Before I get carried away about how awesome our staycation was, let me explain what my definition of a staycation is. A staycation is all about supporting local businesses, finding gems in your city, doing touristy things you don’t normally do, and eventually, you will see your city in a different light! When you treat your city as a getaway destination, you can find a ton of things to love right where you are.
Why We Wanted to Stay-Cate Instead of Vay-cate
Taking little staycations is a great way to support your local economy and find new favorite places in your area. On our first staycation, I loved finding new small businesses to support and it felt like we were on a great adventure even though we were close to home. Now that you know what a staycation is and why you might want to staycation, let’s get into planning your staycation!
Planning Your Staycation
The first step to planning a staycation is to pick a place to stay. We always look for a locally owned property that’s extra cozy or unique. We opted to stay at St. Brendan’s Irish Inn and Pub! There are a few ways to go about finding your lodging for your staycation. I found St. Brendan’s through an ad in a local publication that was advertising a special. We got a discounted rate, a bottle of wine, and free breakfast too! Local publications or mailings are always great places to look for lodging specials for staycations. Another place to check out is your local tourism office. Discover Green Bay is a great place to find deals and find local businesses to support in the Green Bay Area.
When it comes to finding and supporting local businesses, like local shops and restaurants, I always look for Facebook and Instagram accounts that post things with Green Bay as the location. I’ve found that searching this way helps me to find cute hidden gems in the area and great places to take pictures. You can find shops and restaurants to visit at the local tourism office too.
Relaxing and Making the Most of Your Staycation
Another reason you should take a staycation is to relax! After you’ve spent time wandering around the local area, finding great food, and shopping until you drop, take time to unwind in your hotel room! Order room service for dessert or a bottle of wine, take a bath, and soak up the atmosphere in the hotel bar or restaurant. Maybe even bring a good book or get cozy to watch your favorite show. Whatever unwinding looks like for you, make it happen and take advantage of your time “away”.
Top Tips for Staycationers
- Check for deals through your local advertisements
- Check your local or statewide tourism website
- Look through a visitor guide to find things you might not normally do
- Check out blog articles from others who have visited or staycationed in your city
Our Staycation
The Hotel: St. Brendan’s Irish Inn and Pub
We absolutely loved our stay at St. Brendan’s Inn. It’ss a wonderfully charming boutique hotel that transports you to Ireland when you walk through the door. Our room was a beautiful dark red and featured a massive bathtub. The bathtub was located in the open so natural light floods the entire area and its location makes for a great sunrise bath. See pictures of St. Brendan’s below!
Local Businesses We Visited
Our first stop was Kavarna for some lattes and we found a ridiculously good-looking cookie that we just had to get. It wasn’t our first time at Kavarna but we hadn’t been there recently. Kavarna has a coffee bar, serves yummy food (great vegan options!), and roasts coffee beans on-site. Fun fact: the word Kavarna is Czech for coffeehouse. After getting coffee we popped into a couple of vintage shops on Broadway.
Lunch Time
When we started to get hungry, we stopped at PhoComa for lunch on the west side of the river. It was our first time there and we both really enjoyed the food! I ordered Ramen while my friend ordered Pho and orange chicken. We also both got an egg roll because we just couldn’t resist. The orange chicken at PhoComa was seriously the best orange chicken I’ve had to date! I highly recommend it.
After Lunch, we stopped at the Exclusive Company, a record store downtown (that has since gone out of business). My friend found a Jack Johnson record to take home. Listening to records is one of my favorite ways to listen to music!
Next, we stopped at Beerntsen’s Candies to pick up some sweets. While at the store we learned that the shop opened in 1925 and is run by the third generation of the family! It was cool to learn about such a historic business that’s still operating in the downtown area. After stocking up on some goodies we headed to the hotel to check in.
After Check-In at the Hotel
Once we were all checked in, we grabbed a drink at the pub before heading to the Lion’s Mouth Bookstore. They sell new and used books on a variety of topics and genres. I found a used book titled Prague, about ex-pats living in Budapest.
After wandering the aisles of the bookstore, we made our way back to the hotel where we had dinner and enjoyed the rest of the night. In the morning we grabbed coffees from the Daily Buzz before returning home. I love the atmosphere and the lattes at the Daily Buzz! They always have cute seasonal drinks too.
Are you Planning a Staycation? Let me know in the comments below!
We loved our staycation so much! If you’re planning a staycation, especially in the Green Bay Area, let me know! I’d love to hear about it!
If you liked this article, you may like my article on How to Love Where You Live! Click the link to check it out!
