Staycation Directory

Things to go in Kansas City: Union Station

April 21st, 2010

In the list of free things to do on a staycation in Kansas City Union Station rank in the top 10! Picture yourself there…
Romantics treasure the scale and polish of this Beaux Arts beauty. Cynics love its gritty past, and its custom-fitted connection to the Prohibition-era ’30s thanks to gangster, Pretty Boy Floyd. Whatever version you want, the second-largest working train station in the country has something for everyone. Pose on the grass patch below neighboring Liberty Memorial and proceed inside. Single file, of course.

* Relish the top spot in the food chain while experiencing Dinosaurs Unearthed, a new exhibit at Union Station.
* Opens on May 1, 2010.
* KC’s largest-ever dino exhibit features 5 life-size skeletons and 24 animatronic creatures.
* Interactive exhibit includes paleontological dig and Dino Chat with a resident paleontologist.
For more information check out their website
http://www.unionstation.org/

StaycationDirectory

Staycation Definition and History
A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007–2009 in which unemployment levels and gas prices were high.Staycations also became a popular phenomenon in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive.The term was added to the 2009 version of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals. Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.
Benefits of a staycation
Staycations are far less costly than a vacation involving traveling. There are no lodging costs and travel expenses are minimal. Costs may include transportation for local trips, dining, and local attractions. “The American Automobile Association said the average North American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals… Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000″. Staycations do not have the stress associated with travel, such as packing, long drives, or waits at airports. Staycations may be of economic benefit to some local businesses, who get customers from the area providing them with business. In 2008, the tourism bureaus of many U.S. cities also began promoting staycations for their residents to help replace the tourism dollars lost from a drop in out-of-town visitors.