The Best City For A Staycation In Michigan

We know from published research that Americans don’t always leave far 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 around the mitten this summer, Grand Rapids is one of the best places for a “staycation” in Michigan, 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. Grand Rapids was the only Michigan city to make the list.

Summer is the time to make the most of the Grand Outdoors, as they like to call it. This means relaxing on a beach or on the water. Wander the grounds of a sculpture park or zoo. Ride a go-kart or a zipline. Golf, fish, bike or hike.

Here are some of the most popular attractions and things to do around the city:

• ‘Tis the season for outdoor concerts. Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens lead a huge lineup of open-air venues and events on the Grand Rapids Music Trail.
• Spend an afternoon at the ballpark or a night at the races – see the West Michigan Whitecaps play baseball or visit Berlin Raceway for smokin’ stock-car action.
• Shop Tanger Outlets , an open-air mall, for brand-name merchandise at discount prices. Shop Fulton Street Farmer’s Market and other outdoor farm markets for just-picked produce from local family farms.
• Dine al fresco at 120 restaurants with outdoor patios and decks. Sample food truck fare during Truckin’ Tuesdays , Wonderful Wednesdays and Food Court Fridays. Or pack a picnic basket with scrumptious food from downtown’s Russo’s International Market & Bistro or Martha’s Vineyard – then head to one of 100+ nearby parks for a meal with a view.
• Swim, sunbathe, canoe, kayak, paddleboard, hit the splashpad and explore 20 miles of paved hiking and biking trails at Millennium Park – just five minutes from downtown. John Ball Zoo and the Mines Golf Course are right around the corner.
• Visit the beaches and beach towns of Lake Michigan to swim, scale a sand dune, stroll a pier, shop for one-of-a-kind goods and more, all as close as 30 minutes from Grand Rapids.
• Become a “Brewsader” – enjoy a cold craft beer at eight select breweries to join the exclusive club and get an official t-shirt.
• Explore local and global culture in air-conditioned comfort at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum , Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives , Grand Rapids Art Museum , Grand Rapids Public Museum and Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts .
• Enjoy authentic food and entertainment at the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival (June 9), Grand Rapids Hispanic Festival (August 10-12) Grand Rapids Yassou! Greek Cultural Festival (August 17-19), and Grand Rapids Polish Festival (August 24-26).

Detroit was called out in the study for its lack of staycation amenities. Specifically, it has the lowest number of beer gardens and spas per capita than any other city in the country.

But what about the national results of staycationing? Well, if you live in Orlando, Florida; Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; or Seattle, Washington, you’re pretty well situated.

Among those cities, Orlando got the top food and entertainment ranking and Honolulu ranked fourth for rest and relaxation. Chicago, just a roadtrip away, was No. 1 for recreation opportunities.

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.

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.

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