As travel is resuming and new protocols and health measures are set up to assist with safety for travelers as well as citizens of travel destinations, some people may still be weary. It’s completely understandable, not everyone wants to risk their lives or even want to get sick at all. I mean, who would ever want to get sick? But it doesn’t mean you can’t get out of the house and do some local traveling and exploring. You can unquestionably make local trips as exciting as international adventures.
I know, most people think a vacation means taking a plane and going halfway across the world to sip Margaritas on a white sand beach in Bora Bora. That’s what I used to think years ago, but it’s not true! I’m an adventurer at heart, and I used to travel at least 4 to 10 times (on a plane) a year before the pandemic hit in 2019/2020. But just because we were in lockdown for the longest time, doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Because I did a heck of a lot of traveling regardless (on high alert and with safety precautions of course) with a majority being within my own province. I will stay within certain boundaries and generally abide by rules (I don’t have time for drama, inconveniences or jail and I doubt many other people do), but I will find a way to do things.
Travel, as per the Oxford dictionary, is defined as “going from one place to another, typically over a distance of some length”. So technically, you can travel anywhere – and that means that local adventures still count as travel! From road trips, exploring national parks, and cottage getaways to being a tourist in a city you’ve never visited in your province or state, or even visiting the next province or state over, it is still considered traveling! And you can do it all by car. You don’t even have to share a hand rest with a stranger or be stuck on an 8 hour flight that you can only hope to sleep through.
You only need to know where to start, how to make local trips as exciting as international travels, and be open to it! Let me tell you the ways you can do that and how to look at your home through a new lens.
What Kind Of Traveler Are You?
1 – Do You Love History?
As I went on my road trips this summer traveling all over Ontario as well as our neighboring province Québec, I found that there was actually so much history to learn. We were taught all the important historical events in elementary and high school, but who really remembers all that? We have a constant influx of information coming in every day and it’s hard to remember specific dates or events. Sometime, I barely remember what I ate last night!
I remember visiting a lot of landmarks this summer and having an “oh yeah!” moment. And the fact that I can physically be there to take in a place that’s preserved by history makes local road trips that much more exciting for me.
1 reason I love traveling for history is the architecture and how some of them have even become national historic sites. I feel like I’m transported back in time and can see how much effort and trials it took to get to where we are today.
Tips For History Travel:
- Does a certain location catch your eye from photos on Pinterest, Instagram, or a Google search? Add that to your travel list and look up the history of your intended destination before you go. It helps you understand what happened and makes visiting that location so much more interesting. It also gives context as to why we are where we are today.
- Don’t be afraid to talk to locals! They may know very interesting facts about their town that you probably can’t find on the Internet.
- Grab a guide book! Technically, you can find most of your information online, but there are guide books for tourists that cater to solo travelers, haunted travels, family travel and more.
- Do a Google Search for historical landmarks near the city you plan to travel to and they’ll populate in Google Maps.
- Go to Wikipedia and search “List of National Historic Sites of [Country] in [Province/State]. You’ll get an entire list with date the site was established or completed , location of the site and the description. This page will also include a list of national historic sites available within cities of that particular province or state.
2 – Are You A Foodie?
Who doesn’t love eating? Whether you want to stick to your favorite type of cuisine or try new ones out, why not explore the restaurants around your city or a few hours drive away? Not just any restaurant, but you can spend your day having breakfast, lunch, and dinner at one that represents the country you’ve been dying to visit but haven’t had a chance to and really make an experience out of it. You can even go on food tours during your domestic trip or join a cooking class for your favorite cuisine or dish.
Certain cities have different types of food or restaurants that they are popular for. This means, that you’ll need to take a road trip outside of your own home town specifically for food travels. For example, just 2 hours west of Toronto is a wine region called Prince Edward County – a gastronomic capital of Ontario with their farm to table experiences.
You can even make it a goal to try a certain number of countries’ foods and restaurants and expand your palate. Not only is trying new foods fun, but it also brings a sense of community when you can share the experience with family and friends.
While visiting different restaurants may seem like an everyday thing, when you make it intentional and search for a particular experience, you can really make it an adventure.
3 – Are You An Adventure Seeker?
For those who want to be active and seek “new lands” and experiences in life, these options may be great for you to make local trips as exciting as international travels:
- Geocaching – using a GPS, people use coordinates to hide and find items called geocaches all over the world! It can be containers filled with secret treasures, or something you leave behind to share with the next person, or even just a message in a place that is hidden in plain sight. I remember doing one where there was a secret message hidden at Toronto City Hall, a place where thousands of people walk by every single day. Because at the time the building was being built, the architect wasn’t allowed to get credit for his work. So instead he secretly inscribed his name around the exterior of the building as it was getting built. But you’ll need to find exactly where it is.
