Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Destination...Anywhere

I never strived for a life of excitement. I'm not a thrill seeker, though I love a good roller coaster. I love traveling, but I am hardly likely to travel deep into the Amazon rain forest, or drop myself into an environment that is risky. As much as I would love to see the wonders of the Egypt and other countries in the middle east, I feel I will settle for a few Nat Geo documentaries. It's heartbreaking to me that  "safe" travel destinations feel so unsafe now. No, I want wonder and to see the world, but with a sense of peace and calm, and opportunity to live among the locals, even if only for a week or two. While another vacation of a week or more is not in the money or time budget for the remainder of the year, I'm looking at other options. 

A little Googling around the internet to look at low cost get aways for DH and I over the next 6-9 months and I came across a web site that I want to dive into a bit more. Travel Like a Local promotes getting off the beaten path. I like this paragraph from their About Us page, "In an age where every corner of the planet is within easy reach and every experience is easily obtainable with money, we value the meaning of details. Because every great travel can start as soon as you cross your front door." From a few clicks, this team is traveling world wide, but experiencing more than just TripAdvisor might recommend.

Well, we will not be able to obtain any experience, as money is limited. Yet, I surely can  appreciate and dive into the details of side trips and away from home experiences even if they are just outside my front door. My travel accommodation needs are minimal. Give me a clean decent room with access to a shower, and I'm a happy visitor. While staying in a suite hotel was nice on business, on vacation, we spend little to no time other than to sleep and shower in the room. Doing the math a bit more on our anticipated income and savings targets to December 31st, and the small $800 budgeted for a couple get aways might even be a bit high. Even so, I am bound and determined to find both a pre-Christmas and a "when will spring ever get here" weekend away. I found this map that gives a couple circular options of destinations to figure out. The first circle seems to be places within two hours of the Twin Cities, and the larger, places within four.  Both would be doable on a tank of gas. I am sure if I dig, I would find little hidden gems. It is time for me to find my daughters geometry protractor and start building my own circles and then let the internet be my guide.  Maybe it will be a downtown B&B in Waterloo looking at the first of the Christmas lights, or an out of season cabin in Spooner with pancakes and locally tapped maple syrup for Sunday morning breakfast at the townie cafe with a poke in the second hand stores and farmers market.

We are very fortunate to have the big family vacation to Alaska in August. It will be a trip of a lifetime, spent with my immediate and extended family. I have embraced the opportunity fully now, and am getting excited-while building in some self preservation techniques thanks to a few words of advice from many of you. It helped that I researched and booked a shore excursion for just my family. I still  will want my own little getaways, and am excited to plan those, as if you have been reading my blog, you know half my fun is in the planning. What do you all have planned for the rest of the year for get aways? What have been some of your best outside your front door vacations and what would you recommend include in mine regardless of the destination?


15 comments:

  1. I'm exactly like you! It seems a bit too scary to travel far with they things are now. The WI Dells are about as far as I want to go. PS-Anna's room is open if you ever make it to this boring area!!!

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    1. Now that sounds like a get away! I'll bring the wine.

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    2. Yeah, but watch out for "the crippler".....lolz

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    3. Oh tell me more! Is it the bed or a cocktail?

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  2. Lots of places are still really safe to travel but our future travels will be off the beaten path a bit...I think. Hard to say. How about renting a cabin somewhere? That sounds like a perfect relaxing getaway to me.

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    1. I know many countries are very safe and try not to be isolation in my thinking. Perhaps international will be back in my lens by next year.

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    2. And I agree a cabin would be relaxing in a new place. We have a family cabin but often not very relaxing as many family members use it.

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  3. I love travelling equally outside my own front door or further afield, I'm not stupid but I don't take too much notice of what's going on in the world in terms of my travel plans otherwise I'd never get on a plane. Having just returned home last week from our six weeks away I have now got itchy feet again and am planning a number of trips over the next six months here in the UK and in Europe and a big Aussie New Zealand trip starting in Feb. Travel is my thing and it's all good wherever it is. Your Alaska trip is on my list too. We do our trips as economically as pos as like you sleep and shower is all we need. I watch travel shows read travel books and surf the net for ideas oh and read blogs Life without a trip in the planning really tests me lol

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    1. I want to be that carefree, but I'm sometimes too pragmatic for my own good. Australia and New Zealand will be on my list but probably post retirement so we can be there a while since its a day of travel. Looking forward to your travel tales. Was this your world trip or is that still to come?

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  4. What a great website, unfortunately none of those destinations are in our travel plan this year, or next year or the next year. I spent the bulk of our vacation budget flying to the PNW to babysit my granddaughter. Add to that a couple of nights hotel during tourist season and a major convention and the dollar signs just don't stop. (I hope my DIL appreciates that I am non invasive)
    Son3 is headed home for a few days and we are going to the beach. Fortunately it is only 4 hours from home so we can easily drive.

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    1. Well we had only one, three night get away w/o kids and that was when our son was only 16 months old when my mil and a sister shared care days. The next was 23 years later when my older daughter stayed at our house with her 12 year old sister. I'd say she should appreciate it! Our budget was spent on Washington DC last fall and now our costs for Alaska. We're still getting caught up from London two years ago-but worth every penny spent!

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  5. I'm not particularly interested in travelling abroad, which is just as well because insurance for a week in the Dominican Republic when K and A married there in 2013 set us back over £300 just to cover me!

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    1. I have a lot to explore locally and in the US, but love the idea of being part of a global society. Oh yes, the hidden costs for travel that are not part of the rates travel sites promote. I guess my ambition might be to live like Wendy from the Contented Cavern and go where my heart and funds will take me.

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  6. I've read that the planning of a holiday, the anticipation is as enjoyable as the trip itself, sometimes moreso. Alaska will be a fantastic adventure and you're wise to build in some time for your own family.

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    1. I can believe that Jane. It will be good trip and I will have fun looking locally as well.

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