In its summer trends report, Airbnb noted an increase in staycations, with more travelers searching for trips within 300 miles of their homes. The report led at least one magazine to declare that “2025 is Officially the Year of the Summer Staycation.”
Fortunately, New England offers an endless array of local experiences for people to enjoy.
A staycation can take many forms. For some, it’s staying in a luxury hotel nearby and eating at a fancy restaurant, while others might enjoy taking in rural landscapes and spending time camping or in a cabin. Others spend as much time as possible in community pools or by other bodies of water. And then there are those who seek to explore New England’s many historic locations.
As an early-career professional who is new to Boston, every weekend feels like an opportunity for a staycation. I find travel planning to be a bit overwhelming, and I’m also cost-conscious, so staycations have allowed me to be more intentional with my weekends.
When planning a staycation, I typically look for an opportunity to relax, recharge, and slow down to enjoy things I might not have a chance to during the week.
Recently, this has meant exploring the numerous galleries Boston has to offer, as they often take me to new parts of the city, allow for moments of meditation, and provide opportunities to make new friends.
One weekend of excursions began early with the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston’s free Thursday night gallery entry, where I saw the ICA’s portrait collection and Sara Cwynar’s “Alphabet,” a self-made, commissioned, downloaded, and found photo installation that interrogates today’s image-saturated culture, utilizing collage aesthetics. Then I grabbed a sweet treat at the gallery’s outside bar and watched the boats pass by while reading “Couplets: A Love Story” by Maggie Millner.
Then, on Friday, I perused the galleries, shops, and showrooms open in SoWa for their monthly First Friday. There, I saw exhibits like Campbell-Lynn McLean’s first solo exhibition, “On Hissing Summer Lawns,” at LaiSun Keane, and Nadya Volicer’s exhibit, “Whose Secrets We Carry,” at the Boston Sculptors Gallery.
Another weekend’s staycation was a continuation of my art exploration, taking me to Provincetown via the ferry.
I walked up and down Commercial Street, people-watching while eating a homemade buttermilk biscuit from Pop+Dutch sandwich shop and popping in and out of the galleries that pepper both sides of the street, such as Greg Salvatori Gallery and the Bob Gasoi Memorial Art Alleyway.
Inside the Provincetown Public Library, I learned about the history behind the Rose Dorothea Schooner model ship that took up the center of the second floor, and obtained a few DVDs from the library’s free giveaway shelves at the entrance.
Later, after visiting more shops like the Old Baby and Whalers Wharf, I enjoyed a grilled chili dog on a toasted buttery New England-style frankfurter roll from John’s Footlong on the beach and grabbed one of ScottCakes’ signature cupcakes with pink icing before heading back to the city.
This was followed by Cambridge residents welcoming me into their yards for live music at the city’s first Porchfest. From Dana Park through River Street, music flowed from block to block while attendees roamed the area.
Yet, as much as I enjoy exploring, sometimes the most important part of a staycation is the opportunity to do nothing.
To avoid the heat, one weekend I set up shop in my living room and watched a few movies and TV shows that I’d been meaning to catch up on, including “Opus,” starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich; the Boston-based romantic comedy “What’s Your Number,” starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans; and Lena Dunham’s Netflix show, “Too Much,” starring Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe.
Just about anything can feel like a vacation in this city, I’ve discovered, even just grabbing a coffee and pastry from 1369 Coffee House and sitting for a while to read a book.