Too often we take for granted the things that are near and dear to us. Our relationships, our surroundings, and our own hometown all fall into that category.
Have you ever heard the story about the millions of New Yorkers who have never visited the Statue of Liberty, or Parisians who have never been to the Eiffel Tower, or Washington, D.C. residents who have never taken a tour of the Capitol?
Sometimes you want to travel but it's just not possible. Perhaps you can't get the time off work, or you're saving for something important. But it's always possible to keep the travel mentality alive by being a tourist in your own backyard. No one recommends tossing your travel plans and having a 'staycation' (such an uninspiring word), but there's a lot about Carlsbad and our area that you may have never seen because you just weren't looking. And we're not just talking about the tourist attractions either.
Everyone loves to get away and spend a few weeks of the year off from work going to a hip, chic vacation spot. That's fine I suppose, but usually the experience is costly in terms of time and money and is often even more stressful than just staying home.
When was the last time you had a blast visiting a new city or town and didn't spend a lot of money? It can be easily done by going on a weekend vacation in Carlsbad and the surrounding area.
'Fess up, folks! For the most part we all take for granted everything our own city has to offer. Traveling from work to home and back we neglect the fact that we live in a thriving area that has an abundance of entertainment and attractions. A good number of people I've talked to have never been to some of our legendary landmarks, even after living here for decades.
The time has come to appreciate where you live and to view it as an adventure. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Get a visitors guide:
Go online to www.visitcarlsbad.com or actually go to the Visitor Information Center. Visit Carlsbad's hospitality staff and volunteers will provide you with a list of recommended sights to see. Do them all! Take photos at each attraction, and blog about it afterward on www.visitcarlsbad.com. If there are a lot of things to do, divide the list into regions and spend a day in each region. Try to do everything, no matter how many times you've done it before.
Take a camera:
Keep your eyes open. If you see anything worth photographing, do it – even if it's something you've seen a million times already. Visit Carlsbad is always looking for really great photography of our city. Your photos could inspire new visitors to discover a favorite Southern California destination or you might possibly win a photo contest when Visit Carlsbad reveals the juicy details.
Take public transportation:
Californians love their wheels. But using public transportation can be an adventure in itself. Even if you catch the train or bus every day, you can still make it fresh and fun.
Get a map of the public transportation network (available at the Visitors Center), close your eyes and point to a spot. The stop closest to your finger is your destination for the day.
Buy a ticket, hop on the bus or train and just wander around. Blog about your new-neighborhood sojourn afterward on www.visitcarlsbad.com – and make sure you keep taking photos.
Select a theme:
Perhaps you don't feel like doing touristy things, or maybe you've just followed our advice and done all the things in the visitors guide. No worries – you can still dig deeper. Choose a theme and explore everything our area has to offer within that theme. You could visit all the parks within a five-miles radius of your home, or all the dining establishments in the Village. You might need to make a list and check it as you go – and make sure you keep taking photos.
Theme ideas:
Visit every park or playground and go down the slide. Have a breakfast at all the Village restaurants or in a specific region. Visit every building more than 100 years old, or that was built in a certain year. Have a beach picnic at all of our beaches. Do a pub crawl. You get the idea – and make sure you keep taking photos.
Geocaching:
I'm getting a little bit more technical here. You'll need a global positioning system (GPS) device to try this one. From what I hear, it's a great way to get your exercise. Just make sure you keep taking photos!
Have you ever heard the story about the millions of New Yorkers who have never visited the Statue of Liberty, or Parisians who have never been to the Eiffel Tower, or Washington, D.C. residents who have never taken a tour of the Capitol?
Sometimes you want to travel but it's just not possible. Perhaps you can't get the time off work, or you're saving for something important. But it's always possible to keep the travel mentality alive by being a tourist in your own backyard. No one recommends tossing your travel plans and having a 'staycation' (such an uninspiring word), but there's a lot about Carlsbad and our area that you may have never seen because you just weren't looking. And we're not just talking about the tourist attractions either.
Everyone loves to get away and spend a few weeks of the year off from work going to a hip, chic vacation spot. That's fine I suppose, but usually the experience is costly in terms of time and money and is often even more stressful than just staying home.
When was the last time you had a blast visiting a new city or town and didn't spend a lot of money? It can be easily done by going on a weekend vacation in Carlsbad and the surrounding area.
'Fess up, folks! For the most part we all take for granted everything our own city has to offer. Traveling from work to home and back we neglect the fact that we live in a thriving area that has an abundance of entertainment and attractions. A good number of people I've talked to have never been to some of our legendary landmarks, even after living here for decades.
The time has come to appreciate where you live and to view it as an adventure. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Get a visitors guide:
Go online to www.visitcarlsbad.com or actually go to the Visitor Information Center. Visit Carlsbad's hospitality staff and volunteers will provide you with a list of recommended sights to see. Do them all! Take photos at each attraction, and blog about it afterward on www.visitcarlsbad.com. If there are a lot of things to do, divide the list into regions and spend a day in each region. Try to do everything, no matter how many times you've done it before.
Take a camera:
Keep your eyes open. If you see anything worth photographing, do it – even if it's something you've seen a million times already. Visit Carlsbad is always looking for really great photography of our city. Your photos could inspire new visitors to discover a favorite Southern California destination or you might possibly win a photo contest when Visit Carlsbad reveals the juicy details.
Take public transportation:
Californians love their wheels. But using public transportation can be an adventure in itself. Even if you catch the train or bus every day, you can still make it fresh and fun.
Get a map of the public transportation network (available at the Visitors Center), close your eyes and point to a spot. The stop closest to your finger is your destination for the day.
Buy a ticket, hop on the bus or train and just wander around. Blog about your new-neighborhood sojourn afterward on www.visitcarlsbad.com – and make sure you keep taking photos.
Select a theme:
Perhaps you don't feel like doing touristy things, or maybe you've just followed our advice and done all the things in the visitors guide. No worries – you can still dig deeper. Choose a theme and explore everything our area has to offer within that theme. You could visit all the parks within a five-miles radius of your home, or all the dining establishments in the Village. You might need to make a list and check it as you go – and make sure you keep taking photos.
Theme ideas:
Visit every park or playground and go down the slide. Have a breakfast at all the Village restaurants or in a specific region. Visit every building more than 100 years old, or that was built in a certain year. Have a beach picnic at all of our beaches. Do a pub crawl. You get the idea – and make sure you keep taking photos.
Geocaching:
I'm getting a little bit more technical here. You'll need a global positioning system (GPS) device to try this one. From what I hear, it's a great way to get your exercise. Just make sure you keep taking photos!