Best Cities For Staycations: How Saint Louis Ranked

ST. LOUIS, MO — We know from published research that Americans don’t always leave their homes when they take time off from work, whether they don’t like to travel or can’t afford to — a reality for about one-third of U.S. workers. If you’re staying home, St. Louis is one of the best cities for a “staycation,” according to a new analysis.

The personal finance website WalletHub took a look at affordable options for entertainment and relaxation in more than 180 cities. The results? If you live in Orlando, Florida; Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; or Seattle, Washington, you’re pretty well situated. St. Louis wasn't too far behind, coming in at number 42 on the list.

Among the top cities, Orlando got the top food and entertainment ranking, Chicago was No. 1 for recreation opportunities and Cape Coral, Florida, ranked first for rest and relaxation.

But good luck if you live in Oxnard, New Jersey; Bridgeport, Connecticut; San Bernardino or Fremont, California; or Yonkers, New York. Those five cities bottomed out the ranking of WalletHub’s 2018 list of the Best and Worst Cities For Staycations.

For the study, the personal finance website compared the cities across three main areas — recreation, food and entertainment, and rest and relaxation — and then looked at amenities based on the number per capita and their affordability. Read more about the methodology.

Earlier this year, a Project: Time Off study found that U.S. workers left 705 million vacation days on the table in 2017. Among them, 212 million days did not roll over to the next benefit year and were sacrificed, resulting in $62 billion in lost benefits. If those vacation days had been used for travel, the study found, the travel industry would get a $236 billion boost.

You don’t have to travel far to “get away.”

Debbie MacInnis, a professor of business administration and marketing at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, said the most important thing for people planning staycations is to settle on activities that will bring them the most happiness.

“For many people, it’s a mixture of things,” she wrote in a statement accompanying the WalletHub study. A good balance, she said, is to divide time off between things you need to get done, things you want to do and things that inspire you. She also advised keeping the family budget in mind.

“Look for free activities in the community or in the communities adjacent to yours,” she wrote.

Here are three great options within driving distance of St. Louis:

The St. Louis Cardinals will play the Chicago Cubs June 17 at Busch Stadium. That's father's day, and Hyatt Regency hotel is offering a ticket package that includes overnight accommodations at the hotel, credit to dine at the Brewhouse sports bar, a Louisville Slugger souvenir and more. So, if you or your dad are looking for a cool staycation, find more information here.

Or, you could tour one of the best selections of free museums and exhibits in the country, including the St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Science Center and the Saint Louis Zoo. Check out the zoo's eight new cheetah cubs or the science center's Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian.

Finally, check out the newly-renovated Arch grounds. Even many native St. Louisans have never been up in the Arch, or haven't been in decades. Tram rides to the top are $13 for adults and hourlong riverfront cruises aren't much more. Tour the Old Courthouse and check out the new Gateway Arch Museum, which opens July 3. You can also find a ton of great restaurants like Carmine Steakhouse, Sugarfire Smokehouse or Bailey's Range, all within walking distance of the Arch.

Some other findings from the study:

• Cleveland, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, tied for first in the number of swimming pools per capita. Chicago, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., rounded out the top five.
• The cities with the most tennis courts per capita were Chicago; Richmond, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia; Omaha, Nebraska; and New York, New York, respectively.
• Four cities in Arizona — Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale and Peoria — tied with Warwick, Rhode Island, for the most golf courses per capita.
• Five cities tied for the most zoos and aquariums per capita. They are North Las Vegas and Las Vegas in Nevada, Orlando and Miami in Florida, and Vancouver, Washington.
• Five cities tied for the most ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per capita. They are Orlando and Miami, Las Vegas, New York City and San Antonio, Texas.
• The most beer gardens per capita ranking saw another five-way tie among Portland, Oregon; Denver, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; and Washington, D.C.
• New York City; San Francisco, California; Portland; Seattle; and Las Vegas all tied in the ranking of the most coffee and tea shops per capita.
• The ranking of the most museums per capita saw a five-way tie between Yonkers; Jersey City, New Jersey; Glendale, California; Columbia, Maryland; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
• The ranking of the most spas per capita saw a five-way tie between North Las Vegas and Henderson in Nevada, Honolulu, New York City, and San Francisco.

Photo: The St. Louis Art Museum from across the Grand Basin. (J. Ryne Danielson/Patch)