I love to travel. However, my obligations as a wife, mother, and breadwinner mean that I can’t just spend weeks and weeks on the road. The fact that I’ve chosen a specific lifestyle means that I need to tweak the way I travel. I can’t complain, though. I get to go on two or three multi-day trips each year, and several smaller weekend getaway-type things.
But another thing I’ve learned to enjoy is local travel. Along with my son, I’m learning to love the day trip. It’s a great way to get to know what’s in your area, and enjoy a little bit of travel, without getting too far from home or breaking the bank.
What Can You Learn About Your Hometown?
You might be surprised at what’s available in your hometown. I was surprised, when I began looking at the beginning of last summer, how many interesting hikes there were in my local area. My son and I began going on hikes around the area for fun.
Now that we’ve moved across the country, local exploration takes on a whole new meaning. There’s all sorts of stuff for us to try out in our new area. However, even though we had lived in our old town for nearly 10 years, there were still things nearby that we hadn’t seen and done. Not only that, but when I visit my parents, in the town I grew up in, there is always something different to do within a couple hours’ drive.
Think about what’s near your town. Chances are that you can spend the day exploring, taking a mini-trip to learn something new, or just enjoy something you haven’t had the chance to enjoy yet. Many locals often avoid tourist attractions in their own towns. If you haven’t been to the local tourist trap, it can be kind of fun to head out and be a tourist in your own town. You might meet interesting people, and you may even learn something new.
Making Travel Fun as Well as Manageable
One of the ways I make travel fun as well as manageable when I stick close to home is to find creative ways to accomplish my goals. I’ll take public transportation if it makes sense (my son loves it anytime we can get on a train). Or, instead of taking the most direct route somewhere, we’ll take the scenic route, and see something different.
Another fun thing we do is get local guides that can give us information about what we are driving by. My son loved buying a book at geologic formations in our old hometown. Every time we went on a short day trip, he brought that book and a pair of binoculars so that he could identify interesting rocks, formations, and historical markers.
Sticking to day trips can be a way to add more travel to your life without breaking the bank, and it doesn’t have to be boring. Your local travel can open your eyes to new aspects of your hometown, while providing you with a great experience.
