Plan, Save, Have a Fun Staycation

We hear a lot about exotic travel locations, but the fact is – most people limit their travel to within a one-day drive away from home.

There appears to be a greater in traveling within the states. Domestic vacations now make up 85 percent of American vacations, up 7 points from last year. That means that 13.9 million more vacations were taken within the U.S. compared to outside the country. Vacations are more likely to be a road trip, as 39 percent of U.S. leisure travel in the last 12 months included a road trip.*

“Everyone wants to save money and at TravelGirl magazine we’ve been for 15 years and one group that is really hot is the millennials,” said Stephanie Oswald, the co-founder of TravelGirl magazine. “They say there are savvy travels and love to use travel hacks to help them have a better trip. And one travel hack is using the right credit card using those reward points to pay for your travel and one card that has a lot of perks is the Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card because it has so many perks. You get 10 points for every dollar spent at IHG hotels such as InterContinental, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, and you get 2 points for every dollar spent on groceries, gas or restaurant meals. And when you redeem points for a stay that's 4 nights or more, you get a free night… every year that you own the card you get a free night on your anniversary. And staying at a hotel in your home town is one way to have an affordable staycation. For more information, visit www.Chase.com

Kids love video games and keep kids busy on that road trip. “It’s really important as parents to make sure we know what games our kids are playing,” said Oswald. “Periodically go through your kid’s game bag. Make sure your aware of all the games their playing and if there is anything you don’t like talk to them about it and make sure they are following the rules. There is a game that’s coming out this week I’m really excited about its called "Go Vacation" and it will put your whole family in the summertime mood. Players create their own Go Vacation character that can skateboard, sky dive, play tennis — there are more than 50 activities, so the kids can get excited about going on vacation during a road trip — whether they're going across country or just across town. For more information, visit www.Nintendo.com.”

Checking your local tourism board is a great place to start for your staycation.

If you live in Farmington Hills, Mi take a trip to the Holocaust Museum, take the kids to Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum. Take the family to Heritage Park and enjoy the nature center or take a hike. Visit tripadvisor.com/FarmingtonHills-MI for more great things to do, trip ideas, places to stay and more visit Pure Michigan.

For more information visit TipsOnTv.Com

More about Stephanie Oswald

"TravelGirl is more than a magazine - it's a feeling. Our readers will have the information they need for successful, practical and pleasurable journeys in today's ever-changing world. We'll make escape simple, whether it's a spa treatment at home - or a three week exotic adventure."

In print, on the Web or on-air, Stephanie Oswald knows how to tell a travel story. As the Editor-in-Chief of travelgirl magazine and a Web Correspondent for The Weather Channel, she reports on everything from stress-relieving spa treatments and unique escapes around the world to the human side of a hurricane. She is the co-founder of travelgirl-- the first national travel magazine to launch after the events of 9/11. The bi-monthly travel and lifestyle publication was chosen by industry leader Mr. Magazine as one of the "most notable" launches of 2003.

Oswald is a native New Yorker who spent 13 years globetrotting as CNN's travel correspondent and host of the weekend program, CNN Travel Now. Her CNN reporting took her everywhere from The Great Wall of China to The Grand Canyon. She's a savvy traveler-- whether it's a business or pleasure trip, international or domestic. In 2003, she also launched a groundbreaking series called The Weather Channel Road Crew that showcased the "fun" side of weather. In 2004, she filed written and audio reports during Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne as the very first Web Correspondent for Weather.com.

In addition to managing the editorial side of travelgirl magazine, she currently teaches Travel Writing Skills and Successful TV Presence at the Emory University Center for Lifelong Learning in Atlanta, and is a media consultant for Atamira Communications. She has also spent time as a Hearst Fellow at the University of Colorado in Boulder, teaching various aspects of TV journalism. In her personal travels she has hiked the Inca Trail and is headed for Mt. Kilimanjaro in the near future.

As anchor and correspondent for CNN Travel Now, a weekly program on worldwide destinations, travel trends and cuisine, Oswald specialized in adventure travel, filing reports from Europe, South America, Asia and the Caribbean. One series took her into the depths of Papua New Guinea for a rare and eye-opening look at the Huli Wigmen. Her reports also appeared on CNN Headline News, CNN in-flight programming for Delta Air Lines, CNN International and the CNN Airport Network.

In 1996, Oswald covered the Cultural Olympiad in Atlanta and received an Emmy for producing during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Her coverage of the serious side of tourism also included the impact of Great Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China and a journey highlighting the wonders of Northern Ireland. While at CNN, she also reported on travel industry issues including pilot fatigue, airline alliances and airport security.

Immediately after 9/11, she filed human interest stories on the crisis for CNN, and covered the impact on the travel industry for CNN Headline News during live studio reports.

In 1995, Stephanie was chosen to participate in the French-American Foundation Journalists Exchange Program. She has lived in both Paris and Strasbourg. During the Gulf War, Stephanie worked on CNN's international assignment desk, coordinating Saudi Arabia coverage. Before joining CNN, she was a general assignment news reporter for WCTV in Lynn, Mass. Oswald earned a journalism degree from Boston University, graduating cum laude. In addition to her love for travel, she also has a passion for music, horses, SCUBA diving and hiking.

Courtesy: Chase, Nintendo

Photo Courtesy: angrit CCO from pixabay

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* MMGYGlobal. (2018). 2017–2018 Portrait of American Travelers Study Released. [online] Available at: https://www.mmgyglobal.com/new... [Accessed 27 Jul. 2018].