- Explore national parks for new views. Provincial Parks, National Parks, or State Parks – not only does it allow you to get in touch with nature and help you get some exercise in, but you can also come across majestic views. There’s always a trail for every type of hiker and you can work your way up to climbing the highest mountain if you’d like.
- Try a new active activity you never did before such as parkour parks, ziplining, treetop trekking, parasailing, scuba diving (yes, it’s possible even if you don’t have any ocean near you!), or rock climbing.
- Are you a water lover like me? We don’t have warm, salt water beaches in Ontario and I just always get so excited when there are nice water views. You can make it a goal to visit as many lakes and beaches as possible. I’ve been pretty impressed by a few around here, but they do need a couple hours’ drive!
4 – Do You Just Want To Relax?
Feeling like you’re stuck or in a slump? Being told to stay indoors a majority of the past 2 years can have us not feeling the best. Getting out of your usual routine, even if it’s just to relax can be a fun local trip to take.
- There are plenty of spas you can pamper yourself at. Whether they’re for massages, getting your nails done, facials, or a well-rounded luxury spa that allows you to soak in different temperature pools, special steam rooms and saunas, you can have a nice relaxing time away from home. I know the more specialty spas where I am calls for me to travel around different cities! Not only can you indulge yourself, you’re able to see new scenery while you’re at it.
- What better way to relax than to spend time at the beach? Not everyone has the luxury of having access to hot weather and nice beaches with clear blue waters. And if you do, sometimes it’s quite a bit of a drive and even makes sense for you to stay overnight. Find beaches you want to visit, and go beach hopping on our road trip! Who can ever get enough of the beach?
- Go for scenic drives or take a scenic train route, especially in the fall. This depends on your location or how close you can get to an area that allows for this. But sometimes just going for a drive can help people relieve stress and tension (when there’s no traffic of course). It allows for a change of scenery, which is what traveling is anyway so just because it’s a local trip, doesn’t mean it won’t be exciting!
5 – Do You Want To Feel Like You’re In Another Country?
Look for quaint little towns to visit. The atmosphere and scenery completely changes and sometimes it’s surprising to find that a city not too far from you can make you feel like you’re in another country. For example, this summer I took road trips to Perth, Ontario and Montréal and Québec City. Perth is just over a 3 hour drive from Toronto and it reminded me of Amsterdam. Montréal and Québec City is a 5 and 8.5 hour drive away from Toronto in the next province over and I completely felt like I was in Europe.
You don’t necessarily have to take a plane and fly across the Atlantic in order to really feel like you’re traveling. There are so many cities in North America that you can explore that will make you feel like you have though!
6 – Do You Like Learning?
One of the most exciting parts of traveling abroad are the tours you go on while you’re there to learn about the place you’re visiting. So why not do the same for your local trips and make it just as exciting? You can choose hands-on and immersive experiences so that you can actually participate and learn something new. And traveling is one of the best ways to get educated.
A great way to learn while you’re traveling is to visit different museums and galleries. All the history and research is already done for you. You can do so much learning here and actually spend all day at them if you like to take your time. And there’s always new pop-ups and limited time exhibits at different locations that you won’t want to miss. You can add multiple museums, learning centers, and galleries to your local trip and really make it like you do for international travels.
7 – Are You A Well-Rounded Traveler?
If you like to do a little bit of everything while you’re traveling, incorporate a few of each of the categories and create your own perfect local trips itinerary! This is my favorite type of traveling, where I’m able to experience a little of everything a destination has to offer. I think that with this option, you can absolutely make local trips as exciting as international adventures!
I always hear that people are bored at home, and there’s nothing to do where they are. Trust me, I’ve said it before too. But until you change your perspective and make it an effort to see what’s out there and really just live your life – you can travel anywhere. Whatever your passion may be, by doing these activities, you may even find a new hobby. So don’t forget, travel doesn’t have to mean getting on a plane every time, local trips can be just as exciting and adventurous. Just because there are roadblocks, doesn’t mean it’s the end of that idea.
As much as this blog post is about making local travels exciting, it’s also allowed me the opportunity to be able to share my own experience of what’s worked for me while not being able to fly overseas as much as I’d like during the pandemic, and to make the most out of life and still be able to travel where you’re based. And hopefully, this has inspired you to get out there!
To help you get ready for your local trips, here are 22 Vital Lessons Learned On My Summer Road Trips.
For more destination inspirations, check out my other travel blog posts!