Staycations by Shawn Dell Joyce on Creators.com

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Staycations

About 1.3 percent fewer Americans are expected to fly this summer than last summer, according to the Air Transport Association. Which may be good news for the environment, since a single transatlantic flight for a family of four creates more carbon emissions than that family will generate domestically for an entire year.

Instead of making pricey travel plans this year that damage the environment as well as your bank account, take a local vacation, or "staycation." This is a chance to rediscover the beauty of your home region by taking the time to visit cultural attractions and natural places that you may be too busy to see in your daily routine.

A staycation does not mean staying home and doing yard work, or the list of jobs you've been putting off for the past year. "Instead," suggests Pauline Frommer of Frommer's Travel Guides, "become a tourist in your own hometown." Plan to see tourist attractions, historic sites, take an art class, learn to swim or a number of small adventures you always wanted to do if you had the time.

A fringe benefit of staycations is that you develop a deeper connection to your community and hometown. People feel more connected to a place when they experience the history and natural beauty of it firsthand. Try to see something different each day — a different spectacular view, a different museum, a new restaurant. At the same time, you benefit your local community by pumping vacation money into the local economy.

Some staycationers go so far as to camp in a nearby campground to get away from the daily routine. If you are addicted to technology, and can't imagine a day without email or Internet, then consider leaving the house and staycationing in a local campground or Bed and Breakfast. You'll still save gas money and travel expenses, but you'll feel refreshed after being away from the computer for a few days.

Here are a few tips for a successful staycation:

— Explore the rail trails in your area by bicycle.

Most communities have rail trail projects connecting larger cities by walking and biking paths. Explore your area by riding in five miles sections each day. (www.railtrails.org)

— Go to the local tourism office or website for a list of historic sites and museums to visit.

— Spend a Saturday touring farms and farm markets in your region to find out what is grown locally, and get a fresh delicious taste of the local flavors. (www.localharvest.org)

— Pick a nearby town on the map, and spend the day walking through the whole town, antiquing, eating in local restaurants, and getting a real sense of the history and culture of the place.

— Take an art, music or acting class. Do something you always said you would do if only you had the time.

If you really must go out of town, make your vacation as green as possible:

— Stay in a green hotel when possible. If you strive to be green at home, why not on vacation as well? (www.greenhotels.com, www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com)

— Travel with friends, and share the costs and carbon of each car trip. If you carpool, then share a vacation rental including meals. You form tighter friendship bonds, use less gas and eat out less.

— Consider a working vacation, and volunteer to work on an organic farm located in a place you wish to visit. Many countries also have programs for whole families to spend a vacation working as part of a relief effort. (www.globeaware.org, www.globalvolunteers.org)

— Offset the carbon emissions from your air travel by purchasing carbon offsets through the airline or www.carbonfund.org.

Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning columnist and founder of the Wallkill River School in Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at Shawn@ShawnDellJoyce.com. To find out more about Shawn Dell Joyce and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.