You don't have to haul out the suitcases load up the car worry about traffic or answer the infamous inquiry "Are we there yet?" This vacation begins the moment you reach your own backyard.

Pick a night when the whole family can take a break from the usual routine. Turn the answering machine on and declare the house off-limits. Then pitch a tent in your yard or drape a tarp over a clothesline for shelter and pile sleeping bags or blankets inside. You can even build a safe campfire in a portable grill or hibachi for roasting marshmallows (see More than S'mores for campfire tips and 16 recipes).

When everyone's had his fill strike up a round of campfire songs or storytelling. And don't forget to help your kids search the sky for the Big Dipper Little Bear and other favorite constellations.

Although stargazing is best on dark moonless nights you might consider camping out under a full moon-- when nature's own night-light can take some of the spookiness out of the enterprise.