Staycation Directory

Staycation Spot in West Palm Beach: Mounts Botanical Gardens

May 20th, 2010

Mounts Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. It is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest public garden with over 2,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants from six continents, including plants native to Florida, exotic trees, herbs, citrus, and palms. Its eighteen plant collections represent arid-land plants to aquatics to edible landscapes, and range from temperate North American trees to rare tropical fruits.

The Garden began as a 3.5 acre (1.4 hectare) County site for pasturing 4-H horses, named in honor of Marvin “Red” Mounts. Planting of tropical fruit trees started in 1954, and over the years today’s 14 acres (5.7 hectares) botanical garden has emerged. It also has a hedge maze. The biggest plant sales are in April and November. This Garden is also the location of where the Palm Beach Chapter of The Rare Fruit Council International meets every month for their monthly meetings. Mounts Botanical Garden is open to the public Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Features a pond with fish, turtles, and other wildlife. Visitors can also stroll the walkways lined with labeled plants.

531 N. Military Trail
West Palm Beach, Florida
561-233-1749
Type of Admission: Free

StaycationDirectory

Staycation Definition and History
A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007–2009 in which unemployment levels and gas prices were high.Staycations also became a popular phenomenon in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive.The term was added to the 2009 version of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals. Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.
Benefits of a staycation
Staycations are far less costly than a vacation involving traveling. There are no lodging costs and travel expenses are minimal. Costs may include transportation for local trips, dining, and local attractions. “The American Automobile Association said the average North American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals… Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000″. Staycations do not have the stress associated with travel, such as packing, long drives, or waits at airports. Staycations may be of economic benefit to some local businesses, who get customers from the area providing them with business. In 2008, the tourism bureaus of many U.S. cities also began promoting staycations for their residents to help replace the tourism dollars lost from a drop in out-of-town visitors.