Stay-Cations: Primitive to Premium

Have you heard the new rave? With the price of gas being so high, more families are avoiding vacations far from home and taking "staycations" - heading somewhere close to home for a little R&R at a reasonable price.

Well, I bet I'm not the first single parent to have figured this out a long time ago. One of the best parts of our summers is that we try to go camping a few times - and it really doesn't have to cost much.

Now, we are blessed with living in one of the most fabulous places on Earth here in Sonoma County. We live within an hour of no less than FIVE lakes, the Russian River and the ocean.

If water's not your thing, you can try some of our lovely redwood groves or lots of other county and state parks that have their special something to show you. How can we pass up heaven at a mere $15-30 bucks a night or so???

A quick google search for your county plus the work PARK is a good place to start looking at what your area has to offer. Also, you can head to parks.ca.gov for access to more than 270 parks statewide. Campgrounds range from "primitive" to "premium" in terms of accommodations.

For us, a sure bet is a KOA camp - wonderful for families that love clean showers and such. It's still only $20-40 a night, but they almost always come with a swimming pool and lots activities for families.

Some now feature a fabulous "Kamping Kitchen" which is a great covered area with access to stove burners, stovetop grills and even a microwave! Surely one of these places can entertain your family for a couple nights.

If you're a first timer, I would suggest getting up early on a Saturday, enjoying the campground or surrounding area for the day, checking in as soon as you can to set up your tent IN THE LIGHT (why do we always forget this part), and heading home Sunday. Don't overdo it, and you'll all want more!

Supply wise, just start with the absolute basics: tent, sleeping bags, flashlights, cooler, charcoal, weiner/marshmallow roasting sticks, and bug repellent. If it turns out you like camping, a more comprehensive list can be found on KOA's website under Family Zone.

For our family, we like three nighters. That way we can drive on, say, a Thursday, enjoy all day Friday and Saturday, and head home Sunday. We like having a couple days to relax that don't include driving and setting up or taking down.

And this can be done for only $100! Another $100 for food and activities and you're set! If this sounds expensive, it adds up to the cost of only one adult ticket to Disneyland. So enjoy your Staycations this summer, and spend some quality family time with your precious ones. They'll remember those times forever.