I’ve been gone a long time. I know. I have this goal of “writing out” so that even when I’m away and unable to post I’d have content coming up every day or so. But, as you can tell…that goal keeps getting shoved underneath a bunch of other more pressing/urgent/fun things. Anyway I’m home to PraCan now and I’m very happy to be here. The weather is simply ideal.
While on vacation I was all over the Midwest. I even took along a native Californian who had never explored the possibilities this amazing region has to offer. Since I wasn’t just bumming around solo the pressure was on to show her a good time. It’s no secret that I adore the Wisconsin/Michigan/Indiana zone…and I wanted her to adore it too.
I’ll be breaking my trip up into a few posts. And tonight I’ll be addressing a question I get asked a lot:
Where do you come up with these places? How do you find them?
Yes, true. That’s two questions. But the premise is the same…I love to travel {even when it makes me nervous}. As in every other aspect of my life and personality, my travel practices are quirky/unique/weird. I’ve been on arranged tours and I don’t like them. I’ve stayed in the “it” places of the classic “destinations” and I didn’t like it. I’m all about creating a get away that is unique. Something you’ll remember. Something your friends have never done. Something off the beaten path.
I’ve been a lot of places and my best trips have been to places most have never heard of, when I’ve stayed in little known nooks and eaten in dive-ish diners. I’ve two-stepped with locals in a Texas dance hall, stayed overnight in an airplane hanger-come-hotel, listened jazz in NOLA, eaten world famous dinner rolls and even jumped off a cliff.
Don’t stop reading here and think that I’m a big, fat bragger. I’ve been blessed enough to do some really cool things. And you can too. When I get home and post my photos people always ask how we came across all these wild/weird fun-tivities. On my most recent adventure I decided to visit the Wisconsin Dells. Here is where we stayed the night.
Remember I was traveling with that California Raisin…so this trip had to be a blast. So, for better or worse I dragged her along on one of my signature adventures. Cliffside Resort and Suites. Sound like a place you’d book? Well you should.
Why stay here instead of the well known Holiday Inn Express? A bunch of reasons. First of all you’ll be supporting a local business. Second, just look at this place. It’s soaked in quirky lake-house nostalgia. Even better…it sits right on Lake Delton directly across from the Tommy Bartlett stands. So you can take in the show from the resort grounds. Don’t know Tommy? Look at his website here, and we’ll get to how to find similar attractions in a minute.
Not to mention a pristine outdoor pool, lakeside seating and fire pits for guest usage. This place was just precious.
Being at the Cliffside Resort made me feel like I was at summer camp {and I never even went to camp as a kid.} Or at very least like I was in “Dirty Dancing” at that family camp where Baby met what’s-his-name. Now, it’s your turn. Here’s a quick list of ways you can track down the coolest, weirdest, quirkiest travel spots.
1. Realize the risk. I’ve taken some really good trips. I’ve visited really cool stuff. And I’ve also had some epic failures in the travel department. Finding travel gems is a gamble. Either way you’ll make some good memories. In my experience the travel risk usually pays off.
2. Quiz a local. Newsflash. Locals know stuff. They’ve got a good pulse on what’s legit and what is shady. They know the great places that don’t get featured in the visitor’s guide. Facebook makes this pretty darn easy. Ask around about good places to stay and things that you must see while you are there. Don’t know a local? Meet one. This won’t help you before the trip, but it’ll help once you are there. Ask someone who seems in “the know” what you should check out. This could be a waitress, a visitor’s center volunteer or the desk staff at your hotel. Be clear that you don’t want to be told about things that are plugged on billboards {unless they are drop-dead-amazingly-awesome.} Ask what their favorite thing to do is…or what they do when family and friends from out of town visit.
3. Admit that you aren’t a genius. Do you ever think: “Man, I wish I could find a place that…” or ” It’d be so cool to…” You are smart, but you aren’t a genius. If you are thinking those things, chances are someone has already thought of it and done it. Run a Google search on what you’d like to do and chances are you’ll find someone doing it…or a blogger writing about it. Then snag their tips as if you are BFF’s. Magazines and TV are also great sources for this kind of dirt. All those “Living” magazines {Country, MidWest, Southern…} run an “out and about” section each month. They come across some of the coolest places! Look into that. Also, make a note when you are watching one of those Foodie shows. Are they reviewing something that’s piquing your interest? Google it. Add it to an upcoming itinerary. {That’s how I ended up catching rolls at Lambert’s. They were featured on a count down of America’s best places to overeat…God bless us, every one.}
4. Start a board. Keep every awesome place you see together on a Pinterest board. Mine is so scattered I keep it hidden. Eventually some of your finds will over lap. Soon you’ll have enough to make a trip.
5. Don’t be too cool for school. Commit to your trip. Don’t shy away from an awesome experience just because it isn’t the trip that everyone else is taking.
6. Use your vocabulary. As I said earlier, most of my trip planning happens online {if I don’t know a local.} Now’s the time to break out the art of searching. Use all those synonyms you learned in school. I’m definitely a lodge, lake house, rustic, family camp, camping, cabin, cottage type girl. Look for all of these options. Then come up with more.
7. Listen up. People will only take the time to review a place if it’s great or terrible. Find a review before you book a place to stay. Listen to your fellow travelers. They’ve been there and done that already.
8. Find fun-tivities. You are going on vacation to escape your norm. So look for things to do. More than great shopping and eating you should surround yourself with experiences. Look for things like hikes, classes, river walks, festivals. If you are seeking a destination look for places with the biggest, tallest, longest, oldest, etc. I traveled to Scotland to hike the tallest peak in Britain. At Custer State Park Derek and I climbed the highest point west of the Mississippi. In Wisconsin my family biked the state’s longest bike path. I’d love to go to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in NM. It’s the biggest in the states. You get the picture. Also, remember that the coolest things probably will not be right at the bus stop in town. They’ll take a little doing.
9. Read up. Learn about the area you’ll be visiting. What makes it worth seeing? What’s it’s heritage? For example, the Wisconsin Dells started as a tourist destination more than 100 years ago. It attracted visitor’s because of it’s awesome scenery. Soon resorts began opening. Now it’s home to a load of attractions…including America’s biggest water amusement park {which is where we visited!}
10. Don’t over plan. Sometimes the most fun stops on a trip are things you didn’t even see coming. Allow time in your schedule for things that you didn’t plan ahead of time. That way, when you over hear a local talking about the best biscuits and gravy in town…you’ll totally have time to go get some.
