Being a Tourist in your own Backyard
How to plan a little day trip!
PA Grand Canyon
Decided to head there one random afternoon!
Growing up, my family and I were always going on trips. Day-trips, long trips, weekend trips, you name it! We always called them our adventures. My mom, being a mother, posted our adventures on Facebook. So many of her friends always told us how we do so many cool things and that it inspired them to do the same. Because she would tag me, my friends would tell me the same thing. These adventures could be a big trip like our trips to Boston/New England, Canada, California, Washington/Vancouver, etc. Some of the adventures could be weekend trips to Syracuse, Philly, Washington DC, Baltimore, etc. And yet, some of the trips were day trips to places in our city or nearby cities. We decided one day at noon that we wanted to go to Wellsboro, PA and see the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Another time we drove to Stroudsburg, PA to go to this football field sized antique mall which was basically like a museum. One time we drove to Honesdale, PA because they had this pop-up exhibit where someone took book pages and made a whole room look like bee hive. These adventures will stay with me until the day that I die!
So how do you plan to be a tourist in your own backyard. First, I don’t mean your actual backyard. I really mean the area in which you live. However far you’re willing to drive/walk/bus to is an excellent “backyard.”
Now that we cleared up some confusion, it’s time for the fun part! Check to see what events are available to you. Is there a cool exhibit that just opened up? A lesser-known local history museum nearby? What about a cool restaurant that you never tried in a different part of your town/city. There are so many great options to choose from! If you live in NYC or a bigger city, it might be fun to find something on your block or even the next subway stop that you never seen or been to before . If you live in the suburbs, maybe try driving to the town next to you or a town that is over a half hour away. The options are endless!
If you find somewhere that you want to go, see if there’s a local bakery that you can stop and get a snack at. (Or in my case, an ice cream shop!) Add a little something extra to the trip to fully make it an adventure. Explore where you are! You never know what you might find.
Here’s an alternative to searching and finding a place:
Try a Penny Date, Take a penny (or any coin will do!) and determine which side is head and which side is tails. Determine how far are you willing to drive and decide if you’re going to find an activity or maybe a new restaurant to try. You can do this with your family, a friend, or even by yourself! If you’re driving, get into your car, if you’re walking, step out of your house. Flip the coin and let the penny take you left or right until you find yourself somewhere new! It truly is a lot of fun and a great way to make some memories.
I was telling someone, recently, about the penny date and they recommended another alternative, the Gas Tank Challenge! On a semi-empty gas tank, put in ten to twenty bucks for gas and drive until you run out of gas again. Find somewhere in that town or see what’s around! It may not be smart in this economy but it could still be a lot of fun!
Finally, the whole point of these day trips is spontaneity. You don’t need to plan your entire life. Have fun and live a little! You live every single day so live live to the fullest. You only die once.