Have your summer vacation plans been dashed due to the global pandemic? Perhaps there is a way you can still take your paid time off (PTO) and enjoy a “staycation”!

Here are some ideas that Allovus Principal + Founder Hayley Nichols came up with. Enjoy!

Local hiking marathon

Once parks and trails are open to the public, why not plan a hiking marathon? Scour the internet for local hikes and hit the trails! Here are few ideas to get you started. If you’re headed to a Washington State Park, check to see if they are open here: Washington State Parks Covid-19 Update

• 9 Kid-Friendly Waterfall Hikes for Seattle-Area Families
• 9 Washington Hiking Trails So Beautiful You’ll Forget You’re Exercising
• This Haunted Hike In Washington Will Send You Running For The Hills
• The most ‘wow-worthy’ Pacific Crest Trail hikes in Washington

Beach Bumming

Beaches aren’t all open now, but when they are, scope out all the local ones and go beach combing.

Boating

Get your boating license now, so when things are open you are ready!

Health Kick

Get yourself healthy with a concerted effort to focus on you. Look for ways to meal prep healthy food, exercise, detox, and meditate.

DIY home improvement project

Hayley’s been doing some home improvements on her farm, and so has Allovus Systems Coordinator Karen Walker. See what they’ve been up to below.

Hayley’s “sandy beach” for her duck pond.

“I noticed the mama ducks and their ducklings were having a hard time getting out of our pond. So, I grabbed some of the mats from the barn and covered the grass along the shore. Then, I shoveled the sandy gravel on top to create a beach for them.”

Karen Walker’s room remodel

“I painted the tree when our daughter was 3 years old, so it was definitely time for a change (I’ve been promising her a makeover for last 2 years). We took out half of the built-in shelving in her closet, so she now has a reading nook (beanbag).

Our inspiration for the room was the antique mirror I bought a long time ago. Sydni wanted a very dark, sophisticated color for the main wall and chose the teal, which goes well with the antique white pieces. She also wanted it to reflect her adventurous (snowboarding) side. It’s a very small room. I think we did the best we could with the little space we had. It finally feels like a teen girl room now!”

Volunteering

Some people go on mission trips during their vacation—others will enlist with organizations who travel to underprivileged areas all over the world to help their fellow humans. If those are the kind of vacations you love, you can do that right here at home!

• Volunteer at local foodbank
• Pick up food from farmers and deliver to missions or food banks
• Organize a food and supplies drive for senior citizens who are hesitant about leaving their home to shop.
• Take over homeschooling for a day/week for a friend/family member via Zoom or Teams

Write a book

Have you ever wanted to write that great American novel? What better time than now? If you don’t have any experience writing, try joining a few of the local writing associations for help.

• Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA)
• Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Western WA Chapter

Organize family photos

Have you been meaning to organize that enormous box of family photos? Purchase some scrapbooks or albums and get the whole family involved in preserving precious memories.

Clear out your basement or garage

Does this sound fun? Maybe not, but you’ll feel better when it’s done.

Learn to cook

Take some virtual cooking classes or dive into recipe sites to get some ideas. Here are a few favorites:

• Food Network
• Paul Hollywood (from The Greatest British Baking Show)
• Masterclass has a culinary category with instruction from chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Aaron Franklin, Alice Waters, Thomas Keller, and Dominique Ansel.

We hope you find a way to “get away” without going too far from home!