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It seems that amost all of us have beeen equating travel and sightseeing with faraway places. I'm always reading comments by oldsters here about their favorite places on the other side of the world or about their cruises to obscure and often crime-ridden tropic hellholes. I've read comments about wishing to visit museums and other sights from so many with no background knowledge who can't possibly appreciate them. It's as if these people are keeping score rather than trying to enjoy themselves. There are attractions that are so extraordinary that they merit the heavy expense and time. Egypt's Valley of the Kings is unique. While The Louvre and New York's Metropolitan Museum are not, their magnificent collections draw the cultured as well as a plentitude who would pretend to be so. However, I wonder how many who have visited parks, museums, and historical attractions thousands of miles away have sought out what may be only a few hours or even a few minutes from their homes.
There are interesting and worthwhile attractions everywhere. In no area can people ''do'' them in an afternoon. There's interesting scenery everywhere. Couple that to local geology, flora, fauna, and history, it would be difficult to find any are unworthy of a lifetime interest. Rather than fret and stew about the next trip a thousand miles or five thousand miles away why not visit what's on your doorstep? People on the Atlantic coast have so many museums that a lifetime would be inadequate. There are also various historical and cultural attractions as well as obvious dining opportunities. But there's plenty to see in central Iowa as well; there's no place without interest and charm.
How many museums and historic sites are within a hundred miles of your home? How many have you visited? How many restaurants? How many geological, zoological, and botanic sites? How many restaurants of possible interest? How many unusual stores? Gold is where you find it. The local County Treasurer's office here has a fascinating display of Wyoming license plates from the beginning to the present. It's not a museum, but it may very well be unique.
Travel and tourism need not be expensive or onerous; the grass isn't always greener in Wangchou.
Last edited by Happy in Wyoming; 08-22-2014 at 01:50 PM..
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Very true. We have been here in WA for 21 years now and still have not been to see some of the cities and natural beauty
that's within a 5-6 hour drive. We have tried to work on that the last year or two and have made many 1-2 day shorter road trips to explore.
Lots to do and see in Southern California, of course, but there are interesting things in out of the way places, or at the very least in places which surprise you. There is a pretty decent aircraft museum in Liberal, Kansas (south-western part of the state). There is a surprisingly large military museum about 20 minutes northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas. There is a rattlesnake museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico (lots of live specimens). Andrew Jackson's home ("The Hermitage") is in Nashville Tennessee.
The National Museum of the Pacific War is in Fredricksburg, Texas, and the National Museum of World War II (formerly called the D-Day Museum) is in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Our own country is full of worthwhile things to see in addition to the ones everyone knows about such as the Grand Canyon.
New England is a small enough area geographically that one could explore three or four states pretty widely in just a week's time. Or be in Boston, NYC, Portland, midcoast Maine etc for an overnight or two (our preference). When we come back from a much longer trip we're usually drained and a year later can barely remember the experience. That's just us. We're not great travelers, but we like a change of scene. Of the New England states, we like Maine the best and in four or five hour drive can be there. There are online "radius" maps on which you can draw a circle of miles or driving distance around a point. Our limit is five or six hours. Five better, generally. The great wonders of the world we prefer to see in videos—a lot less wear and tear.
There are many excellent historical/military museums within a day's drive of us and we have probably visited all of them throughout the years, most more than once. But museums of that type (e.g. the Nimitz in Fredericksburg TX, the WWII in NOLA, and the Sixth Floor in Dallas) remain fairly static. So unless they open a new section or have the rare special display, they get old fast.
The same is true of specialized museums; we've seen most within a 3-day drive. But they hardly ever change so there's no reason to return. Our favorite this summer was the Los Alamos NM Historical Museum. It was tiny but we spent a couple of hours there, reading everything and asking lots of questions. Staff was very friendly and knowledgable. (We prepared before we went by reading the book 109 East Palace, so had a fair grasp of events.) Los Alamos also has the Bradbury Science Museum, and we decided to save that for a future trip. It too will likely be a one-off.
On the other hand, arts museums tend to work hard to keep their collections fresh and are continually bringing in temporary exhibits. For us, these include the Nasher and Meadows in Dallas, the Kimball and Western Art museums in Ft Worth, and the San Antonio Museum of Art. We try to visit all of them at least every couple of years and we keep an eye out for special exhibits.
The most fascinating nearby place we visited last year was the haunted Grove House in Jefferson TX. Wowsa, what fun that was! Resident/owner Mitchel Whitington gives a delightful tour… lasts over an hour, for only $6. And yes, there were 'happenings' on the rainy afternoon we were there. We know people who go every year, around Halloween or Xmas, and now I know why, we're definitely going back!
There is so much to do in my immediate area that we'll probably never do it all. I started a thread once about day trips and quick getaways and this was the type of thing to which I was referring.
We drive up the coast of Maine and look at lighthouses, we drive to the Cape and learn about the first trans Atlantic cable and the Marconi station, we tour 17th Century homes (a favorite thing to do.) Our previous town had more First Period homes that any town in the entire country!
One local town was the first town founded by the Puritans and there is a very interesting Historical Society that we belong to and we go to their events. There are fascinating ancient graveyards around here and we are always stopping to look at old granite milestones that mark a historic event.
We take photos of wildlife in the nearby Great Marsh--I don't know "what" they had there last winter but people came from all over with tripods and telephoto lenses to take pictures of it. It was some sort of bird and it usually shows up every year--I'll be more prepared this coming winter.
Boston is a hop on the train. This fall we are going to the MFA--haven't been there for a while. We have taken the bus tour and took a tour of the USS Constitution, Old Ironsides.
There are boat rides and train trips. Today we were looking at brochures for the cog railway that climbs Mt Washington in New Hampshire. Maybe take a train trip in the White Mountains of NH too.
There are pretty parks and trails to walk on. Yesterday we drove to Rockport and took in the local scene complete with great food, unique shopping, and breathtaking scenery.
We take overnight trips to Vermont in the fall and have a favorite small, friendly inexpensive motel that's situated in an apple orchard and has its own homemade apple pies. Cameras are a requirement.
Yes, I would like to spend a lot of money and go to England again--and we will. But we don't need exotic faraway expensive budget breaking destinations to keep us occupied.
Our beaches are nothing much in winter but they are spectacular in summer and even in spring and fall they are great for walking and you can take your dog on the beach to run when it's not summer. You can pick the beach plums and make beach plum jelly in the fall. There is a lot to been seen and experienced near home. I hope to see the Wyeth paintings in Maine, not that far away.
The antique car shows on Friday nights for dh, the outdoor cafes, the free concerts on the town common all summer. It's endless. I went to Europe when I was young and saw as much as I will ever be able to see--and I can relate to the jerks who don't even appreciate it. I was in the Rijksmusum enjoying the paintings when some IDIOT in a tour group came out with, "Okay, now we've seen the Rembrandt, let's get going." The epitome of the Ugly American.
I've only scratched the surface. I haven't been in an airport in six years.
So glad we're not "almost all of us." Having been military brats and in my case, having spent a dozen years in the military myself, my wife and I have both lived other places to include a number of states as well as other countries.
We've always hung-on to the notion of "See America first!" and especially where we opted to retire. Since moving to the Ozarks we've explored extensively and still have a lot left to see. We've also explored other areas of our state and still have a bunch to go. There is more out there than we could experience in a lifetime.
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