Last Updated on February 22, 2020 by Candy Wafford

There’s no place like home. And local travel is the best way to realize how special your hometown is. Think you’ve done everything there is to do in your city? I bet you haven’t even scratched the surface! I’ve lived in the same place my entire life and am constantly amazed at how many activities there are in my town. Here are tips on how to explore locally and be a hometown tourist.

For me, travel is not only about traveling to and from a location but the experiences. And sometimes we just don’t have the resources, whether they be time or money, or both, to take a trip far from home. But local travel means you don’t have to travel far when adventure and new experiences are just outside your door!

What Is a Hometown Tourist?

You are a hometown tourist anytime you do leisure activities in your city or town. And the popularity of local travel and staycations has grown due to people having less time and/or money to take trips further away from home. But approaching this type of activity with the mindset of travel, exploration, and adventure will make the experience more meaningful.

How Do I Explore My City?

You’ve decided to spend some time being a tourist in your hometown, but how do you explore your state or city

What Is Your Town or City Famous For?

The easiest and most obvious place to start is by experiencing what other people typically come to your city to do. In my hometown of Lexington, that’s anything and everything to do with horses and horse racing. And I’ve done those experiences my whole life, but it wasn’t until I went on a horse farm tour recently that I truly realized how special the industry is. And it’s in my backyard!

Great Resources to Find Local Activities

Only In Your State

Only In Your State is a fantastic resource to find cool and quirky things to do in your state. From a vintage bowling alley in Rhode Island to cuddling with rescued farm animals in New Jersey, Only In Your State allows you to search by state or city and find activities you may not know about in your area. I just found out there is a new spa in the castle located fifteen minutes from my house!

Facebook Events

Facebook Events is a great resource for finding activities in your area. I use it all the time to find cool events going on in my city or the nearby region (this is also a good resource when traveling if you allow Facebook to access your location). I am consistently amazed at how many things there are to do in my city.

Local Visitor’s Center

Your local Visitor’s Center is a great resource to find things to do near you. Not only will visiting their website provide a list of things to do (some you probably didn’t know about), but may even tell you things about your town or city. A visit to the visitor’s center is an even better way to find cool stuff to do locally. I found a free downtown street mural tour and that there is a food tour in our city.

Online Search

A search online for “events calendar” will often lead you to local magazines and digital sites that publish a calendar of events for your area. A quick search on one of the events calendars for my city let me know that there is a scavenger hunt through our downtown. Again, I am always surprised at the variety and quantity of activities to do.

State Parks Website

The website for your state park is a great resource to find tourist activities in your area. Not only will you find a listing of events in the parks, but you can also find areas that highlight activities by area of interest such as outdoor activities, historical activities, and activities for kids. The home page will generally highlight any special activities and often will feature local activities that you can do over a period of time. My state is featuring a culinary trail that takes visitors to restaurants throughout the state with menus featuring local dishes.

The National Parks Service has a find a park page which is helpful for local travel and when you are traveling further away.

Search for ‘Trails’

While you can certainly search for walking and hiking trails, I’m talking about themed trails. Here in Kentucky, the Bourbon Trail is one of the largest tourist attractions in the state. And the beauty of being a tourist in your own town or state is you don’t have to do a trail all at once!

Explore a Nearby Town or City

Live in a small town? Visit the nearest city. Live in the city? Take a day or a weekend and explore a nearby small town. A visit to the city might include attending a sports event or a show. Touring a small town might be as simple as walking down Main Street and visiting local shops and restaurants.

Benefits

• No packing! Or only minimal packing if you are doing an overnight or weekend trip near home.
• Affordable – Local travel is the best form of budget travel there is. Transportation and lodging are generally the most expensive aspects of traveling. By ‘traveling’ to your own city your saving on these costs. You’ll also find many free things to do near you.
• Easier – Traveling with children can be wonderful, but it can also be exhausting. Less time traveling means less time for meltdowns and more time for family fun.
• Become a Local Expert – Hosting out-of-town guests? By becoming a tourist in your own backyard you will find what a cool place you live and can share this knowledge with others.

Remember, there’s no place like home!

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