The Doctor has Ordered a "Stay-cation"

With gas prices soaring, many North Carolinians may decide to take a "stay-cation" this year...that is... choose to stay in NC for their summer vacations. Now, more than ever, we need to take a break — a real break, not just a long weekend — from our stressed-out lives.

Many Americans are working through their vacation time, taking fewer and shorter holidays. A global study by Expedia.com found that about a third of employed Americans usually do not take all the vacation days that they are entitled to, leaving an average of three days on the books.

Vacations are not simply a luxury; they're actually good for you. Recent studies show that vacations actually help you relax, de-stress and may even lead to better hearth health.

NC is fortunate to have both the mountains and the coast. So, take a "stay-cation" within your own state this summer. Visit Biltmore in the mountains and the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher along the coast. See lions, tigers and bears...oh my at the NC Zoo in the Piedmont region. Above all...put yourself in nature, be awed by it and keep alive the quest.

*Photo by Tom Sapp