Patch Picks: Staycation Destinations Close to Home

Looking for an economical alternative to the traditional vacation? Here are some staycation ideas closer to home that won't break the bank.

Five staycation destinations in or around Barrow

1. 
   Spend a day — or a few days — in the great outdoors right here in your backyard. Fort Yargo offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, fishing, boating and more. Park amenities include 40 campsites, three cottages, five picnic shelters and a pioneer camp. Visitors can bike 18 miles of trails, sunbathe on the beach just off the park's 260-acre lake and challenge themselves on the wooded disc golf course.
   Admission information: Parking is $5 per day per vehicle or $5 per stay at the park's campground or cabins
2. 
   Spend a day at this Dacula family entertainment center, where you and your family can bowl, try your luck at the myriad arcade games, team up for laser tag, ride bumper cars and enjoy a meal at the Coach's Corner Cafe. Take advantage of the facility's specials and promotions to save.
   Admission information: Free admission; pricing for attractions varies depending on day of the week and time of day
3. 
   Spend an afternoon or Saturday morning exploring the history of Barrow County. The museum is housed in the county's historic jail, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and includes a hanging tower, three original jail cells and hundreds of artifacts donated by the county resident and others. Residents can view the last two bales of cotton grown and ginned in Barrow County, a sculpture created in 1939 by Marian Sanford to display at a post office, photographs and uniforms worn by soldiers during World War I and World War II, a historic barber chair, a corn sheller and an extensive display of early tools and pictures and memorabilia of the county's early schools, churches and other buildings.
   Admission information: Free admission
4. Lake Lanier Islands Resort
   About 25 miles from Barrow County, Lake Lanier Islands offers the ultimate vacation destination close to home. With camping, golf, an equestrian center, a beach and water park and more, the resort will keep you and your family busy.
   Admission information: A parking fee is charged and pricing for attractions varies
   
5. 
   This non-profit art museum that is a part of the University of Georgia. The museum's permanent collection includes a variety of paintings, drawings and decorative items, specifically a collection of American paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as American, European and Asian prints and drawings on paper from the 16th through 20th century. The collection also includes Southern decorative arts, Asian art and Italian Renaissance paintings. In addition to the permanent collection, the museum exhibits traveling works of art. It also offers kids programs and tours that are tailored to meet the specific interests of each group.
   Admission information: Admission is free, but a $3 donation is suggested