Let's start here...What in the world is this made up term?

STAYCATION - Participating in leisure activities within day trip distance of your home. Stay home, for a vacation. 

Seattle Mariners v Chicago White Sox
Getty Images
loading...

OK now what we have that part figured out, let's take a look at a list of the greatest "Staycation" locations in the country. Here's the top 5 according to: Wallet

  • Portland, Me
  • Fort Lauderdale. Fl
  • Chicago, Il
  • Orlando, Fl
  • Honolulu, HI

So these are the top five Staycation, locations..as you can see #3 is right next to you and me. That whole thing was too much rhyming...

Chicago River Is Colored Green To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Getty Images
loading...

So why Staycation, why stay where you are and stay close to home? Obviously the whole pandemic thing brought us a sudden realization that we were going nowhere and we would need to deal with it.

Trump''s Chicago developement plans
Getty Images
loading...

Staycations offer us a chance to do something "fun" and "relaxing" without breaking the bank for plane tickets and a million other expenses.

Getty Images
Getty Images
loading...

So how did this list come about? You don't really look at Chicago as "inexpensive" do you? Here is how the list was compiled:

Parks per capita 

Restaurant-meal costs

Share of residents who are vaccinated

Getty Images
Getty Images
loading...

So when you do the research into those facts, Chicago gives us the #3 location to have a killer Staycation. But seriously, if you lived in Hawaii wouldn't everyday be a great Staycation?

Tourism down in Chicago
Getty Images
loading...

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Illinois

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Illinois using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

 

More From 97 ZOK