Have you been thinking about planning a “staycation” this year instead of spending thousands on a travel vacation? When you have a backyard hot tub, you can create all kinds of fun and excitement without leaving home.

With the economy as uncertain as it has been in recent memory, people are finding lots of creative ways to still have fun and create lasting memories with their families on vacation. People are discovering that it is not necessary to travel to exotic locations to have an enjoyable time. What seems to matter the most is spending quality time with the family, which has given rise to the concept of the “staycation,” which means creating the feel of a vacation without getting on an airplane, traveling long distances and spending lots of money.

Here are some of the essential ingredients for creating your own “staycation” with your back yard hot tub:

• Create a visually appealing space for your hot tub. Do some landscaping and plant some privacy plants and shrubs that will create a nice, comfortable setting for your family and guests. It should also provide a private, intimate setting for when you are enjoying your hot tub with your special someone.

• Plan some fun events. Invite family and friends over and host some fun events that involve the hot tub.

• Consider hiring a housekeeper and a handyman so that both of you can put aside your “to-do” list and focus on relaxation and fun.

• Put up a tent in the back yard and allow the kids to camp out on clear nights.

• Cook meals on a campfire if they are permissible in your neighborhood. Otherwise, use a grill.

• If you want to go all out, choose an international theme and decorate your home and back yard to fit the theme of the chosen country. Then prepare a menu of foods from that land and play music to accompany it. This will give you the taste of another culture without getting a new stamp on your passport and putting less of a dent in your wallet ?.

There are lots of creative ways to stay home and have a good time in your own back yard with your hot tub. Use your imagination and come up with some easy, fun economical ways to enjoy your vacation time without traveling or spending a ton of cash.

When you plan a “staycation,” your hot tub becomes a valuable investment that will pay for itself again and again with all of the fun and enjoyment that you and your family will get out of relaxing in the warm, soothing waters and allowing all of your troubles to quickly melt away.

Whether you have kids, or you are looking to create a fun environment for yourself and your adult friends, having a hot tub in your back yard is a vital ingredient to making your “staycation” one that you will remember for years to come.