Holiday Weekend Vacation and Staycation Ideas
By angelamontana

Posted: August 30, 2013
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(fromthefloorsup.com)

Is the wildfire smoke in Montana scaring you from camping this holiday weekend?  Well, how about a staycation where you can camp at home?  Pick an area in your house that you can set up like a campsite.  Put a tent up, grab the sleeping bags, and you and the fam can camp out in the comforts of your home!  You can do everything that you would normally do if you were out camping with better air to breathe!  If you really want the full effect, you could actually even light a fire in your fireplace, if you have one, but otherwise, due to it heating up the house, you could just turn the television on to an image of a burning campfire. You can even get creative and leave all the lights off in your house for the night/weekend, and only use flashlights, like you would if you were out camping.  Scavenger hunts, games, and camp food can still be a part of your indoor camping night/weekend!

If you aren’t interested in a staycation, and you have been looking forward to getting out of town this Labor Day weekend, then I would suggest to go anywhere that the smoke is not.  I realize that is common sense, but maybe you are so focused on getting out of town that you didn’t even think about how smoke could affect your getaway weekend.

old-montana-prison

powellcountymontana.com

You could try something historical.  Have you and the family been to Deer Lodge lately, for example?  The old prison and the car museum are pretty awesome and interesting.  Nothing beats learning…especially when it’s fun!  This could be guaranteed fun for the whole family.  Or how about Glacier National Park?  That is always a great destination, too.  Going to the Sun Road NEVER gets old.  Checking out major Lewis and Clark expedition sites could be a great way to spend the weekend, too.  Once again, learning can be fun!  Be sure to bring your fishing poles if you head out on the road, but also make sure to check out the latest fishing closures and restrictions before fishing any Montana bodies of water by visiting fwp.mt.gov.   If you are going to a recreational site, maybe you could bring your bow to get ready for archery season opening next weekend.  There is no such thing as too much practice!

Some might even like the idea of staying home this weekend and catching up on housework, maybe winterizing the camp trailers and boats, painting the spare bedroom you have put off for the last year or maybe fixing your breaks.  How about not doing anything?  That’s enjoyable sometimes, too.  Kick off your shoes, put on some lazy clothes and grab the remote–or rent some movies–or curl up to a good book.  Even better yet, bust out the laptop, and log onto montanaoutdoor.com to see all of the latest outdoor news and information in Montana!  Don’t forget to set your alarm for 6am on Saturday morning to listen to the radio show live, too!

For the socialites of Missoula, there is always the good ol Labor Day weekend bbq!  There’s nothing like sitting back, eating some good food off the grill and cracking open a cold beer (or whatever beverage you prefer).  Good conversation, bbq food, laughing and music are always a fantastic combination, regardless of where you are.

There are so many places to visit and things to do in our beautiful state, I can’t enforce enough to be careful in the smoke.  Make sure you and your pets are not over-exerting yourselves out there.  Your animal family members should definitely be protected from the smoky air, too.

Whatever you end up doing this weekend, make it memorable.  There will never be another Labor Day weekend 2013, so have the time of your life…safely!

(Cover Photo: rent.sheaapartments.com)

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