National Plan for Vacation Day
by Ellen Wanamaker
If you earn vacation days at your job, think back to how many vacation days you took in 2024. Any chance you left some of those unused? If so, let 2025 be the year that you use every single bit of your earned vacation.
Americans leave about 600 million collective vacation hours unused each year. It’s time to chip away at that number, so today we celebrate National Plan for Vacation Day. At Ames Public Library we offer books, magazines and DVDs that might inspire your next vacation. Even if you’re planning a stay-cation, you can stock up on everything you need to chill out, unplug, or get creative at home.
Whether you’re planning a trip with kids, a camping adventure, a food & wine tour or a luxury cruise, we have the inspiration to set you on your path. “Take More Vacations: How to Search Better, Book Cheaper, and Travel the World” by Scott Keyes is an aptly titled book that provides tricks and tips for booking flights, hotels and travel packages to destinations from Arizona to Zimbabwe. If you’re traveling with young ones and want some ideas for visiting theme parks, swimming holes and kid-friendly events, check out Jessica Gee’s “Bucket List Family Travel: Share the World with Your Kids on 50 Adventures of a Lifetime.”
Vacations don’t have to be fancy or far-flung. If your budget is more along the lines of a tent under the stars and s’mores over the campfire, take a look at Joe Yogerst’s “50 States, 500 Campgrounds: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do.” Vacations can also be about giving back and helping others. “Travel with Purpose: A Field Guide to Voluntourism” by Jeff Blumenfeld outlines ways that you can find volunteer opportunities in interesting places from Las Vegas to Nepal.
If you’re looking for a chilly mini vacation this winter, head to the Minnesota Ice Festival in Eagan. It runs from January 10th to February 16th and features the largest ice maze in the world!
To use your vacation days more locally, there are a few websites to aid with planning fun and inexpensive outings. DiscoverAmes.com and CatchDesMoines.com list local happenings – shopping, festivals, gardens, museums, sports – you name it. Ames Parks and Recreation is another great resource if you want to explore fitness classes, join a Pickleball league, try curling, or go walking in one of Ames’ 40 public parks.
Whether you’re a stay-cationer or a go-cationer, celebrate this national holiday and make a plan to use your vacation days this year. You won’t regret it.