5 “National Leave the Office Early Day” ideas your boss will hate

Cough, cough. Oh, gosh, we’re not feeling so well. Maybe it’s our allergies, or something we ate, but we’re going to need to go home around lunch today. This is the narrative you’ll need to spin for your boss so you can ditch out on work and join thousands of others in celebrating National Leave the Office Early Day happening this afternoon (and every year on June 2, or its nearest week day). Need inspiration for what to do with your half day of freedom? Consider these easy ideas:

Plus: Check out the world’s most jaw-dropping Ferris wheels.

1. Park it
May became one of the wettest months on record for much of the .S. And with the rain finally abating and temps edging north of 70 in most parts of the country, now might be the time to download the latest bestseller to your Kindle and find a patch of green space you can call your own. Some of our favorites include laid-back Balboa Park in sunny San Diego, art-filled Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, the gorgeous city views from Dolores Park in San Francisco, and New York‘s Central Park, which is so big that even in a city of 8 million people there’s enough space to find some privacy.

2. Become a culture vulture
Your boss and coworkers probably aren’t as smart and worldly as you are, which means one good place to hide out is at a local museum. Many museums are free for visitors and local residents, including the museums on the National Mall in Washington D.C., the Getty in Los Angeles, the Alamo in San Antonio and the Cleveland Museum of Art (excluding special exhibitions). Also, many cultural institutions often offer free days for local residents. Today, for example, there is free admission to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

3. Discover a room with a view
Ever heard of a “staycation”? It’s when you take a vacation withoutleaving your hometown. While many people use it as an opportunity to do some gardening or get some work done around the house, we think National Leave the Office Early Day should be all about comfort and relaxation. Instead of heading home, check in somewhere with a pool, and maybe a spa. Many hotels offer amazing last-minute deals on fantastic rooms. This is especially true during the workweek when vacancy rates are much higher; just check Orbitz for the best rates.

4. Score a hole in one
If you’re able to cajolea couple of coworkers into ditching work with you, may we suggest a few rounds of miniature golf? June is a great month for outdoor mini-golf, although we love indoor courses as well, and some of our favorites scattered across this fine nation include the fantastically trippy Urban Putt in San Francisco; kitschy Par King in Lincolnshire, Illinois; the travel inspired twin courses of Around the World and Around the USA mini-golf in Upstate New York; and H Street Country Club in Washington D.C.—home to the only mini-golf course in the District and an adults-only one at that! (That’s right, no kids.)

5. “Wave” goodbye to work stress
If you’re close to a sandy beach and your city is drenched in sunshine, we suggest you take full advantage. Like, now. But whether your city is a coastal one or not, we’re willing to bet there’s at least some sort of river, creek or estuary running through it and June is as good a time as any to ride the wave of water-filled activities that make summer our favorite season. Did you know you can jet ski on the Dillon Reservoir near Denver, paddle board around Veterans Park in Milwaukee, canoe along Houston‘s Buffalo Bayou, take an architectural boat tour of Chicago, catch Chinook salmon in Portland, Oregon’s Willamette River or take a water taxi from Manhattan to Brooklyn? Just get out there already.

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Tagged: California, Hotels, Midwest, New York