Be A Tourist In Your Own Town
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Be a tourist in your own town?
Go ahead. Laugh yourself silly.
"But I live here", you say while wiping away the tears of laughter.
Well, unless you have friends or family who live less than a day's drive, and who won't mind if you and your beloved get frisky on their fold-out sofa because you can't afford a hotel, you'll probably have to forego that vacation this summer.
Fish and houseguests start to stink after three days, but unless a giant salmon happens to be iced down in the bathtub, fish don't tie up the one-and-only bathroom.
In the interest of preserving your bank account and staying in the good graces of the aforementioned friends and family, I'm offering a cheap and enjoyable alternative.
Honestly, how much do you really know about the town you live in? Or the surrounding area?
My point exactly.
I was a 6th grader bused in from the boonies on a school field trip the last time I went sightseeing in my own city. That was many many years before I moved here twenty-some years ago.
Since then, I've done a lot of traveling and gathered quite a collection of what to see and do in other places.
For instance...
On a warm summer evening in Omaha NE, it doesn't get much better than sipping a maragrita at the railing of a paddle wheeler while cruising up the Missouri River with live Dixieland jazz wafting from the lounge.
Or... Texas really is a "whole other
country" and should again be recognized as the Republic it was until
1846 (and technically still is). When the urge hits to to visit a
foreign country within driving distance, Texas is my first choice. No
passport necessary (at least not yet).
Or... The best (and cheapest) food between Kingman AZ and Oklahoma City really is
at the truckstops along I-40. Also, it's much easier to get up the east
side of Flagstaff Mountain than it is to get down the west side.
Or... On the other side of the Pond, the Guards change at Buckingham Palace
is wayyy over-rated. Except for the food halls, so is Harrod's. And the
Pret a Mangers in London serve the best bottled lemonade in the UK, rivaled only by Fanta's, which for some reason isn't available on this side of the Pond. ???
But until recently, if you asked what to see and do in my own town, the answer would've been:
You're asking me? I live here for gosh sakes!
I'd developed my own favorite routes and ruts while turning a blind eye to anything that might interest an out-of-towner. I could point a first-time visitor to some fabulous parks, the public library and its wonderful cafe, a few interesting cemeteries and my favorite chain restaurants. And of course, the Kansas Historical Society.
But until recently, that was pretty much it.
There's an art gallery?
Several, actually, but I won't bore you with that list. (Well, not this time.)
But I will show you how easy it is to be a tourist in your own neck of the woods.
First, pick your destination.
Your own city or somewhere within 50-75 miles of home so that you can sleep in your own bed each night.
Next, decide when.
Maybe vacation time you've already requested at work, or perhaps just a weekend. Either way, block out the dates on the calendar same as for a "regular" vacation.
Now pretend you've never been to the town you've chosen. Ever.
Find out what there is to see and do:
- Google your destination. Bookmark or write down everything listed as a landmark or tourist attraction (museums, art galleries, etc).
- Google each of those, or visit the website shown in the first search.
- Grab local attractions brochures from inside gas stations, convenience stores, and the lobbies of local hotels and motels. They're not there for decoration, and they're FREE.
- Same for those mini-newspapers inside the door of the grocery store, gas stations and convenience stores. They're meant to be read.
- If there's a tourism office or a visitor's center nearby, stop in for their FREE brochures and handouts. These are also the best places for local maps with more detail than a road atlas.
Now work out your itinerary
Set aside an evening to go through the brochures and notes from the internet.
To get into the spirit, make a Trip Book from a 3-ring binder. The pockets inside each cover will come in handy later. Decorate the cover if you like.
Make a pile of any brochures, etc. that interest you...and those that don't. You could be pleasantly surprised that places you've driven by a zillion times on the way to work or the mall are a lot more interesting than you thought.
Remember, the idea is to get acquainted with your part of the world.
Use a spreadsheet to enter each location, distance from home, and opening times. Or put the information on 3X5 cards. Either way, sort by distance and opening time.
Be flexible but creative. Museums and galleries near each other could be a day by themselves with lunch in between, then dinner after.
