It's Summer!!!
So What'cha Gonna Do? Ever Heard of a Staycation?

This issue of The Urban Shaman explores the possibilities of Staycations. Let your creativity lead you to some of the best times of your summer without leaving the city, county or state. And I have included some safety precautions to follow before you go to the beach....

Remember, Life is short, play hard!
Peace n' Blessings,
Gail


Take a Staycation!

What does it mean? Staycation is a portmanteau that combines “stay” and “vacation” and refers to a holiday that takes place either at or near home.

With the economy sagging and the nationwide average price for unleaded regular gas passing $4 per gallon and $10+ internationally, a pricey destination might not be in the cards for many people. Staycations are the newest alternative and can take many forms, including backyard camping “expeditions” and romantic “escapes” to a local hotel, chartered boat cruises around your local marina and dinner, Let your creativity come up with the ultimate Staycation.

Imagine the perfect summer vacation: Swimming in clear blue water, tennis and a little bicycling, barbecued meals, a concert under the stars, a ball game with fireworks, maybe even a museum or two …. and all for free.

Well, okay, not for free – but for a fraction of what other people will pay.

How? By Vacationing at Home

Depending, of course, on where you live, the home-based vacation — also known as a "staycation" — can be a great alternative to an expensive two- or three-week trip, assuming you plan it well and really treat it as a true vacation. My family and I have done it a couple of times, and we had a ball.

The Do's and Dont's

First, treat the home vacation as a real vacation, not just a poor alternative. That means preparing. Pay the bills ahead of time, just as you would before traveling. Mow the lawn and do the other chores you’d finish before leaving on a trip, so they don’t hang over you on your vacation.

Get hold of some local travel guides — the ones out-of-towners would get. Around home, we all fall into patterns, and there may be all sorts of local attractions you’ve forgotten or never knew about.

Plan a list of activities just as you would if you went to Rome or Athens, else you fritter the days away.

Set a budget — something less than you’d spend traveling but more than you’d spend in your regular routine at home. Don’t get too frugal. If you’re saving a bundle on airfares and hotels, you can splurge on meals and entertainment.

Get everyone to pitch in. There may be practical reasons that Mom or Dad is the chief cook and bottle washer the rest of the time, but that’s no excuse for saddling the same person with the chores now.

In fact, all but the most essential chores should be avoided. One of the biggest threats to a home vacation is the feeling that, “Well, I’m home and have some time… Maybe I can finally get to tidying up the garage…”

Absolutely not – this is a vacation!

By Jeff Brown
© 2008 MSNBC Interactive


I have done this a few times this year... I pack up or buy a really good lunch and head down to the beach or up the hill to my local park (which overlooks the city) and enjoy the great outdoors. Or sometimes I choose to stay at home... I clean the house top to bottom before the weekend, make sure I have all my provisions (favorite foods and wine, bath salts, essential oils (lavender, ylang ylang, rose geranium), pull the candles out to change the atmosphere) turn off the phones and enjoy my own spa/retreat...

Some Ideas:

Hire one of the many mobile spa practitioners and enjoy a spa night complete with facial, massage, mani-pedi without leaving home.

Have exotic foods from other country’s delivered and do a theme night/weekends... Brazilian Food and drinks, Clothes, Brazilian Music, ect...

I love the idea of a backyard camp-out, gazing at stars, mallo-mars, grilled dinner and breakfast.
(and thank God you don't have to do your bizness in the bushes) Or if you can get a reservation,
go to your local campground, rents some tents and go for it.

Go on a foto safari... it's amazing whats in your own backyard/city/county/state.

Silent Meditation Retreat at home (these can cost thousands of dollars if you go to India)... going within, and discovering yourself. Do some yoga, go for mindfull meditation walks, be with yourself! Who know you might like who you meet...

Unplug the devices... WOW, now that's a thought... No phones, pda's, email, answering machines, TV, ect....
Can you do it? I dare you! Everything will be handled, you are not indispensable and it's great for your mental health.

