Connect with Where you Live
I am curious, how many of you like where you live and actually feel connected with the surrounding area where your home resides? Some of us may be living in a temporary location due to a good work opportunity for ourselves or our spouse. Maybe you relocate quite often and never really connect with where you live, thinking it doesn’t matter because “we’re moving in a few years anyways”. Perhaps you’ve lived in the same area for a long time but have never truly explored it.
Even if you are only in a new location for a few months, that is no reason for you not to make a connection. Even if you grew up in the area, it doesn’t mean you’ve seen everything there is to explore. No matter the duration of your stay, you should make where you are now enjoyable and memorable. We should strive to create memories everywhere we live, whether it is our permanent or temporary home.
Our Personal Journey
I have now lived in six states in my adult life (counting only my post-college years). Three of these moves have been since Daniel and I have been together. Some areas I connected with, some I didn’t. Thankfully Utah was an instant connection for us both, where we felt at home at right from the start. But this has not been the case with every move.
We have had to work hard to find things to do, places to go, or anything that was of some interest to us. It was a struggle at times until I finally learned what exactly I should be searching for. Let me share some general strategies on how to get started finding these things to enjoy, no matter where you live!
Step 1: The Right Resources
Research is your best friend here! My main search usually goes 2 hours in any direction for day activities. Here are a few places to start, other than just typing in “what to do in…” which can get quite tedious and you don’t often end up with much variety despite all the effort.
You should be looking into your area, searching the web, scouring and local blogs and websites for all the ideas you can find. Don’t just stick to your town, but branch out into the surrounding counties.
State Websites
State sites are a great place to start. For most states, you want to find their Travel & Tourism pages. You can search Visit (insert state name).com, (state).com, and Travel(state).com for starters. Living in Utah I often find myself on both the VisitUtah.com and Utah.com sites. These websites provide a lot of ideas for upcoming events, destinations, things to do, and places to go. They have seasonal activities, dining, hiking, camping, maps, travel guides, I could keep going here…
Many of these sites let you search things to do by town or county, under destinations or places to go. I recommend signing up for their newsletter to get some fun ideas right to your mailbox! No searching required. They also often have at least one printable travel guide that is good for reference.
Social Media
I also follow Visit Utah on Instagram. I do the same with Visit Idaho, Visit Montana, and Visit Wyoming to learn about fun activities a little further from home for weekend getaways. They always post pretty pictures of nature, hiking, waterfalls, and even events. Be sure to also check if there is an Instagram or Facebook page for your town and surrounding areas. Just type in the name of the state, city, or county and see what comes up.
Local Bloggers
Ok, I might be a bit biased, since I have a local hiking blog myself. But even before I started blogging, I found this to be a great resource where I lived or when traveling. These sites can be a bit more difficult to find, but try starting with a hobby. For example, search for hiking or outdoor blogs in your state, date nights in your state, and activities in your state. Use this same tactic with social media. See what pops up, then see who they follow.
Magazines & Pamphlets
Visitor Centers and forest services are the best spots for these. Also places worth checking for these are hotels, tourist spots, downtowns and some restaurants. They have more than just tourist pamphlets, they often have local newspapers for upcoming events, foodie guides, hiking trail maps, and travel magazines.
Retro diners are a personal favorite (this one is in Idaho Falls)
Step 2: Know What to Look For
Those resources I listed are a good start, but I bet you there are still things you are missing! Here is a list of ideas for what to search for in any area:
Trails
Daniel and I are big hikers, we actually go hiking every weekend. Hikes are a great way to get outside and connect with nature. Look for different types of trails, depending on your personal preferences. I know that not everyone is a hiker, and you may prefer walks. If so, try looking for nature preserves, lakes with parking, and easy trials under a few miles.
AllTrails is your best resource for seeing a trail’s distance and difficulty level (although it has misled me from time to time, but reading the comments will help you know what to expect). Just searching on maps can give you an idea of what is in the area. See what is close, then search for that hike in your browser to get a better feel for it.
Hiking is the best way to get some amazing scenery, so be sure to look for specific views such as lake hikes, waterfall hikes, and hikes that have wildflowers in the summer.