Alternate itineraries
Rather than visiting places like art galleries or the Barbed Wire Museum - yes, there is one! - explore the small towns in your area. The really small ones known as "wide places in the road" that you usually ignore.
In my area, these have at least one (albeit corny) "attraction" that the residents are proud of. They also have mom 'n pop cafes that serve surprisingly good (and cheap) food. Even if there's no "attraction" per se, the architecture on Main Street and side streets can be pretty interesting. Same for the conversation at the cafe at lunch or coffee break time.
Pick a town 70-80 miles from home as your turn around point. On a map, pick a route that'll take you in a circle to and from so that you won't go through the same town twice. Or take the interstate and going out, take exits to the towns on one side, and those on the other side coming back. Look for "scenic drives" along the way. Take them.
Don't forget B&Bs
My area has a lot of B&Bs, in town as well as in the countryside. If your budget can can handle it, being pampered in a local B&B is well worth the money. Use it as your base for a two-day excursion.
Contact the ones that look inviting and ask which part of the week is the least popular. These will be the nights with the lowest rates (and maybe even a special, much lower rate!). Breakfast will be included in the price. Dinner the night before may be included too. Be sure to verify that it is or isn't.
One B&B here is next to a spa, and B&B guests get a discount. Others have arrangements with local attractions whereby their guests get a discount in gift shops and such. Ask about them.
The day before The Day..
- Notify friends, relatives, and trusted neighbors that you're going away just as if you were going on a long trip.
- Don't tell anyone but the neighbors that you'll be home each night.
- Arrange for pets to be cared for. DO NOT take them.
- Print out your itinerary and visitor information such as opening times and driving directions from the websites of places you'll visit.
- Print out address labels of friends, family, and yourself to make mailing postcards a snap. Get a book of postcard stamps. Put in Trip Book.
- Gather your Trip Book, camera, etc in a backpack or day bag and set them by the front door.
- If a B&B is part of the itinerary, pack your overnight bag.
Ready...set...GO!!
- Follow the Itinerary you made.
- DO NOT combine the day's activities with anything you'd do if you weren't on vacation (paying bills, grocery shopping, or a trip to the mall).
- DO NOT go home at any time during the day (except to change clothes for a fancy restaurant or the theatre). You don't live here, remember?
- Buy a few postcards at each place you visit and mail them to friends, relatives or yourself as you go.
- Have fun!
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Comments
That is so great Jama! I have lived in/around Seattle since 1966 and I've never been to Mt. Rainier. I've never been to Mt. St. Helens..there is a ton of things I've not done,since I live here! We do take it for granted. Nice hub!
Once I was finally able to get past the tropical picture at the top, I found a very funny and interesting read!
If you knew anything about the VERY SMALL town I live in, you'd realize the barbed wire fence is probably the most interesting thing around. Well, we do have a very old, very dirty cafe named after a very colorful bird that was used to film a commercial for some Bass Fishing company. The biggest excitement was when Brady found an albino skunk run over in the road, loaded it up on the back of his flatbed and brought it down to the cafe. The only reason I noticed it was because all the men in town were standing in the middle of main street poking it with a stick saying things like, "Think your wife will let you hang the hide on your wall?" when I was trying to get to city hall to pay the water bill. I stopped at the drugstore and bought a small suitcase because I knew I needed to get outta here for awhile!
What a great idea, JamaGenee! I'd say very few of us really know much about what's really available in our own neighborhoods and nearby towns. I think most of tend to follow the same routine for years and just pass by dozens of places that would be wonderful to visit without a second thought. From now on I'll be on the lookout for those hidden (in full view) places. Thumbs Up!
I love this hub! It's so true and so timely. I learned this myself when I moved to California. Most natives had never seen even the most obvious attractions. I saw more of that state when I lived there than most natives did in thier lifetime. What a shame! I now live in Chicago and I do exactly what your Hub suggests. It's a great way to save money and to appreciate what's right under your nose. Dorothy said it best; "There's no place like home!".
Well written too, by the way. I was entertained and informed!
Great job!
