Fourth of July Stay-Cation

While millions of travelers hit the road between July 3 and July 8, there is another option to save money and have fun.  Have a stay-cation!  Thankfully, there affordable ways to have fun in your hometown for the Fourth of July. Consider this seven-day stay-cation for your Fourth of July celebration!

July 1: Relax at the beach and bring a picnic with everyone's favorite lunch!  Enjoy building sandcastles, planning which fireworks you will attend during the week and making your own beach games.  You don't have to be outside of your hometown to make the beach feel like a vacation spot.

July 2: Grill out.  Spending time in your backyard together is a great way to get everyone relaxed while enjoying homemade food right off the grill.  Allow the kids to make the side items away from the hot grill so they have an important part in making dinner.
July 3: Make Fourth of July t-shirts.  Decorate shirts with flags, glitter, paint and markers.  Allow the whole family to make their own fireworks display on their t-shirt.  Hang the shirts to dry, and plan a day to wear them out together!
July 4:Get outdoors! Go on a walk or city bike ride. Stop along the way for snacks and photos at your favorite spots. Later that night, grab some dinner outside and pick your place for your city's fireworks display. Remember that the crowds will be busy and the bigger the city, the bigger the crowds!

July 5: Be a tourist for a day. Visit new areas of your city and try new restaurants. Take a lot of photos and make your own photo album of your town! Stop in stores that you have never been in and try something on that you may never wear out on the town!

July 6: Get scared and Get wet! Go to a local water park or amusement park. You can find discount tickets at a local grocery store or websites such as Groupon or LivingSocial. Plan ahead of time and make sure everyone gets to do what they want to do! Oh, and don't forget to have FUN!

July 7: End your week with a party and make Fourth of July pass plates. Make your own invitations before the party and invite everyone to bring a Fourth of July dish. Decorate cookies together at the party, play games for all ages, play water games and let off the last of your fireworks!