Local Farms, Ranches & Orchards
These spots are the best for all types of festivals! Check out what farms and ranches are near you. Springtime might bring activities such as baby animal and flower festivals. They could have u-pick fruit in the summertime, lavender or sunflower fields, or summer concerts. Fall brings the biggest festivals of all, with corn mazes, hay rides, pumpkin patches, and hopefully some fresh pressed apple cider, and apple cider donuts! During winter there could be Christmas tree farms, Christmas markets, and Sleigh rides.
Orchards often have blossoms in the spring, usually apple or cherry blossoms. Throughout the summer months you can usually pick a variety of fruit depending on the area and the month. Peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, and don’t forget that favored tradition of apple Picking!
Many of these places are open year-round and can have the cutest country stores with a variety of jarred goods (think jams and salsas,) fresh baked treats, and even home décor.
Farmers Markets & U-pick fields all seem to pop up everywhere in the summer months. Check out what you have near you!
Likely you have at least one of these places within a few hours of you. When you find your nearby farms, ranches, and orchards, be sure to check out their website and consider subscribing to their newsletter as well as following them on social media so you don’t miss anything good!
Unique Restaurants & Bars
Be sure to check out your local restaurants. Hopefully you have a few spots that are unique to your location, something that is special to the area. Ask around, most people have at least one go-to place to recommend.
Speakeasys or themed bars (we’ve lived near a Halloween bar, Christmas bar, mermaid bar, and trailer park bar). A good place to start is by searching if there are any tiki themed bars (some of these go all out) or cozy speakeasy in your area, likely in the nearest downtown.
Shows, Plays, & Concerts
All towns have some sort of music venue or theatre nearby. These places offer lots of opportunities for live music, plays, or other performances. You can search local arenas and amphitheaters for upcoming concerts and more popular acts that are touring.
Nearby parks might hold summer concert series or weekly film showings. Comedy acts can be found at a local comedy club downtown. Dueling Pianos make for a fun night out, often offering a mix of comedy and music.
Local playhouse, downtown theatres, and even churches will put on plays, from popular to lesser-known acts throughout the year so these should be explored as well.
Summer sunflower festival in Salt Lake City
Search by Season
These activities can vary depending on location, and I am aware that many places do not get real seasons, so I have included some ideas that can apply anywhere. (Please note that some events could be in different seasons than listed, depending on where you live).
For the record we were able to find a Christmas tree farm where we could cut our own trees in Florida, so anything is possible! Here are some ideas to get you looking forward to each and every season of the year:
Winter
- tree lighting ceremony
- gingerbread house display
- reindeer farm
- Christmas play or concert
- Christmas market
- tree farm
- skiing (cross country or alpine)
- sleigh ride (or carriage/wagon ride)
- maple tapping
- snowmobiling
- sledding
- snowshoeing
- ice skating
Spring
- baby animal festivals
- wildflowers
- lavendar festival
- tree blossoms (look for apple, cherry, or almond trees near you)
- hiking
- picnic
Summer
- flower fields
- wildflowers
- botanical gardens
- fruit picking
- lavender farm
- sunflower fields
- movie in the park
- stargazing
- camping
- scenic ski lift ride
- tubing
- drive-in movie
- fishing
- u-pick and farmers markets
- lantern festival
Fall
- scenic drives
- apple picking
- festivals
- hay ride
- corn maze
- pumpkin patch
- horseback riding
- picnic among the fall colors
- stargazing
- hot air balloon festival
- bonfire
- full moon or haunted ski lift ride
- historic tours
Step 3: Become an Expert
Lastly, just get out there! Drive around, ask around, find the local spots and talk to people. I’ll ask anyone and everyone for ideas. Our waitress, other hikers on the trail, the grocery store cashier. Anyone who might have a new place they like that I have yet to explore.
Make it your goal to become an explorer of your area. Be the one who shares ideas with others, the one who everyone goes to for recommendations, the expert. This is what I personally pride myself on. Everywhere Daniel and I have lived, I have made it my goal to find every fun thing I can in that area. I am always looking for what will break up the routine, get us out and about, and make for a memorable adventure.
Sure, you’ll strike out sometimes. You’ll plan things that are disappointing or anticlimactic. But don’t give up, there are plenty of worthwhile adventures out there just waiting for you! Sometimes it just takes time, and a little trial and error.
How do you know you’re becoming an expert? When the locals say “I had no idea we had that here!” That to me is the most rewarding moment of all.
