When planning a vacation very few of us ever think about staying close
to home. However traveling can get expensive and cause even more stress. Between
the cost of air fare, hotels and lodging, transportation and the cost of
experiences once you arrive at your destination, vacation can add up quickly. Next
time you are planning a vacation think about keeping it closer to home or
taking a staycation. There are many pros to taking a staycation or being a
tourist in your own town. It is more cost effective, you don't have to take
time off work, arrange transportation or lodging or worry about being in an
unfamiliar city. Here are some things to try when being a tourist in your own
city.
Try things that you wouldn't normally do in your city. Take a tour of a
popular landmark like the Minnesota State Capital in St. Paul, the Mill Ruins
Park or Mill City Museum in Minneapolis. Visit a museum that you have never
been to like the Minneapolis Institute of art, the James J. Hill House,
American Swedish Institute, Science Museum of Minnesota, Walker Art Center or
the Minnesota Children's Museum. Rent a Nice
Ride bike and take a self guided tour around lake Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the
Isles, Lake Harriet or Lake Nokomis.
Embrace the four seasons that Minnesota has to offer. In the summer
rent a boat on Lake Minnetonka or visit Minnehaha falls. In the Fall go to the
Minnesota Landscape arboretum in Chaska and take the 3-Mile Drive, watch the
leaves transform into vibrant red, orange and yellow. Also visit an apple
orchard and pick fresh apples, drink fresh pressed apple cider and take a hay
ride. In the winter visit Buck Hill for snow tubing or Afton Alps for skiing
and snowboarding. You could also go root for the Wild at a Minnesota Wild game
at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. In the Spring check out the
roaring Mississippi river at the Stone Arch Bridge over St. Anthony Falls, watch
the flowers bloom at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory or visit the
Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens.
Check out a local events, fairs or festivals. Go to the Minneapolis
Farmers Market or go to one of Minneapolis's many music and movies in the park.
Try something new at the Dakota County, Carver County or Edina Art Fair. See a
concert at the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair. Attend the Pizza Luce
Block Party, Twin Cities Pride Festival or the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Visit
your community website to see what other events are going on around you.
When taking a staycation make sure to step outside your comfort zone
and be adventurous, but also enjoy yourself. Try something new, eat a new food,
visit a new place or try a new activity and along the way you might discover a
new favorite restaurant, hobby or activity! Being a tourist in your own town
allows you to see a city you see every day in a new light. It also gives you a
well deserved break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life while staying
close to home.
By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager
Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.Source: https://experiencelife.com/article/how-to-be-a-tourist-in-your-own-town/