Amtrak it!
Pacific Surfliner in Southern California

The Pacific Surfliner Route lies in a generally northwest by southeast direction along the Pacific Coast of California, connecting the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. There are Amtrak motor coach connections between the Pacific Surfliners and the San Joaquin Valley. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliners also share some station facilities with Amtrak's Coast Starlight, and rail commuter services in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties.

For instance, From Los Angeles’ Union Station, $34.00 will get you to San Diego’s Old Town on Friday night where you can hang out at the Zoo, the Safari Park, Jazz Clubs, Spas... ect... and you can return Sunday night and be refreshed.

Or go to the beach in Santa Barbara.... the train station is blocks from the beach, great little hotels and plenty of restaurants... $15-$19-$23.00 one way...
Wow, that’s cheaper than going to the beach in your car, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and paying to park... Once again leave on a Friday, come back Sunday... You don’t even need a car and you’ll feel like a million bucks when you get back.

Amtrak even has diner cars, snack cars and beverage service to make your trip even more relaxing...
Explore you options at:

http://www.amtrak.com
http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak

Healthy Beaches
by Paul McRandle

The dog days of summer are rolling in and your local beach may be the best place to cool off away from the heat of the city. But before you bodysurf on the swells, you'll want to be sure you'll leave as healthy as you entered.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) most recent report on national water quality, 2006 saw more beach closures than any of the 17 years NRDC has been monitoring them. High levels of bacteria in water were the occasion for over 60 percent of those closures and advisories. A third were due to pollution carried by rainfall into swimming waters. Beach closures in 2007 saw no change from 2006 levels, according to the EPA.

The risks of bacteria in water range from the unpleasant, such as ear, nose and throat infections, to the serious-cholera, hepatitis and amoebic dysentery. Even beaches regarded as safe can hold startlingly high levels of bacteria, found Dr. Andrew Rogerson, who headed up an EPA study of Florida beach sand. Bacteria concentrates in sand as water rises and recedes with the tides, leaving both wet sand and the dry sand just beyond it more heavily contaminated than the water.

And be careful of the elements as well. Sunscreen and sun protective clothing will shield your skin. Check for undertow or riptide warnings and swim parallel to the shore if you intend to swim a long distance.

Pregnant women, children, the elderly and those with a weakened immune system need to be particularly diligent about checking for advisories, but everyone should follow these basic precautions at the beach:

* For recent beach closings and information on how to find out if your favorite swimming spot is currently home to unsafe levels of bacteria, see the EPA's Beach Advisory and Closing on-line Notification (BEACON) site and Earth911's Beach Water Quality pages. Beaches that aren't listed may not be monitored regularly.

* Swallowing water is the most frequent way swimmers are exposed to bacteria, so keep your head above the waves.

* Avoid swimming near flowing stormdrain outlets, outfalls or runoff ditches. A study of City beaches beaches found that swimmers near stormdrains had a 57 percent greater chance of fever than those swimming over 400 yards away.

* Don't swim alone and don't dive into water you haven't been in previously.

* Don't swim after a heavy rain or near trash.

* Keep an eye on the waves-don't be caught unawares by large ones.

* Shower after visiting the beach.

* Disinfect cuts or abrasions to avoid infection.

* Those with suppressed immune systems should be checked for cuts both before and after swimming.

To help preserve the health of our beaches:

* Some chemical preservatives and stabilizers in sunscreens can damage coral reefs. For reef-safe lotions, see our Sunscreen Buying Guide.

* To protect your beach, contact the Surfrider Foundation (www.surfrider.org).

* Since the stormwater runoff accounted for the majority of closures, support measures to reduce runoff in your community.

The Green Guide @ 2008

Ever Wonder Where Your Plastic Bottles Go and Look Like When
You Don't Recycle?
Be responsible!
(or get a stainless steel bottle and filter/ionize/bottle your own water)

we only have One Planet. Play nice...