Stay a While

Austin packs up title as one of America's best cities for a staycation

Butler Hike and Bike trail colorful flowers

Hit the trail — you have plenty of options.

Austin Parks and Recreation Department/Facebook

Memorial Day looks ... a little different this year. Many of us aren't traveling yet, or if we are, it's not to far-flung locales. So it's the perfect time to resurrect the idea of a staycation — or at least try to convince yourself this three-day weekend is different and more fun than the current stay-at-home recommendations.

Personal finance site WalletHub did just that by comparing more than 180 cities across 15 key metrics, evaluating things like parks per capita, average home square footage, and the best summer weather, to determine the very best spots for staycationing.

Austin makes a strong showing at No. 9 overall, thanks largely in part to its eighth-place finish for recreation (it ties with four other cities for most running trails per capita).

But it's the North Texas suburb of Plano that lands at No. 1, with an overall score of 66.88.

It earned a No. 18 ranking for recreation (which also includes hike and bike trails and the city's Walk Score) and No. 2 for "rest and relaxation" (not just weather and big homes, but also the share of homes with a swimming pool and lots greater than 1,000 square feet). The latter category also takes into consideration the average price of pizza, burgers, beer, and wine — a few R&R musts.

One other DFW suburb shows up in the top 10: Grand Prairie, at No. 8. Garland lands at No. 19, while Arlington is a bit further down at No. 26, followed by Irving at No. 27.

The area's biggest cities don't fare quite as well, with Dallas receiving No. 36 and Fort Worth No. 42. Cowtown does nab a spot in the top five for lowest price of pizza and a burger, so at least that's one tasty feather in its sun-shielding cap.

Houston lands at No. 25, and San Antonio is down at No. 78, with a handful of other Texas cities appearing at different spots throughout the list: Laredo (No. 30), Amarillo (No. 31), Corpus Christie (No. 35), Brownsville (No. 44), Lubbock (No. 57), and El Paso (No. 80).

According to WalletHub, the least desirable city for a staycation is Pearl City, Hawaii, on the island of O'ahu. Even though it receives a ranking of 162 for rest and relaxation and 182 for recreation, something about "worst place to be" and "Hawaii" just doesn't add up.

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WestJet goes South

Canadian airline launches nonstop route between Austin and Vancouver

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

WestJet is offering the route three times a week.

Austin residents eager to visit this country's neighbors to the north will have a new nonstop route to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), beginning May 11, 2025: WestJet, a major Canadian airline, will fly the route three times a week.

A release heralds "significant tourism and economic opportunities in both destinations."'

According to the City of Austin's list of nonstop flights out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), there are already routes to Vancouver offered by Air Canada. This route was launched in 2022. However, they are not currently available to book online.

The WestJet release mentions the airline's summer schedule, but does not specify an end date or whether the route will change seasonally.

Flights will depart Vancouver at 6 pm and arrive in Austin at 12:17 am. In the other direction, they'll depart Austin at 8 am and arrive in Vancouver at 10:38 am.

"As we continue to strengthen our service across Western Canada, we are proud to add new WestJet service between Vancouver and Austin as part of our expanded summer schedule," said Daniel Fajardo, WestJet's Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, in the release.

"This service will provide a valuable connection between the Greater Vancouver Area and Southern U.S.," he continued, "offering guests a convenient and affordable way to explore Austin's thriving music scene and renowned culinary culture, while also providing U.S.-based guests access to one of Canada's most iconic metropolises."

Another WestJet exec also points out Austin's reputation as a music city. The carrier also announced new routes to Boston and Tampa.

Earlier in November, budget carrier Frontier Airlines announced it would double its options by adding four U.S. destinations from AUS, and Delta Airlines announced new nonstop service to Jacksonville, Florida — the only such service currently available.

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