Artist: Emily Handy
Many come to the Lake Minnetonka area each year for their own vacations. If you put on your staycation goggles, you will see our community in a whole new light.
Changing our environment can be incredibly therapeutic. It’s why many of us travel. I grew up in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. We mastered the staycation. When you live in paradise, where are you going to go? What became pros at finding local activities and things to do. Over the years I’ve traveled a fair amount. When I travel, I’m filled with excitement over what new thing I might experience. I’ve come to realize that I don’t always see my own community the same way.
When I’m headed to a destination, even going back to Hawaii, I find something new to try. Most of us approach a vacation that way. A staycation is taking that same sense of discovery and using it to explore your own community.
Many come to the Lake Minnetonka area each year for their own vacations. If you put on your staycation goggles, you will see our community in a whole new light. Try it: Pretend you don’t live here.
Recently I did this and came up with what I think is a great itinerary of things to do and see. Did you know that right in Mound you can take a few friends or family members and enjoy a salt cave at WakeUp Fit? They pump healing salt into a room built with imported salt blocks from Pakistan. This is a great example of something I would do if I was out of town.
Sure, you can go to New York for dinner and a show, or you could go to the Old Log Theater in Excelsior. They have been around since 1940. In 2013, new owners updated the theater and restaurant. Loni Anderson and Steve Zahn got their start at the Old Log Theater.
The other bonus of a staycation is it’s a great opportunity to support our local businesses. Don’t forget to share your experiences through reviews on social media. I’m not giving up vacations, but I’m definitely seeing our community in a different light when it comes to staycations.
Local media maven Natalie Webster specializes in experiences that often push her outside of her comfort zone, and helps others stretch themselves, too.
