Adventure may be out there somewhere, but you have things to do a lot closer to home. You want to be a traveler, but for an afternoon. For a quick outing that will satisfy your adventurous spirit without putting your life on hold, try these 3 ways to explore close to home.
Challenge Yourself to Shop Local
As you pull into the parking lot of your usual big-chain go-to store, you say you would shop local if there were actually local businesses to support.
Yet some of the items on your list could be bought locally. As you drive through your town, how many businesses do you pass that you see every day yet you have never been in? You’ve always figured The Wacky Cap is a hat store, but, as you think about it, maybe you once heard it’s a seafood restaurant known for its fish tacos.
Go on an adventure and find out what you have been passing up for all these years. Turns out, The Wacky Cap rents inflatables like slides for pool parties. Huh, who would’ve guessed? If that adventure is too short, challenge yourself to truly shop local. Finalize your list of things to buy, creating your own scavenger hunt of necessities. Ask friends online for places to browse and head to the car. Your challenge can be as easy or difficult as you want as you drive around town to find who sells each item. At the end of the day, you know where to go for anything on your list that you couldn’t cross off.
Attend Farmers’ Markets
For the early birds, search for a farmers’ market to meet with local artists and producers. A farmers’ market is a great place to buy locally produced food such as seasonal fruits, specialty ice cream, and various flavors of honey, but local crafters also sell their wares here. Walk through and admire interesting finds, striking up conversations with strangers and grabbing business cards for the next time you are struggling to find the perfect gift. Once you get back home, you’ll have explored, interacted with someone besides the neighborhood cat, and gotten closer to your step count. Nice!
Hit the Gravel Road
From the big city to a small town, we all have our set roads we take. While you may consider yourself an expert on where you live, there’s always something new to discover.
Either go on a Sunday-style drive or leave the car behind. It’s time to wander. Beginning with areas you know well, move outside of your normal routes to see what else your home has to offer. Perhaps you’ll discover there’s a bridge in town that has become a meetup spot for car men wanting to share news, find a little used park with great amenities, or simply make friends with a lady relaxing on her porch. This is an exploration that can continue for months, providing lots of possible adventures when you want to make it home in time for dinner.