want to attract more people to places like VASA (Visual Arts Studio Association) and the botanic park," said Fedorvich. "We all travel locally – camp, go to the mall, concerts and football. Our job is to give people visiting the capital region a reason to come to St. Albert, to extend their weekend at West Edmonton Mall. There's opportunity for eco-tours and active exploration too, at Lois Hole Centennial Park and Big Lake, or Riverlot 56."

Geocaching is ‘cach'ing on

Essentially, it's a world-wide treasure hunt, where 'hunters' check a locale on a website and – armed with clues and GPS coordinates – go hunting. Geocaching is a growing pursuit, according to City of Edmonton recreation technician Sarah Burrill, who said there are 'hundreds of geocaches in the capital region. They are usually small (hand-sized or smaller, like a pill-bottle) waterproof containers with something inside and a log book to record that you've found it. Some have themes; some offer a coin or a little toy, a prize or surprise of some kind for the finder.

"You take something and put something back, and you don't tell. It's more exciting for each seeker to find it on their own," said Burrell, who organizes city programs on the hobby. "There are meet-up groups and programs for all ages, and Hawrelak Park has six or seven live geo-caches sites. Some people make it a competition among friends, or go it on their own when out for a walk. As long as you're respectful of the area you're looking in, you can find geo-caches in or under rocks, trees, and you name it." Word has it there are geo-caches in St. Albert. Remember: if you seek and find, don't tell.

Feel like a festival?

Festivals run non-stop through July and August all around the capital region. In St. Albert, classic car buffs will descend for next month's Rock 'n August, but up first there's the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival (until July 17), a pay-what-you-will parade of silly, spectacular fun on Sir Winston Churchill Square. And for value, it's hard to beat K-Days (July 22 to 31) at Northlands grounds, where 20 concerts over 10 days on two stages can be had all for the price of one pass.

Scenic road trips

With gas less than a buck a litre these days, it makes economic sense to take a road trip – short or long. Ward said there are suggested itineraries for scenic drives of varying lengths on the Travel Alberta website, but you can, of course, fashion your own to suit your budget; kid-friendly, fun factor, etc. As Ward reminds, these are inexpensive drives that can be taken for just the cost of a meal and full tank of gas.

Did you know there's a new distillery in Turner Valley? A Rocky Mountain House to Lethbridge historic drive will take you to the spot where top quality gin is created from Alberta grains. How about the Scandinavian Trail – historic homes, Markerville, an authentic Viking ship, and Danish cuisine at the Saga Café?

Closer to home, Ward recommends the 'world's largest' road trip, running east of Red Deer and Edmonton and including the world's largest Ukrainian Easter egg in Vegreville, sausage in Mundare, golf tee in Trochu, and pyrogy in Glendon.

Mystery tour

If you're an adventurous sort, you may like the idea of a coach tour to parts unknown. My curious side sees me off on just such a four-day adventure in mid-July with St. Albert-based Promotion Tours. I'm told to be at the bus at 7:30 Sunday a.m. and that's all I know. Accommodations and some meals are included, and the only hint I've been given is to bring a camera to catch the stunning scenery and wildlife. I'm guessing Jasper, Lake Louise or Banff, but who knows? I'm bringing my bathing suit and a sense of fun and the rest is an exciting staycation-style exploration of this beautiful province.

A staycation need not be a 'lesser-than' vacation. There are as many unique, exciting, quirky or majestic things to do and discover close to home as anywhere far away, often for much less cost. Peruse the websites, pick up a brochure at the Chamber of Commerce office and hit the open road. You won't have to travel far.