A wonderful hub, and I completely agree with you! We do take Isaac all round London, he'll know his own town if it kills us (-:
Reminds me so much of trips my folks took us on. We never had a lot of money so we just poked around, stopping at little towns, playing in the sand at a beach, eating cheap but great meals at diners and cafes, getting lost in forests and finding our way back out. Some of my very best memories of childhood come from those short trips not far from home. Glad you wrote this, Jama. It may spark wonderful times for some other kids who'll look fondly back on them in fifty years.
Jama, this article is so apropos my current mood! :-) Makes me think how I've writen about some of my destinations but never about my own (wonderful, mind you!) city! You give me something to think about,for sure!
PS: I didn't laugh myself silly, I insist: You gave me something to think about! :-)
Terrific ideas, and of course it save a lot on gasoline or travel tickets. I volunteer at our local history museum (which gets visitors from all over the world, and is a great place to visit).
While some local residents bring their out of town visitors in, I am constantly surprised to learn that a lot of locals have NEVER been inside.
It's also a good way to help keep the local economy running, when out-of-town visitors decline.
Great hub! We are lucky as we live somewhere that is very pretty, and right by the sea. All the same, it is possible to walk around blind to the obvious attraction. Try going out with a camera, and think about what pictures to take to show a stranger the attractions of your home town. That can be an eye-opener.
I absolutely agree, I live in one of the top tourist towns in America, people spend a fortune to come here. I have a great view from my own fron porch. Why should I leave? On the other hand that beach shot looked inviting, do you have a hammock we could share, I mean my wife and I LOL.
No one wants to see what I want to show them when they come visit, they just want to go to Disneyland :(
Goldentoad-- I lived in Anaheim for years, took plenty of visitors to D'land. One of my sons worked there for awhile as a street portrait artist, so he got lots of extra tickets.
We moved to the foothills of the Sierra. Now we have to take visitors to Yosemite
Once the "D" word is mentioned in my house from visitors, its total chaos from the kids, I wish I lived further away but I'm over in the south bay and its only 15-20 minutes from the house. Occasionally we get tickets thrown our away, but I rarely get asked to go, people know I feel about a zillion kids running over me.
I lived in Anaheim for years too..what a coinkydink!!( I am sure that is misspelled) anyways I love Disneyland! My happy place. I always had a season pass and would often go after school....I just went there a few weeks ago. The kids had a blast. I have friends that work there so I always can get free passes and my Abuelita lives so close you can see the fireworks from her backyard.
You're spot on. I learned a lot about other countries, their history and culture during the 12 years I spent travelling all around the world. Of course, I also gained a new respect and appreciation for my own country (Australia). But when I returned to my home town just 5 years ago, I worked for a short time as a Tourism Information Officer. Faced on a daily basis with answering questions and providing visitors with maps and information made me quickly realize how very little I actually knew about the area I grew up in! It's a little frightening really.
ocbill, from what I saw of it passing through several times, Flagstaff *is* beautiful, and what I remember most are all those pine trees!
Thanks, Candie! We do take the sights in our own backyard for granted, don't we?
Laughing Mom, I was gone most of the day and didn't get to check HP until this evening at a friend's house. I was laughing so hard at the skunk story that I had to read her your comment - between ROTFL! She wants to know if Brady got to hang the hide on the wall... ???
Bill, I'm trying to start a movement called Vacation Locally. lol! Seriously, Elena asking about the Pink Elephant rock was the inspiration for this hub. Since then, I've been making a list of the things in my area that I know - knew - nothing about.
jennifer, I'll bet you did know more than the natives when you moved to California! Glad to hear you're doing the same thing in Chicago. A great town, btw. I've never seen as much of as I'd like to.
LG, Isaac is one lucky little boy, even if he will be an orphan due to his mom and dad killing themselves acquainting him with his hometown! ;D
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I loved this. Many places that I frequent are still unknown to many natives of my hometown.
And for your neck of the woods, have you ever been to the Brookville Hotel? They seem to have moved from Brookville to Abilene. :( I enjoyed the ancient hotel out by the fields that they get their food from. The atmosphere couldn't be the same, but if the cooking is, I would highly recomend it!
