With travel restrictions due to COVID-19 making vacations nearly impossible, now is the perfect time to enjoy an at home staycation. Tell people you’ll be “out of town”, turn off your phone, and step away from reality for a day, weekend, or week! You can even choose a country to “travel to” and customize our tips below to your chosen destination.

1.Set the mood for a relaxing getaway at home with the perfect music. Whether its the cliffs of Ireland or the warm, sandy beaches of the Caribbean, you’ll find the right CD to transport you on our Staycation Music Playlist. Listening to music relieves stress, improves mental health, creates happiness and promotes relaxation, so allow the sounds of another world to take you on a staycation.

2.Next, let your sense of taste take over. With the rise of foodies (people with a particular interest in food as a hobby), what would a trip be without trying the local food? Explore our Staycation Cookbook List to discover new recipes from around the globe. Our list includes Adult cookbooks and Children’s cookbooks, so you can turn making dinner into a family event!

3.Don’t forget to choose the perfect book to help you relax! During your staycation, take a mental break from the rest of the world. We’ve compiled a list of our librarians’ favorite books to read when they want to escape.
Use our Curbside Pick-Up service to pick up any items you place on hold, or talk to one of our Librarians who will curate a selection of books, magazines, CDs, movies, video games, and more for you to pickup.
Curbside Pick-Up is available all hours the library is open. Simply wait to receive notification that your items are available, drive over to your local branch in Crest Hill, Lockport, or Romeoville, and call upon arrival. Staff will verify your library card number and then bring your holds out to your car!

4.Another fun way to unwind on your staycation is with a themed movie marathon! We’ve designed two themed movie lists for you to browse, or you can choose a theme of your own. You could even watch movies all set in the same country! Our first movie marathon is films starring the actor Keanu Reeves*. Our other movie marathon for you to explore is films directed by women.
Need assistance creating a themed list of movies around a different subject? Any of our Reference Librarians are happy to help curate a list of titles for you to check out!

* I met Keanu Reeves in the late 1990s, and he was very nice (and a lot taller than I expected!)

5.Want a little more excitement during your staycation? Check out White Oak TV, currently on our YouTube channel for a variety of virtual programs that you can access on your own schedule from home!
In addition to a collection of Story Time videos for kids, we have Kitchen Science experiments, Tasty Treats you can make, and children’s and tween crafts.
For Teens & Adults, we have a selection of crafting and how-to videos, along with book talks and more!