3 Cool Travel Destinations for Summer Staycations

You can staycation at home this summer, of course, but you also can enjoy new surroundings — while getting a refreshing change of pace — by renting a house or apartment at an intriguing travel destination. If you choose a destination with a Food Lion store nearby, you can save money by shopping at the store and whipping up some of your meals in the kitchen of your rental property.

Here are three cool staycation ideas for summer. Each of these travel destinations has a Food Lion within easy reach.

Myrtle Beach, SC

The town of Myrtle Beach is the hub of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of gorgeous sandy beach along the Atlantic shoreline of South Carolina. You and the kids can play beach soccer, take surfing lessons, watch spectacular nighttime fireworks, and ride the Skywheel, a 187-foot-tall Ferris wheel on the adjoining boardwalk.

Spend a day at Broadway at the Beach, a huge outdoor shopping and live entertainment complex. There, you'll find WonderWorks, an upside-down attraction featuring exciting laser tag games and interactive activities like an anti-gravity chamber and Hurricane Zone, suggests TripAdvisor. Another "must do" in Myrtle Beach is Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium.

Ocean City, MD

Situated north of Myrtle Beach along the Atlantic is Ocean City, MD, a coastal city with its own beautiful beaches and tons of other fun things to do. You can rent jet skis and kayaks, go fishing, throw quarters into the slot machines, and frolic at amusement parks and water parks, according to OceanCity.com.

For a unique kind of day trip, board a tour boat to Assateague Island, where brown pelicans take dives into the water and wild ponies run free.

Nashville, TN

While staycationing in Nashville, country music fans should visit the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. But Nashville's arts and cultural scene is actually wide ranging, and many events are free, according to The Tennessean. You and the family can view outdoor performances of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Shakespeare in the Park, go to big band dances, or browse through local crafts shows.

To explore caves, hike beneath waterfalls, and visit the historic Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, take a scenic 3- to 4-hour drive eastward into Tennessee's Smoky Mountains.