Staycation? Please. Pitching a tent in the backyard is a poor substitute for getting away, especially if you first must mow the lawn. Swap exotic destinations for their closer, cheaper counterparts, and you’ll actually be getting somewhere.

If you like the Alps, take a hike in Leavenworth, Wash.
In the 1960s, a struggling sawmill town remade itself as a Bavarian village and launched a series of festivals to attract tourists.  The results are wunderbar. Hand-painted flowers and curlicues embellish every building. Window boxes overflow with geraniums. Polka music plays from a loudspeaker. Pigtailed maidens hoist steins of lager and wink at young men in lederhosen. OK, not really. But hiking and rafting opportunities abound, and if you close your eyes, you can almost smell the edelweiss.

Instead of cruising to Alaska, set sail for Stehekin, Wash.
No roads lead to Stehekin, a tiny community at the North end of Lake Chelan, Wash. You can only get there by boat or on foot. Either way, it may take a while. Lake Chelan is 50 miles long.

Stehekin has about 100 year-round residents and the sleepy feel of an island outpost. There’s no police and little development, just plenty of hiking, a glacier-fed lake, and shimmering mountain views. People drive rusty old cars with expired tabs that give a clue to how long ago they were shipped in by barge. It’s all very Northern Exposure, but without the pricey charter flight or guide fees. Despite the isolation, there's a great bakery.

If you like London, try Victoria. B.C. or Ashland, Ore.
Tea and crumpets, double-decker buses and charming English gardens. Victoria, British Columbia, is an excellent stand-in for Great Britain at a fraction of the price. The Clipper ferry has hotel/ferry packages, or, if you’re taking your car, you can travel for less via Washington State Ferries.

If you're looking for some theater, hit the road to Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival. For an ultra cheap sleep, book a stay in the hostel.

Who needs Napa when there's Oregon's wine country?
Fine wine and gorgeous scenery is as close as the Willamette Valley. Try Yamhill County for pinots, and if you document the trip for the Oregon 150 Challenge, you could win a free dream tour.

Skip the crowds at the Grand Canyon and visit Oregon's Crack in the Ground
It is just as advertised … a giant crack … in the ground. It’s free to explore, easy to hike and climb in, and you won’t have to worry about those pesky “flightseeing” helicopters buzzing overhead.