Mindfield, what a lucky little girl you were to have parents who made you enjoy places and activities close to home! What better way to give a child positive childhood memories. Too many children grow up believing far off places are better than places close to home, because vacations = going to far off places.
Elena, you've done a *wonderful* job acquainting hubbers with the rooftops of Madrid! But I did wonder why you never tell us more about it. Maybe you will now? btw, the Pink Elephant has a sister! I added the pics yesterday.
Rochelle, I'm afraid I'm one of those locals who never set foot inside the local history museum (KSHS is the state's history museum). But that's about to change! Thanks for dropping in - twice. ;D
2patricias, great advice about walking around with a camera! I don't leave home without a camera now. But not to seem like a traitor to local tourism, such photos are a *great* icebreaker on overseas trips, or even trips to another part of the country.
Sandman, I felt the same way when I lived in Las Vegas. I only left because my kids hated it. As for the hammock-for-two, I'm sure there's one with yours and your wife's name on it *somewhere* on that beach!
GT, same thing happened when I lived in Vegas. Out-of-towners didn't want to see anything but the casinos.
Nemingha, working as a Tourism Information Officer sounds like a surefire way to learn about your own area quickly!
Paper Moon, your comment *did* show up, and yes they did move the Brookville Hotel to Abilene. Built a duplicate of the original, actually, from the tin ceilings in the main dining room to the wallpaper in the museum-like rooms upstairs. But the food is still as wonderful as it's always been! Just this afternoon a friend and I were talking about making the trek for their to-die-for fried chicken, creamy coleslaw, creamed corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, and those feather-light biscuits! Yummy!
I enjoyed this. Although I'm not a native of Lisbon, my OH is. And a lifelong one at that. Therefore I've discovered little corners that you'd probably struggle to find otherwise. Some wonderful restaurants, bars, markets and such - Sintra, Obidos, Cadaval - yep, it's time for a 'stay close to home' vacation.
In the last month, I've been to the British Museum (twice) the London Transport Museum (twice) the Science Museum (once) and the Tate Modern (once). Do I get a prize, or a smack for being a smug cow?
frog, glad you enjoyed it. And bravo for finding the little corners off the beaten path.
LG, you get the OMG prize *and* a smack for being a smug cow. lol! You know, of course, I'm green with envy that you can visit those treasures whenever you feel like it. I'll just go bury myself in the book about the British Museum...again. :-(
Jama I can't claim the kudos for finding anything. I was shown ;) Still, if ever you land my way, I'll take you to an absolutely fabulous cocktail bar. Umberellas, cherries, the works!
If I were to travel 75 miles in three of the four directions, I would end up in the sea, this is a very good idea, Cornwall does have so much to offer and anyway if we we crossed the border to Devon it's like going abroad, Cornwall tis then.
The good ship "Wild Imagination" is now setting sail for Anaheim, methinks the Cabin Girl deserves a good holiday, great hub moi friend : )
frog, if I ever get to Lisbon, you're on!
Hawkesdream, to the suggested mileage I'll have to add "unless you live near an ocean'! With so much to see and do in Cornwall, I can't imagine why you'd cross the border to Devon either. Not even for its famous clotted cream. It's my understanding Cornwall's is awesome too! (See, more of that knowledge of Other Places!)
BC, I was thinking the Hubbers Convention that's been talked about for next year should be in Anaheim, with GT's house as our base. Whaddaya think? ;D
We are very lucky in where we live - the British Museum is between 5 minutes walk (normal pace) and 15 minutes walk (Isaac pace, examining every tree on the way) from where we live.
Neat idea, JamaG. I live in a very picturesque little town that gets a fair number of tourists, and the sea islands -- especially Hunting Island -- have some beautiful beaches. I can't afford a B&B, but living in my little camper makes it feel like a permanent vacation. I'm very lucky.
LG, I like the way you gauge distance by "normal pace" and "Isaac pace, examing every tree on the way". Good for him that he isn't bored with them yet, considering how many times as he's been on that walk! lol!
