Ways To Be a Tourist in Your Hometown

Introduction

• Hosting out-of-town visitors is one way to set about seeing your own city through fresh eyes,

• but there are other tricks that work just as well (and save you the trouble of having to get up and make your guests breakfast).

Here are ways.

• TAKE A HISTORIC TOUR.• GET A ROOM.• MAKE A DATE WITH YOUR CITY.• ACT LIKE A TOURIST.• TAKE SOMETHING SMALL AND MAKE IT BIGGER.• Collect brochures and recommendations at the

visitor’s bureau or a hotel lobby.• Follow roadside historical markers.• Do what your town is known for.• Try something new.

TAKE A HISTORIC TOUR

• Sure you can reel off the names of the iconic buildings in your hometown, but do you know their history?

• Do you understand how your city was founded and why?

• hose hop-on, hop-off tours might be meant for tourists, but they're a great way to fill the gaps in your local history knowledge

• Plus, taking note of what visitors find interesting can be fascinating, allowing you to see the seemingly mundane in a whole new light.

GET A ROOM.

• Waking up in a hotel or bed-and-breakfast is a tried-and-true way to set the mood for exploring.

• If you live in a suburb, head into the city. If you live in the city, consider spending a weekend getting to know the next town over.

• The added kick of being away from home for the night will only add to the day’s fun.

MAKE A DATE WITH YOUR CITY.

• There are places I pass on a regular basis in Toronto. Each time, I make a silent vow that “one day” I'll check them out. I'm sure several such places in your own area are popping to mind as you read this. Take it from me: It will never happen without a concrete plan. So pull out your calendar, set a date, and keep it.

ACT LIKE A TOURIST.

• I’m not suggesting you don a fanny pack, simply that you do as tourists do when they're in discovery mode in a new city.

• Channel your inner traveler by popping over to the "new arrivals" booth at the local train station or chatting up the woman at the information counter at city hall.

• Peruse the newspaper with an eye out for activities that will take you out of your comfort zone rut and seek out local bloggers for insight into what’s new—and worth experiencing for yourself.

TAKE SOMETHING SMALL AND MAKE IT BIGGER.

• Those little things you usually do? Make them touristy.

• Your daily stroll around the block could turn into a walk around a new-to-you neighborhood.

• Friday pizza night at home?

• Why not make it a mission to test out the newest pizzeria in town

• You'll be surprised how simple shifts in everyday strategies can widen your window for adventure

Collect brochures and recommendationsat the visitor’s bureau or a hotel lobby.

• Almost every city has a visitor’s bureau; a group of people who are devoted to telling visitors all the great things to do and see where they live.

• Be sure to ask for the can’t-miss items as well as the quirkiest for the broadest list of possibilities

• Historical markers – usually plaques emblazoned with a story – share fascinating and often little-known bits of history, and within seconds, the Historical Marker Database (hmdb.org) can find markers close to you.

• You’re guaranteed to learn something and may get an idea for your next to-do list!

• In Leander, Texas, for example, a marker tells of local farmer Alpheus S. Mason, a veteran instrumental in the town’s creation, and his home along an early significant Civil War military and commercial route.

Follow roadside historical markers.

Do what your town is known for.

• We all have something in our city that nearly every tourist sees or does, but for some reason locals take it for granted.

• Have you ever heard yourself say, “Can you believe I live here and have never done that?” Now’s the time to do it!

Try something new.

• Instead of eating at the same few restaurantsyou know you like, try a new one.

• Skip the indoor movie and try one of those outdoor showings with a picnic basket some museums or communities hold.

• Whatever it is you’re about to do, stop and consider: As a tourist in my own city, how else could I do this?