But I have been home for over a month now, and there are still a few weeks before my next work trip, so I have been struggling with an idea for a post.There's also the niggling fear of coming up with a dumb, boring, stupid theme. After listening to a recent episode of MFM (Only the truest murderinos use the acronyms), I was reminded of an important aphorism. Sometimes in the pursuit of perfection, the fear of being less than perfect can prevent you from creating anything at all.
(I've even seen MFM live!)
As I lazily daydreamed about my upcoming trips, it occurred to me that someone may find value in reading about how I plan out my trips. How do I find out where to go, what to see, and what to eat? Ultimately I don't really do anything special, but I have picked up a few tips and trips over the years that perhaps you have not thought of.
When it comes to researching the sights and activities of a new city, there are two big rules I like to follow:
- Google is your friend
- Don't discriminate sources, but be discriminant of yourself
The first one sounds obvious, but it bares repeating: Google is your friend! If I had a dollar for every time I got questions like "HOW DID YOU FIND THAT PLACE?!?!" and "WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT?!" after posting pictures from a trip or after eating out at a new restaurant, I'd be able to fund international excursions full time. 9 times out of 10, most of the activities and sights that I visit on a trip comes from doing some good old fashioned googling.
I'll use my trip to Boston next month as an example. Let's say I'm going to Boston in a month (because I am). The first thing I'll do is pull up the ol' Google and search a few terms.
Common terms I would search this instance are
- Best of Boston
- Must see Boston
- Must do in Boston
- Top 10 things to do in Boston
- Bucket List Boston
Similarly, when I am thinking about what I want to eat when I travel (and let's be honest I'm totally thinking about that right now), I may search things like this:
- Local cuisine Boston
- Must eat in Boston
- Unique food in Boston
(This is how I found out about Rocky Mountain Oysters in Colorado!)
If I am planning a longer trip, then I might start googling some itineraries. There is literally nowhere in the world that people haven't been before, and there are hundreds of blogs and websites out there where people will plan out entire days or weeks for you. (As a fun side note, searching itineraries in Mexico City s how I found the wonderful Eternal Expat, run by my friend Laura). As such, you can search things like:
- 3 days in Boston
- 1 week in Boston
- 24 hours in Boston
- Boston in a weekend
Now, you don't actually have to do ALL the things in the itinerary, or follow them in any order, but these itineraries are another good resource for finding stuff to do. They also have the added benefit of giving you a rough idea of how long it may take.
(Searching for Itineraries was a lifesaver while planning my cross country Peru trek)
Finally, I also like to search local event calendars or Facebook pages to see if there are any time-sensitive events going on while I will be visiting. These can be a great way to feel like you're "part" of a city, and can also open you up to some new avenues you may not have already considered.
- Boston events
- Boston events calendar
(This is how I found out about Houston's Art Car Parade)
Searching for these 14 odd items will yield you a TON of websites with a CRAP-TON of information. Browsing through these will give you a good snapshot of what it is that tourists do when they come to that city. You will also see a lot of duplicate stuff, which may indicate how popular of a place it is.
This leads me to my second big rule: Don't discriminate sources, but be discriminant of yourself. What do I mean by this? Well... I mean a few things.
Firstly: I think that there is a lot of stigma, especially in the current age of travel blogs and instagrams to "get off the beaten path" and to "avoid touristy stuff". This is just silly. A lot of things become popular and "touristy" because they are awesome. The Great Wall of China remains one of the most incredible things I have ever seen with my own two eyes, but it is also the number one tourist destination in all of mainland China, attracting millions of visitors per year.
(Not pictured: the million other people there that day)
So, just because something is featured on a lot of websites, or might seem popular, do not avoid it for fear of not being "cool" or "hipster" enough. Any source of information on things to do, see, and experience in a culture can be a good one, and sometimes things are popular for a reason. (We'll get to how to find the less-popular stuff in a minute). It is also smart to get an overview of what a town or city has to offer, and often times these popular websites/top google results can do just that.
The same goes for eating choices. Most cities that I have been to around the world are searchable in Yelp, and Yelp is a great way to get an idea of what there is to eat around you. The rating system may be a bit wacky (As a rule, I find that the Chinese restaurants with 1 or 2 stars on Yelp are the BEST ones), but it's a great place to start.
Secondly, You need to know yourself. What are the things that YOU like to do? A lot of these google searches, and the resultant blog/buzzfeed-type posts you read are going to suggest museums. This is because museums are a popular tourist destination, and a great way to get a feel for the history and culture of a single place (usually in an air conditioned environment!). But, if you don't like museums, then don't go to one just because it is at the top of every single "must do" list you find.
An example: when I visited Philadelphia last year, one of the unanimously highest rated things to check out was the National Constitution Center. It's a museum that, appropriately enough, houses the Constitution of the United States. Now, I normally love museums, but I did my research and found out that this is a popular CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, which also was VERY EXPENSIVE. I know myself really well (I've lived with myself for almost three decades!), and I know that my love for museums does not outweigh my love of THRIFTINESS and AVOIDING CHILDREN. So I didn't go! I went to the US Mint instead, which was way more interesting, was completely free, and children avoided it so it was a win-win.
Most travel destinations have an incredible amount of things for a visitor to see or do, so it helps if you know what you like. Are you a museum goer or a bar hopper? Do you prefer shopping malls or hiking trails? Does architecture get your motor running, or are you more likely to seek out an escape room? I always recommend trying new experiences, but if you know that you absolutely do not like doing something, then doing that thing in Italy is still going to kind of suck for you.
Once you get a good idea of what you like to do while traveling, you can even do more of those tried and true Google searches, but this time tailor them to the kinds of things you like to do:
- Boston hiking trails
- Boston beer festivals
- Boston taxidermy conventions
- etc
(I like to search for weird things, like giant red-eyed fire breathing armadillo statues)
I'm fortunate enough to be friends and acquaintances of well-traveled people, so I am always sure to reach out to them if I am going somewhere new. If you have a friend who has lived in/visited the place you're about to go, then they may know some great tips. They may even know about some of those secret, off the beaten path activities worth investigating further.
Once you are actually physically at your destination, the best tip I can offer you is to just explore. Travel around on foot as much as possible; don't just go from point A to point B, but meander a little bit. Talk to locals! They always know where the best food is. If you find you are too shy for that, then just keep an eye out for whatever draws a crowd.
Aaaannnddddd that's really it! Honestly you'll get out of a trip what you put into it, and if you spend a bit of time before going you can find some really awesome things to do.
I'll close with a few direct links to websites that I use almost every single time I travel. These are always handy:
Wiki Travel - An Open Sourced Travel Encyclopedia - This is great for just about anywhere in the world.
Rough Guides - Pick a country and then click on "Things not to miss" to get a gorgeous slide show of the top things to see/do in that country. Really great for broad "Where should I go next" trip planning
Seat 61 - This website is run by a guy who only travels by train/bus/boat. If you are going anywhere in the world outside of North America, he can help you out. Traveling over land can save you money and also be a lot of fun
Facebook Events - Honestly, no joke, it's a great way to find out if there are any fun festivals, concerts, or events going on during the time you are traveling.
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