By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Staycation. Noun. A short vacation spent close to home. “We didn’t want to travel very far this year so we decided to take a staycation and enjoy all our hometown has to offer.”
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.
“We are seeing it right here at Maris Grove,” says the community’s Travel Coordinator Peggy Fralinger. “More and more of our residents are ditching their long trips to the shore and the excursions across the country to visit friends and family members in exchange for shorter, closer day trips. I think it most certainly has to do with the rising cost of travel.”
A staycation doesn’t mean you have less fun; it just means you don’t have to travel as far, Fralinger says. “And of course we’re so lucky to be in Delaware County—there is so much to do around here. We’re a short trip from so many great destinations.”
‘A dream of a lifetime’
Fralinger, who organizes trips for residents and priority list members of Maris Grove, recently set up a day trip to a Phillies game against the Cincinnati Reds. After the game the residents were able to run the bases at Citizens Bank Park and received a commemorative certificate after crossing home plate. “One resident told me it was a dream of a lifetime,” Fralinger says.
It was Kathleen Maculaitis’ first trip to see a major league game. “The seats were great,” she says. “As a Philly girl I was embarrassed I had never been to a game, but it was something I always wanted to do. If I didn’t live at Maris Grove, I don’t know if I would have ever gone. But Peggy and the transportation department make it so easy, and they handled all the details—from the tickets to the transportation,” she says. “Having gotten to run the bases, I’ve had an unforgettable experience that few people ever get.”