Traveling is sometimes more about the journey than it is about the destination, which means you don’t always have to travel long distances to find your next adventure. In fact, you might discover your very own backyard is filled with hidden gems you’ve yet to discover, no matter how long you’ve lived there.
Check out our five tips on how to be a tourist in your hometown.
Book a hotel room for the night
While your hometown may look all too familiar to you, a staycation can help you see old sights in a new light. Make like a tourist and book yourself a room at one of your hometown’s most renowned hotels, whether it’s a historic property with stories to tell or an up-and-coming boutique hotel that’s generating a lot of local buzz. The simple fact that you’re staying somewhere away from home, even if it’s in your hometown, can put you into instant vacation mode — which means you’ll be looking at your city with fresh eyes – just like a tourist.
Check out your hometown’s tourism board
Most major towns and cities have tourism bureaus or CVBs that work to bring tourists to the area. They specialize in knowing what makes your hometown so special, but you don’t have to be an actual tourist to take advantage of the resources these organizations offer. From cool and quirky restaurants to undiscovered local attractions and the latest nightlife offerings, tourism boards have a wealth of information to help you be the very best tourist you can be. Stop by your local visitor’s center or check out your city tourism board’s website to see what’s new and notable in your hometown.
Try a new restaurant
One of the best parts of traveling is, without a doubt, sinking your teeth into something new — but why wait until you’re on the road to start spicing up your dining life? Noshing on the same old dishes in your hometown can put you in a rut, and remember: a tourist in your town wouldn’t eat at the same place every day, so why are you? Explore your hometown’s local culinary scene with a trip or two to new (or “new to you”) restaurants and you might be surprised at what you find your town has to offer.
Take a tour of your hometown
You can live somewhere your entire life and never see it the way a visitor does, but you can change that by doing one of the most basic activities you can sign up for when visiting someplace new: taking a guided tour. Through these group excursions, you can learn all about what makes your hometown special, whether it’s a long colonial history filled with bloody battles for independence or the country’s best bourbon. Guided tours also offer a variety of ways to see your hometown, such as by bus, bicycle or segway, all of which are a welcome change from your daily commute.
Sign up for deal alerts
Deal sites and newsletters often highlight everything from restaurants and attractions to hotels and excursions, making them an easy way to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in your hometown. Sign up for local deal alerts and you won’t just hear about new, tourist-friendly businesses opening up in your hometown, but you’ll save money, too!
(Main image: garryknight used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
