Skip to main content

Your Backyard

Bo & Vine Burger Bar
To celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday, we did a walking tour of downtown Salem, Oregon. Pretty much the whole family joined in at one point or another. We spent several hours following a tour map of the downtown area. We walked at a leisurely pace, stopped in at several little stores and learned a lot about the history of the area and the buildings. During this adventure, several things occurred to me. 


Not all vacations are overnighters

Most of the family had the day off from work and we were spending it together. Three generations of us all exploring. We ate meals together, saw new places and learned new things. It was a vacation, but it was only a day long. That’s OK. It was still valuable time together and it was easy on the budget.


Not all trips require traveling

We did not take a cross country trek. We were right in our own area, but we saw things that were new and interesting to all of us. We visited a new restaurant (Bo & Vine) and rounded out the day with a little gelato at a street side cafe. Since it’s not a thing we do every day, it was like we had traveled to a new locality. 

When you slow down, you see cool things.

Several years ago, we ran a horse drawn carriage company. Most of the people we took on our downtown ride were people who lived in the area. Interestingly, during almost every ride, a passenger would comment that they had never noticed some shop or landmark as we passed at what was basically a walking speed. Getting out of the car allows you the time to actually look around.

Things look different and you are able to see things more clearly when you are going at a walking pace rather than zipping by them in a car at 35 plus miles an hour. Slow down and explore. Enjoy each other’s company and savor the sights. 

Seriously, take the time to slow it down. You don’t think that you can make room for it in your schedule, but you can and it’s worth it.

Be a tourist in your own backyard

This phrase just means taking the time to see what’s around you each day. While we were walking around, we were able to stop at several little stores. You know the ones I mean. Those shops that you whiz by and always think to yourself, “I’d really like to stop there some day.” It was fabulous to be able to stop in any of the little boutique shops. Some member or other of the family would say, “Hey, I’ve always wanted to go in here.” So we did. We spent over an hour at Salem Summit Company exploring, dreaming of our next adventure and getting advice on outdoor equipment. Mom was even able to find a wonderful camping chair while we were there.

Poke around in the shops. explore the alleys. Pick up some handmade items. Try the local cuisine. These things sound like what you do on your vacation, and they are--on your vacation right in your own town,in your own back yard. 

Labels:
Location: Salem, OR, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Look Before You Leak

I actually like fishing, but not necessarily for the obvious reasons. It really doesn’t matter to me if I catch anything. I like hanging out by the water listening to the stream, feeling the sun and hearing the birds. Sometimes, when you are still and quiet, the birds forget you are there and will go about their business. It’s cool to watch. The best part about fishing is that it looks like you are doing something. People don’t bother you when you are doing something.  So, when my friend Patti and my brother David hatched the idea of one last trip up the canyon to our fishing spot before the river closed for the fall, I was all in.  The fishing spot is about sixty miles away and up in the mountains. (I’m not going to tell you exactly where. It’s not personal. It’s just that when I get there next time with the intent of doing nothing while looking like I’m doing something, I don’t want to find you doing nothing in my spot.)  The spot is kind of remote. You have to park in a grav
Post a Comment
Read more

The Side Trip

Rouge River Gorge You’ve planned your trip. As you execute the schedule that you have created, you find that it leaves you with time to spare.   In fact, you will likely find that throughout the trip, there are time blocks between your “main events”. What do you do with the extra time? Enter the “Side Trip”.   What is a Side Trip? It’s a small trip, from a few hours to a few days, that is embedded in your longer vacation. For a side trip, you keep your base of operation the same and venture out from there. Sometimes the side trip is spontaneous, when you unexpectedly find that you have a few free hours and are able to take in a local attraction. Sometimes you can plan your side trip ahead of time.   There are basically three types of side trips.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Pain of Packing

Traveler’s Lament I love to travel. I hate to pack. I want to pack light. I hate it when I don't have something I need. I want to have a travel wardrobe. I hate spending a ton of money on one piece of clothing. I love cruising. I don't cruise often enough to be good at packing for a cruise. I love traveling with the whole family. It is hard to transport everyone's luggage . Have you ever felt like this when you are trying to plan and pack for a trip?   Here are some tips that will help de-stress your travel planning and packing. Talk about the baggage plan ahead of time. Before you even leave for your trip....  Before you even start packing.... Talk with your family about packing. Set some expectations about how much each person will reasonably need to bring on the trip. Remind yourself and your family members that you don’t have to bring everything you own. Be sure to emphasize the "only as much as you can carry yourself" principle. It is tru
Post a Comment
Read more