Teresa, I've often envied you in silence for having the good fortune to have a life that fits in a camper. That would make it seem like you're on a permanent vacation. You are very lucky indeed!
Walking somewhere with Isaac when we're at lesiure is great fun - he brings my attention to things I wouldn't normally notice, and that's great. He's currently going through a tree-hugging phrase (literally!).
But if you need to go somewhere and do something, and get on with it - walk to the supermarket, do the shopping, get home for the gas man - it can be a bit of a pain in the neck (-:
Ah, the joys of life with a toddler! ;D
Well, as one (male traveller) who has moved location about six times in the last year, I suppose I could virtually make a career out of this! Good idea and great Hub.
Thanks, CT (male). You *could* make a career of this!
Jama--sorry haven't been back in awhile. In answer to your question, it wasn't long after that I was invited to Brady and Jennifer's for a somber ceremony. We were all asked to wear black. Apparently, she allowed him to hang it. But the following day was the day the Merry Maids came to clean and the hide somehow fell victim to a very dramatic vacuuming accident. None of the guys could tear themselves away from the burial site, so Jennifer confided to us girls in the kitchen over a pitcher of margaritas that the cleaning bill was pretty high last week, but it was well worth it.
(Okay, the last part isn't true, but Brady really did find a dead albino skunk. And the Green Parrot emptied for an hour or so while they were all out front poking it with a stick. The sight of that poor, lifeless white stinky thing being poked and prodded is burned into my brain for life.)
Such a great idea, JamaGenee. Most of us ignore the great things we have locally and I love day trips! Great if you have kids too.
this is great! Such good ideas! I will have to do this ideas this summer...it would be so much fun! thanks for the ideas
Thanks, Dolores and ratcliffe. Playing tourist locally is sooo easy on the budget, even if you go to a B&B (without kids, of course).
Such a great idea. I've written a few hubs about local things in and around the Houston area.....but look for more. If we all did this, we would learn so much more with the perspective of people actually living in these places. OK.....what will be your next local article?
i agree that the changing of the guards is wayyyy overrated,
oh next time youre in Pret, try the tuna and cucumber minibagguettes, amazing stuff!
cool hub
Peggy, you're so right that evryone benefits when locals write about what's in their own backyards. As for what's next - a combo Rochester Cem and overlooked local attraction hub. What else?
Cellar Door, the tuna and cucumber minibagguettes do sound tasty! Thanks for the tip!
Woohoo! I have the same memory, being bused in from the boonies to "the Big Town" to see the Shriners Circus, then doing a little field trip. Remember them quite well, actually.
Another local attraction that can't be missed is Hays House Restaurant in Council Grove KS. The most scrumptious home made food in the world!
This is a great hub, and a great idea. Beats the heck out of what we did for our "vacation" this year - cleaning house ;(
Sorry it took me so long to get here, JG.....but, I love this hub. It is a great idea. I've always toted people around locally showing them all the little things they never knew were here, but yet there are some things I still haven't gone to myself. I'm going to make a point to do that this summer. In fact, I have two days off this week, I might just do a couple of them. :)
LM had me curious about this albino skunk. I wondered if he (she?) was ALL white. So I googled it. I had intended to switch to images, but didn't. Guess what came up on Google? http://www.albinoskunk.com/ In October, we could make a roundtrip to SC to see the Albina Skunk Bluegrass Festival.
I eventually did make it to the images and yes, they're all white. Cute little critters. I can see why they were poking at him.
SilverFreak, our school never bused us to the circus. :-( But I *do* remember the food at Hays House. Scrumptious, indeed! I also remember being a total idiot for having one teeny, tiny shot glass of sake after dinner. What was I thinking! Sake is *not* for amateurs.
KCC, if I can tear myself away from Hubland for a few hours, there are a couple of places on my list too. Don't think I'll make it to SC for the Albino Skunk Festival, altho white skunks and bluegrass is an interesting combination! Better than blue skunks and whitegrass. :)
But if you and Hubby make it to the skunk festival, on the way back be sure to take a *slight* detour to Olney, Illinois to see the *albino squirrels*. (Google albino and olney.) If not for the squirrels, Olney would shrivel up, but they rather cute. You think they must be fake until one takes off across the park.
