Tourist destinations are popular for a reason. But a lot of times, your own enjoyment is diminished, while vacationing in a crowded locale. You are always jockeying for a position, fighting crowds, waiting to be seated. Whatever happened to quiet, restful vacation? I think your time away from the grind should be personal and fulfilling. For this reason, I tend to look for time away in more remote locations. I’m not vacationing off the grid, by any means, but I try to avoid the visor & fanny-pack crowd as much as possible. By doing so, you won’t pay the premiums that are in place at most tourist vistas. Here are a few of my favorite places to get away, from the day-to-day and the tourists.
- Rent a House/Cabin. Sit back and stay awhile. I have done this one a lot of ways. Traveling with a significant other, we have rented a tiny cabin in the Appalachian mountains. Other times, we’ve traveled with friends, renting multi-bedroom houses in the Colorado Mountain, through Summit rentals, and at the beach on the Coast of North Carolina. I would recommend either approach, especially if friends are down to journey with you. I like vacationing with other people, especially when you have enough room to spread out. It’s nice, in a large rental home, to have a central place where people can gather, play games, party, whatever you want to do. But it’s nice to be able to retire to your room, whenever you need. In this way, it’s like two vacations at once: one with the people you like the best, and the other on your own or with your significant other.
- Working Away From Home. This only works for folks who can work remotely, but if you have this kind of job, by all means, take advantage of it. If you and yours can work from the computer or phone, set aside a week to work from someplace away from the home or office. Go to the next town over and spend part of your day finding out what there is to love about it. Some people turn this kind of arrangement into a more permanent situation, renting out the homestead and going on semi-permanent vacations.
- Don’t Lose Track of Old Friends. Find Them. Now, I know that some friendships run their course. But a lot of times this is because we don’t put in any time or energy into them. I have found some of the best times in my life simply by picking up the phone, calling someone from college, and saying, “Mind if we come up for a few days?” In fact, this has never worked out poorly. We’ll catch a plane or make a flight, and find ourselves staying with people, remembering why we liked them so much in years past. If you open up your home in the same way, you’ll have a revolving cast of characters brightening your life. You’ll find, like me, that maintaining meaningful friendships is one of the most rewarding and revivifying aspects of life.
There are plenty of ways to truly vacation, away from the tourist traps and over-crowded haunts we all grew up with. By focusing on what you truly enjoy, what gives you life, you’ll find yourself paying a lot less to get away from it all.
