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The Coronavirus pandemic may derail a lot of people’s vacation plans this summer. Still, a recent study by the consumer website WalletHub shows the best and worst cities in the nation for a staycation.
The study examined 182 U.S. cities, including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state across two key dimensions: 1. Recreation, and 2. Rest and Relaxation. WalletHub analyzed the dimensions using 15 relevant metrics. Some of these metrics included Parks Per Capita, Walking Trails per Capita, the Average Price of Pizza and Burger, and the Average Home Square Footage, among others.
In what shouldn’t come as a surprise, Boise was second on the overall list trailing only Plano, TX. Boise ranked sixth on the list for total recreation and 21st for rest and relaxation. Since the study included at least one other significantly populated city from each state, Nampa was discovered to be the 12th best staycation city in the U.S.
The study also included some advice from experts regarding staycations.
“Make sure that whatever you choose to do, it does not involve your normal routine. Turn off your computer and phone and other distractions/temptations that can lead to work. Remember, you are on vacation, so you will want to concentrate on “getting away” at home as you would if you traveled somewhere,” says Hans Vogelsong, an Associate Professor at East Carolina University.
Matthew J. Stone, an Associate Professor at California State University, Chico had this advice:
“You must think about creating an adventure. Order takeout. Eat dessert before lunch. Turn off your phone. Stay up late. Sleep in a different room. Camp out in the backyard.”
And Brian E. Menaker, an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University shares:
“Focus on activities like reading, watching movies, swimming, hiking, and leave the cooking and food preparation to local restaurants. Define the period of your staycation and remember that you are on vacation. Treat it like you would your vacation if you traveled to a destination location and avoid doing work for your job or house-related chores.”
The research conducted by WalletHub says that the area offers a lot of things to do. Indeed, with the variety of seasonal recreation that’s available, it’s easy to see why two cities in Idaho ranked highly in the report.