Enough of Jama's weird travel tips...nice to see you again! Hopefully I'll make it to TX for next year's bluebonnets! Feel free to start nagging me around Feb! ;D
I'll mark you down for a spring visit!
What? You didn't believe me, KCC? At this point, I'd take a trip to an albino skunk festival just to get away. And I'm emailing Brady the link. Jennifer may hurt me.
KCC, done! And Laughing Mom, I'll pick you up on the way. Bluebonnets rock! ;D
This is a wonderful hub - I am going to put some of the ideas here into effect THIS WEEKEND. I rarely get a vacation - but there are a lot of things around town that I keep saying "Oh, I should go check that out." So I will. Thanks for the great ideas.
You're quite welcome, mythbuster. Have a *great* weekend! Maybe let us know how it turns out in a hub???
Fabulous article, both funny and informative. Great style.
Hi Connie. Thanks! Happy you enjoyed it!
I love it - and added it to tagfoot, and tweeted too. Fantastic, had to read it all again and enjoyed it once more!
LG, I'm flattered you liked this enough to read it twice! Wow.... And thanks for the tweet and (tag?)!
tagfoot - it's great, hope you get some traffic from there.
I'll have to check out tagfoot then. Thanks!
Great idea. My ex and I used to do it all the time up in North GA. 50-100 miles in any direction, no matter where you live, there is a whole other place that you don't know anything about..why not be a tourist there as opposed to anywhere else?
Thanks for writing this.
Capable Woman, it's odd that more people don't do what you and your ex did. Kansas has a club whose members do nothing but explore the back roads and out-of-the-way places as a way to bring business to otherwise overlooked towns. I imagine other states have such clubs too.
Why would I ever want to be a tourist in my own town? That's pretty stupid.
Updownside lmao
JG ..What a delightfully creative mind and thankyou for inspiring me . Dont know when but I could probably write a good hub on my homecountry as a tourist destination ,then in about 6mths maybe where im at now. Thanks for sharing.
Eagle, I'd love to hear about NZ, and then SC in about 6 months! Glad you enjoyed the bits and pieces that fell out of my "creative mind" and turned into a hub! Thanks! ;D
I love the idea JamaGenee! There are still a lot of places to explore in the city where I live but I never really bothered to make time for it. Your hub just inspired me to include this in my bucket list. Many thanks! :-)
You're most welcome, ripplemaker! And thank *you*! ;D
Hey J ,thanks to your encouragement and great hub I did it , I wrote a hub about my place, I was really getting into and relised now wow Ive left so much out but I wanted to drop in and say a HUGE thank-you!! http://hubpages.com/hub/My-Home--New-Zealand-Aotea if ya get a minute check it out
You know, I never thought of it, but its actaully a great idea. And considering that I keep shifting base every two years I really can get mega sight seeing done.
Guess you have no excuses now, cashmere! ;D
As one who has recently done exactly this, I have to agree with you and encourage others to try it.
You tend to look at your own backyard with different eyes when you are officially "on vacation".
It's inexpensive and can be lots of fun.
The last time I paid the rent, I noticed a stack of this year's guide to our city, and the girl in the office said "Take one...PLEASE!" - like she'd be glad to get rid of them. Silly girl! *Of course* I took one! Found a few places I still hadn't heard of - imagine that!
Excellent! This is so true. There is so much to do here in the Grandstrand in SC - yet we still go other places for vacation. Thanks for the reminder to enjoy the local activities.
Great hub, I was amazed how many people know very little about there own town. they spend hundreds of dollars visiting other countries and not their own. I have just come back from a 12 month trip around australia. And yes we have half seen it and we did over 30,000 k's its a really big country. People we met try to see it in 2 months no hope at all. Thanks for a great hub
Wow, Eileen, 12 months touring Australia! What an adventure that must've been!
Definitely a clever idea, especially when people are short on cash in this bad economy.
ocbill says:
7 months ago
Flagstaff really is beautiful...wish they had a lake but the pine tress are great as is the air.