Inexpensive dining, plenty of parks and museums make El Paso best staycation, study says
El Paso is the top city in the United States for a low-cost staycation, according to a new study. It is also one of six Texas cities that made the ranking, with Fort Worth coming in second.
SumUp, a global fintech company, reported on the most budget-friendly cities for staycations in 2024 based on various criteria. The study considered various cost-related metrics, such as meal prices and entertainment expenses, as well as cultural and recreational amenities like museums, theaters, and green spaces.
"With an increased focus on domestic travel, as well as the cost-of-living crisis still being prevalent, we wanted to highlight the most cost-effective cities for a staycation in the United States," said Andrew Helms, managing director at SumUp, in a press release.
Oklahoma City came in third. The other Texas cities that made the list are Austin in 6th, San Antonio in 7th, Dallas at 19th, and Houston at 23.
El Paso was noted for people being able to find dinner for two under $65 and for having the lowest coffee prices across the country, averaging at $3.67.
Here are the five key criteria for why El Paso is No.1 for staycations, with our input supporting it.
El Paso has inexpensive meals any day of the week
El Paso has filling inexpensive meals. The study cited the cost as $11 for one meal, and we concur.
El Paso has some great Mexican restaurants that offer weekly daily specials called Comida Corrida. These usually include a choice of two dishes, a small soup and dessert. On Tuesdays, you can likely find a favorite place with tacos at a discount, whether single for a couple of bucks or a meal deal.
Here are some of our favorites: The Lunch Box, at 667 N Carolina Drive, has its daily special for $9.50 plus tax, which includes soup, chicken or beef, and a dessert. Dia de los Pescados, 1491 N. Lee Trevino Drive, introduced a new low, $9.99 lunch special from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. It also includes a drink.
Great American Steakhouse, at 9800 Gateway Blvd. N., offers a $9.99 special Monday through Friday that includes burgers, tacos and salads, as well as a sirloin steak, fish and chips and country fried steak.
El Paso offers a fancy meal at a deal
According to the study, El Pasoans can find a three-course meal for $65 for two. Indeed, El Pasoans can always find a shareable meal for two if you take the time to look.
Victoria's Steakhouse, at 4021-A Pebble Hills Blvd., offers a Fajitas Trio for two people for $58. The meal deal includes chicken, arrachera, shrimp grilled with onions and red and green peppers, rice, beans, and guacamole. Spoon that into some warm corn tortillas for a fabulous dinner. The Fajitas Arrachera, at $38, is a fired-grilled fajitas with onions, peppers, and rice and beans, which can also be shareable for smaller appetites.
More: Kona Grill introduces Steak Night America special for $39 including dessert
El Paso has plenty of green space in parks, gardens
When it comes to parks, El Paso has plenty of green spaces. The study gave El Paso a 19 out of 23 score for green space.
Most El Paso families will probably have a favorite park to take their children to play on playgrounds, picnic under a tree or enjoy El Paso's weather by walking on a designated walking trail.
Here are some of our favorites. Ascarate Park, with 400 acres, is the largest public-use recreational park in El Paso County and a great place to visit year round. With its 48-acre surface lake, the park offers people a place to go fishing or canoeing from Borderplex Adventures. There are walking or biking trails, playground areas, an aquatic center and plenty of picnic facilities. There is usually no gate fee except for special events.
Around the city, there are plenty of lovely parks with playground equipment, pavilions, established trees with shade and plenty of space to kick a ball. Some popular ones include Memorial Park, 1701 N. Copia St.; Album Park (Eastwood Park), 10259 Album Ave; Veterans Park, 5301 Salem.
Bulldog Championship Park, 316 Buford Road, in Socorro, is another gem. It has a pavilion, picnic tables, a children's playground and a splash pad. The Chamizal National Memorial also offers a beautiful sloping picnic field.
More: 3 beautiful hikes to try this spring in El Paso’s Franklin Mountains
El Paso has great art, history museums
The study ranked El Paso as having three museums per 100,000 people. The good news is that El Paso's score will improve when the El Paso Children's Museum opens.
In the meantime, El Paso has some wonderful museums to enjoy, from art and El Paso area history to El Paso families who left a great legacy. Most are free to enter or have a donation box.
Some to note are the El Paso Museum of Art and the El Paso Museum of History in Downtown El Paso. The Magoffin Home State Historic Site, 1120 Magoffin Ave., is another excellent look into El Paso's past and one of its pioneer families. The Magoffin Home Visitors Center usually has neat cooking classes related to the early 1900s and the Magoffin family.
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4201 Transmountain Road, is always a fun visit. It shows children how Native American cultures lived ages ago and offers nature trails to enjoy the poppies, ocotillo and other Chihuahuan desert plants.
Next door is the National Border Patrol Museum, 4315 Transmountain Drive, which offers exciting vehicles for children to climb into, including helicopters.
More: Celebrities who visited White Sands over the years include Ozzy Osbourne, Brad Pitt
El Paso has top-notch hotels with fine dining options
The study noted that El Paso has about 30 hotels per 100,000 capita.
El Paso has come along in the past 10 years, with new and existing hotels being refurbished.
The Hotel Paso Del Norte reopened in October 2020 after an extensive renovation and offers guests different dining options and English tea events, among other events it hosts.
There's also the Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park, at 106 W Mills Ave., and Hotel Indigo, a hotel that is about eight years old, as well as the Stanton House, 209 N. Stanton St., in Downtown El Paso.
The Stanton House, owned by art collectors, is a unique boutique hotel with 42 suites and individually curated rooms. Each room features one-of-a-kind art pieces from the hotel's collection.
The hotel also has a spa business on its first floor, and its Taft Diaz restaurant, which opened in December 2018, offers unique dishes. The restaurant offers a great brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays and a unique, curated menu during the week.
The hotel periodically offers art exhibits for a few months.
More: Need a hotel in El Paso for the Sun Bowl? Here are 6 close options
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150, [email protected] and @EPTMaria on Twitter, and eptmariacg on TikTok.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso tops list for staycations with cheap food, museums, hotels, parks
