Looking for something special to do with the mother(s) in your life this weekend? A Mother's Day Weekend Staycation is a splendid way to show your appreciation and love.
The goal here is to provide a vacation for Mom, so don't forget the main caveat of a good staycation: NO WORK. For her, that is. Your job is to ensure she gets the break she deserves. But with a little planning up front, the weekend can be a rewarding experience for all. Here's what to do:
Friday
1. Clean Mom's house: Research shows that moms still do the bulk of household chores and childcare. So the first step in a mother staycation is to make sure she gets time off. Don't want to do the cleaning yourself? Hire a local service, like Maid in Louisville.
2. First Friday Trolley Hop: The First Friday Trolley Hop takes place on the first Friday of each month from 5-11 p.m., rain or shine. Most of the galleries close around 9 p.m. but the restaurants, clubs, and shops stay open later. The trolleys run until 11 p.m.
Saturday
1. Go to the New Albany Farmer's Market: Saturday is opening day (8am-1pm), and many vendors will have Mother's Day gifts. Pick up some items for a picnic lunch. Also, select breakfast ingredients that you will be cooking and serving upon your return.
2. Take Mom to the Culbertson Mansion in New Albany between 9am-5pm, where they will be having their annual herb sale. Free Admission.
3. Earth Day at Falls of the Ohio State Park:
Pack up your picnic lunch and head out to the park. From 10am-4pm Saturday,
he Falls of the Ohio State Park
will buzz with activity. Environmentally minded businesses and organizations from all over the region gather to share information, show off their accomplishments and provide fun for the whole family. Special programs include live animals. Sponsored by Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Kentuckiana Air Education, The Trash Force, and The Falls of the Ohio Foundation.
4. Explore Downtown Louisville: Cross the river, don your fanny packs, hang your biggest camera around your neck, and be a tourist. Walk around downtown, taking photos and exploring the sites.
5. Murder in Cairo: The Wrath of Ra: Saturday is opening night of this WhoDunnit Murder Mystery at the Hyatt Regency Louisville: "A locked-room murder and an ancient Egyptian curse plague an aristocratic family in 1935. Who dunnit – the ancient gods, or someone with a more earthly motive?" Tickets are
$41.95 and includes a 3-course dinner, show, tax and gratuity.
Egyptian or 1930s attire is welcome but not required.
Sunday
1. Reserve this day for rest and relaxation in whatever form the mom in your life prefers. Is she the mother of some young kids? Perhaps the best gift for her is a day with the house to herself. Take the kids out for a movie and ice cream. Before you go, light some candles around the tub, set out some reading materials, a cup of chocolate chips, and a glass of red wine. Fill the tub with bubbly water, and leave her to soak undisturbed. She'll come out of the bathroom and rejoin public life. Eventually.
[photo of Culbertson Mansion courtesy of Bedford]
