When his dad died, the son of a prominent Burien merchant recalled how his father managed to be a great family man while still being the workaholic he needed to be to keep his business going.

On the occasional Friday night, the merchant would pack his family and a bunch of camping gear in the car and head out on the road for a state park.

Did he brave the mountain passes to reach Lake Chelan or slog through the downtown Seattle I-5 commute headed for Deception Pass?

No, he drove down First Avenue to Saltwater State Park in Des Moines.

That's right--we have a state park right here in Highline.

The savvy father would enjoy a family Friday making S'mores and sleeping in a tent under the stars.

Then, Saturday morning he would slip back to Burien and take care of business while his family explored the trails and skipped rocks along the salty shore. Saturday night, Pop would reappear for another night of family camping.

"It was great," the son remembers.

In this summer of astronomical gas and airline travel prices an old saying, "think outside the box," is merging with the latest hot concept, "staycation."

With a little imagination, would-be vacationers can find a lot of interesting possibilities right here.

Not too far from that state park in Des Moines is Redondo Beach with a boat launch, boardwalk, Salty's Restaurant and Highline College's Marine and Science Technology Center.

Up the coast is the Des Moines Marina with a boat launch, fishing pier and boardwalk, not to mention Marge's favorite, Anthony's Restaurant.

Next to the marina is the historic Des Moines Beach Park with a connection to the Des Moines Creek Trail.

In Burien, we have the massive Seahurst Park, combining coastline and forest trails that rival the state parks.

Strangely enough, when Marge and I vacation in Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast, we always end up at the outlet mall.

So, I suppose the 75 new shops that have made Tukwila's Southcenter Mall the largest indoor mall in Washington and Oregon qualifies as a tourist attraction.

Near Southcenter is the Family Fun Center with go-carts, batting cages, a climbing wall, arcade games and bumper boats (my favorite.)

Neighboring the fun center are the soccer fields of the Starfire Complex in Fort Dent.

The Museum of Flight, one of the state's best museums, is also in Tukwila. Crowds watched the Blue Angels take off and land next to the museum last week.

The city of SeaTac not only features Sea-Tac the airport, but the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden. It is home to Elda Behm's Paradise Garden and the Seike Japanese Garden, both beautiful and with fascinating histories.

There's also Angle Lake Park and the public Tyee Valley Golf Course (where else can you count the rivets on a plane in flight just before you putt?)

I've also enjoyed going to some of the small lesser-known parks that I characterize as part of "Hidden Highline." These hidden treasures include Normandy Park's public parks as well as Eagle Landing and Mathison parks in Burien.

For those whose idea of a vacation is more than day-trips and sleeping in your own bed at night, why not check into one of those fancy hotels along the airport strip?

Pretend you're an international traveler without the hassle and cost of flying. You can buy souvenirs in the shops off the lobby ("Dad, look at the Space Needle snow globe I brought back for you from my staycation.")

You could even eat in the hotel restaurants. Remember how much you are saving on gas.

For the frugally minded, there's an assortment of family-priced lodging and fun restaurants throughout Highline. Marge and I have even stayed at a bed and breakfast overlooking Three Tree Point.

Of course, this is just a rough snapshot of possibilities. I'm sure you have your own suggestions.

Visit www.seattlesouthside.com or call 206-575-2489 for more ideas.