By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Staycation. Noun. A short vacation spent close to home.

With soaring gas prices and airfare going through the roof, staycations are quickly gaining popularity among those who want a little break during the summer months.

“It’s definitely a growing phenomenon,” Ann’s Choice Transportation Manager Gene Karahuta says. “With the rising price of gas and plane tickets, I think it’s having an effect on how people travel these days. People are still taking those long trips, but many are also opting for the shorter, closer day trips.”

The spice of life
A staycation doesn’t mean you have less fun; it just means you don’t have to travel as far, Karahuta says. “Fortunately, living in an area as great as Philadelphia means we aren’t limited in the number of things we can do. We’re close to great entertainment, a million tourist attractions, and so much history.”

Karahuta organizes day trips for residents and Ann’s Choice priority list  members and says he does his best to find a wide variety of trips. He recently organized trips to sporting events, historic Harrisburg, Lancaster, and Ellis Island.

Ann’s Choice resident May Lukens says she often takes these short staycations and lets the Ann’s Choice  travel department take care of the details, including transportation and ticketing. She signed up this July to attend a Philadelphia Phillies game. “There’s always something going on,” Lukens says. “You have to check in pretty often to see where they are going because they add trips every day. If you have an interest, they have a trip for you.”

Play time
Karahuta says the location of Ann’s Choice, in Bucks County, means short day trips to the great local theaters in Philadelphia and New York City are among the most popular.