Best Ways to Spice up Travel

Traveling is a blast. There’s no question about that. But there’s also no question that sometimes the lead-up to a vacation (ya know, when you’re thinking about all the fun things you’re gonna do) is more exciting than the actual vacation. Vacation let-downs suck. But there are ways to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Eat/drink local

Doing this leaves things exciting! Why? Because locally owned restaurants are not back at the place you call “home.” Going out to a place where you can’t go to every day is fun. And special. Which is exactly what a vacation should be. As an example, if you go to Jimmy John’s three days a week when at work, going there on vacation would seem kinda lame. I remember going to Vegas for my brother’s bachelor party and we were all looking for a place to eat. Where did we end up going? In ‘N Out Burger! Why? Because there aren’t any where we came from! And it was my first time (which made it even better)! I loved it.  That example may initially seem strange. After all, In 'N Out Burger is a chain. But it just shows you that the place you go doesn't need to be a local mom and pop shop. If you're ever in the Chicago area I recommend trying Portillo's. 

Do something you wouldn’t do at home

What do I mean by this? Well, if you’re at a 5 star resort that has an amazing spa, treat yourself! You’re on vacation! If you’re staying by a beach, lie out on the beach! You probably can’t do that at home even if you wanted to. Plus, even people that live by beaches love to lie out. Trust me, I know. The list of activities is endless. You can go zip lining. Rent a jet ski. Go repelling. Take a helicopter tour. You get the idea. I remember just after I moved to Fort Myers, FL, my sisters came to visit. We rented a couple jet skis and went on a guided tour around several of the islands in the area. It was awesome! 

Explore historical places

I love history. I love learning about the history of this country, and other countries throughout the world. I’d be willing to bet that even if you don’t consider yourself a “fan” of history, you'd be surprised by what you like. For example, one of the places on my bucket list is to explore the Mayan ruins in Mexico (many in the Yucatan). On a recent trip to San Antonio, TX, I explored the Alamo, and the other missions in the area. Before that visit, I had no idea that the Alamo was also a mission! It’s just one of the more popular ones. 

Be random

Don’t plan out your whole day. Just go with the flow. Not knowing what you’re going to do next is inherently exciting. It leaves you on your toes! I’ll give you an example: on the way back from my San Antonio trip, the group of people I was with decided to stop at a place called Natural Bridge Caverns and explore some caves! Such a cool experience.

Bottom line

A vacation is supposed to be fun. It’s even supposed to be good for your health! Trying to do some of the things I suggested above may work for you, and keep that vacation fun for everyone. They certainly work for me. How do you spice up travel?

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