What Do You Think of When You Think of Travel?

What do you think of when you think of travel?

It’s often to consider traveling exclusively to new countries or places entirely different from what we know. As exciting as it is to go somewhere most people will never get to see, sometimes we miss the adventures we could be having by aiming for something to far from reach.

I’m not refereeing to settling for less. Anyone can save up for a big trip. However, I’ve met people that talk about their ideal trip and never go anywhere for years. I have found that my surroundings offer a good amount to explore and you really don’t need much to have a great time. Here’s what I look for when I go to a trip:

Local Foods

Many towns have a restaurant they are famous for. Often times locals are excited to share about places they enjoy going too. One of the benefits of asking is that you can avoid the ads you get online. In one town, I ate a German restaurant which later I found out the building used to function as a morgue! So even a meal can create a story to retell.

History & Culture

Museums are usually inexpensive and can you can really learn a lot about a place. For example, in one town I learned from the museum that the road was extradorinarly wide because they originally designed for horses. However there is an alternative. I have found ghost tours to be very entertaining. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in the paranormal, because normally there is a historical context to the stories they share. Besides, you get to experience the town from a new perspective since most of the time you walk through the town at night and pass through alleyways and have access to buildings you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

Nature

Walking or bike riding through trails is usually very affordable often time not even needing to pay a entry fee. But every area has it’s own charm and you can see the wildlife and become familiar with the geography of the area.

Hang Out With Locals

Through social media, I often find free events. Like in one place my wife and I found a bird watching course for 5 dollars each. We also always keep an eye out for the local Farmer Markets. One of the best experiences we had was finding a local troupe of actors performing on stage with a river as a background. You never know what you will find with this approach which makes it exciting.

A New Activity

Try something new! We’ve jumped into experiences despite having no knowledge about them prior to going. Among them have been horse riding by the beach, entering an escape room, or going to a private tour into a hidden grotto. Many of the things my wife and I enjoy to do today together is because we discovered new things together that we could potentially enjoy.

Finding the Hidden Gems

I never leave a place without first checking Atlas Obscura. It is a website where contributors add locations to visit you would normally not find on paid-ad sections. It is one of the easiest ways to find the hidden gems of the area.

The point of this list is to encourage you to explore! There’s so much around you to discover that you don’t have to wait until you get to that one big trip.