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7 Reasons Why Your Next Holiday Needs to be a Staycation

Updated February 15, 2026

It is that time of year. Christmas is over, it’s cold, and it still gets dark so quickly. The kids are feeling cooped up and you’re ready for a holiday, but the after Christmas bank account has other plans for you.

So how can you break up the winter months without breaking the bank? Have a Staycation!

Staycations are gaining popularity for a reason. We’ve listed 7 reasons why your next vacation should be close to home.

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Land Acknowledgement

This land has welcomed First Nations from across Turtle Island, and settlers and visitors from around the world. Alberta lands are part of Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10, and the homeland of the Métis.

Alberta Mamas respects and celebrates the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems and cultures of all Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit nations. We are striving to better listen, understand, and learn from the Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.

We are all Treaty people.

You can’t beat the drive

We ended up with a hotel about 20 minutes away which was perfect.

Who wants to sit in the car for three hours listening to the kids fight and ask “are we there yet?”. (If you have a longer car ride, try these activities to reduce the pestering!)

If you are in a rural area pick the closest major city and head out!

Packing is easy

Pj’s, swimsuit, sweatpants and a toothbrush. That’s it.

You aren’t going out anywhere fancy so you don’t need much. We went from the pool, to our room, and back again for two days and it was perfect.

A pool with a slide is all you need

Our kids are 6 & 9 and all they wanted to do was swim.

They spent hours chasing things down the slide, racing and timing each other, and even climbing up to the top.

There are hardly ever people there during the day so we often had the place to ourselves.

The kids are exhausted at the end of the day

We always get a hotel with a pool which means we swim a lot.

This also means that the kids are moving all day so when it’s time for bed they are TIRED.

You will have time for you

Let the kids know that this is your vacation too!

Let them play in the pool by themselves (if they are older and comfortable in the water) or watch too many cartoons while you read a book or scroll through Instagram.

You should come back relaxed too.

No cooking

Pick a hotel with breakfast included to make it even easier.

Head down in your pj’s!

The kids will think it is hilarious. Order pizza and pack a few snacks for movies to complete the experience.

It is a cheap way to get a holiday

No flight costs, gas costs, park passes, admission to tourist attractions or anything besides your hotel cost.

We usually use Travelocity or Expedia (tip: call the hotel front desk before booking through a third party website – sometimes they will beat the price by 10% to avoid going through them) and get a great deal on our hotel.

Often the best deals are last minute so check often!

    Do you do staycations? We would love to hear your tips!

    Can you make this article better?

    We’re always looking to improve! Have you noticed a spelling or information error, know of something we left out, or would like to share anything else, reach out to us!

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