To get the most out of your vacation, careful planning is key. After all, a week at the ocean sets its own agenda - beach, boardwalk, maybe fishing or crabbing or parasailing. But to really enjoy your staycation - and to convince the kids that it isn't a sham - you need to invest some time. Map out activities day by day. Look for new places to go and things to do. Set a start time each morning, so half the day doesn't get whittled away. Resolve to turn off the TV. At the same time, strike a balance between scheduling and being flexible. Backon suggested letting each child pick a day's activity.
Amelia recommended starting with a Destination Maryland guide. Besides listing attractions it includes a Maryland Welcome! Passport card that promises savings at 250 attractions, restaurants, retailers and accommodations.
Or stop at the library to check out local guidebooks, make use of tourism Web sites and AAA's magazine for listings of events and attractions and discount offers, and even better, freebies. The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association's Web site lists restaurants offering dining deals and has printable coupons for free museum admissions.
When it comes to information on an area, local residents "think they know it all, but often they don't," Tim Leffel, travel columnist and author of Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune.
Leffel suggested coming up with a framework of plans but warned against overscheduling every minute.
"We as Americans are especially bad at that," Leffel said. "A lot of the most interesting things in travels are things you didn't plan on."
You can travel roads you've traveled a thousand times before, with a vacationer's eye. Baltimore's Charles Street and Falls Road in the city and Baltimore County, for instance, are among Maryland byways. The network of roads has its own guidebook, Maryland Byways, designed to take travelers off the interstates and highways and pointing out antique rows, farmers' markets, wineries, attractions and historic sites, such as the Baltimore Streetcar Museum on Falls Road and Homewood House Museum on North Charles. Or get out of the car and tour on foot, maybe with one of Baltimore Ghost Tours haunted walking tours of Fells Point and Mount Vernon.
For other specifics on where to spend time, here are some ideas from tourism officials and travel experts, even Wal-Mart.
