Atlanta was the best vacation I took this summer

For many Atlanta residents, the summer of 2026 will be remembered as staycation summer.

Summer travel reached its lowest point in six years with only 45% of Americans planning a vacation with overnight stays. Higher costs for gas, groceries and hotels are the reasons Americans said they opted to stay home or close to home this summer. We were willing to forgo the larger expense of a big trip and instead use those savings to pay for essentials or enjoy smaller luxuries.

“It reflects a deeper shift in how workers are navigating financial and economic pressures,” says Vicki Salemi, a Monster.com career advice expert. “In some cases, that means replacing trips with local activities. In others, it means working more instead of taking time off.”

I wasn’t trying to embrace a trend. I was trying to make the best of a summer that didn’t unfold the way I had planned.

I discovered that a staycation doesn’t have to be the consolation prize. Sometimes it can be exactly the vacation you need.

Though staycations have existed in the U.S. for decades (the first recorded use of the word appeared July 18, 1944, in the Cincinnati Enquirer), they didn’t become a branded trend until 2008.

And in almost 20 years’ time, the idea of getting away by not getting away has not always been accepted. Some people love the idea of a staycation, and some people love to hate it.

We view summer vacation or any vacation as a moment to escape the routine, feel a sense of freedom and, sometimes, try on a different persona.

It may feel hard to do that in your own home or hometown, but discovery and reinvention are born of curiosity. A staycation can remind us to be interested in the people and places we overlook in our everyday lives.

I’m convinced that staycations should become a routine part of our vacation planning rather than the fallback option we resort to when we are tight on time or money.

If there ever was a year for Atlanta residents to embrace a staycation, this was it. With the World Cup in our backyard, we had 31 days of vacation-style vibes right in the city.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors from dozens of countries gave us the opportunity to chat with travelers and see the city through the eyes of strangers who often appreciated the attributes we take for granted.

Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)

We dressed up in clothing we normally would not wear (soccer kits, anyone?) and we visited South Downtown, a neighborhood many locals have not experienced. One of my friends so deeply embraced the relaxed, joyful atmosphere surrounding the World Cup that she said it felt like her best summer in 30 years.

Initially, I fell into the trap of feeling cheated as if I was sacrificing a summer of fun. But as summer comes to an end and kids are heading back to school, I feel much like my friend does.

It isn’t always easy to view the city you live in with fresh eyes, so I consulted Kimberly Stroh and the fourth edition of “100 Things to Do in Atlanta Before You Die.”

Stroh has spent years sharing information and perspectives on the local travel scene.

Having lived in and reported on metro Atlanta for the past 20 years, I was sure I had the city well covered. But as I went through the book, highlighting each of the things I have done over the past two decades, I was left with 16 items to complete before I check out.

I enjoy a good diner, but the Silver Skillet, the retro diner on 14th Street with award-winning Lemon Icebox Pie, was missing from my list. Despite my love of peaches, I’ve never been to the 330-acre Southern Belle Farm in McDonough to pick my own during the midsummer stretch when they are at their juicy best. According to Stroh, I also need to take a helicopter ride piloted by former military aviators at the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum in Hampton.

I decided to visit Trilith, the 34-stage, 700-acre development built by billionaire Dan Cathy, chairman and former chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A. My colleague Rodney Ho wrote about his experience taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the film and television complex, and while I saw the trolley ferrying visitors around on a Saturday afternoon, I opted to walk through the town instead, stopping at each of the restaurants and retail shops.

As the afternoon sun gave way to rain clouds, I considered hitting Trilith Cinemas to see “The Odyssey,” but losing three hours inside a theater felt like it would diminish the vacation vibe, so I ducked into the local gelato shop to people-watch and wait for the rain to pass.

Instead of trying to convince myself I was somewhere else as I might have done in the past, I stayed present all summer, appreciating the sights and sounds of metro Atlanta.

I drove to Conyers for no real reason. I searched for and found a warehouse store in town that sells soccer gear. I finally hung out at Truist Park and went to a Braves game for the first time in a decade since the team left downtown Atlanta.

None of these experiences required a plane ticket or a passport. The only requirement was me being willing to become a tourist in my own city.

These were small experiences, but they add up to a lot of great memories, all of which made staycation summer a summer I won’t soon forget.

Read more on the Real Life blog (www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/) and find Nedra on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn) and X (@nrhoneajc) or email her at nedra.rhone@ajc.com.