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5 Reasons to Travel Local This Weekend

Last Updated August 23, 2022 William Tang

You are here: Home » Travel Inspiration » 5 Reasons to Travel Local This Weekend

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I've said it before and I'll say it again, we're all guilty of looking outwards for adventure, exploration, and fun but more often than not there are plenty of discovery we can do just at our footsteps.  We just don't realize it.

Exotic lands far away and the prospect of immersing yourself in new cultures, foods and people is all really exciting but a lot of times you don't need catch a flight or drive 5-6 hours to get away.

5  Go anytime

Inside Tyrone Mills, a traditional water-powered mill that still sells its own flour.
Inside Tyrone Mills, a traditional water-powered mill that still sells its own flour.

The beauty about the local gems is that you don't need to make special plans to make it happen.  You just get up and go.

Big vacations always take a lot of time to plan and most people I know will plan big vacays around long weekends to minimize days off.  As a result, vacation becomes very calculated, precise and planned.

For my most recent trip up to Central Counties along their A Country Path route, all I did was look up the map they provided, picked a few places that interested me and away we went the next day.

4  Learn about local history

Garry, co-wner of Geissberger Farmhouse Cider in Clarington, Ontario
Garry, co-wner of Geissberger Farmhouse Cider holding a photo of his grandfather working the cider press in Clarington, Ontario

I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or not but I don't know what it is about us not being that interested in our own history.  I've always found it fascinating and with local trips, it's fun to learn about how a certain area developed over time or businesses that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Forts are always fun to explore as I learned in Buffalo as is something as simple as learning about an old water-powered mill that used to produce the region's flour.

3  Save money

Stocking up on Kawartha's Dairy Ice Cream at the Enniskillen General Store
Stocking up on Kawartha's Dairy Ice Cream at the Enniskillen General Store

This one's obvious right.  When you travel long and far away, you have to factor in a ton of costs.  From flights, car rental, gas and hotel, big trips always account for a big chunk of your annual budget.  If you're travelling with kids, the costs jump up even more and so making travelling even more difficult.

Instead, why not travel local and make that money go farther.  Make it a day trip and save on the expensive flights and hotels.  Think of all the local wines, cheeses, ice cream and other local goodies you'll be able to get!   Treat yourself to an awesome dinner too while you're at it!

2  Support local businesses

If you ate today, thank a farmer billboard
(Image via Fleur McDonald)

Now this is something that might not automatically pop up in your head but it's a great feeling to be able to support the local businesses, farmers and craftsmen.  With internationalization and the rise of imports, those folks living in the country side have had to work that much harder to make a living.  By going out to explore these charming rural areas, you're directly and indirectly impacting their lives and economy.

There are so many benefits of supporting local businesses.  A few I can think of are: preservation of local character, environmental sustainability (more organics and reduction of sprawl), money staying in instead of going out, increased innovation and entrepreneurship, and specialized products that are way better than the big box stores.

1  Travel more

Having a great time even though we're an hour away from home.
Having a great time even though we're an hour away from home.

At the end of the day, all we want to do is get out more right?  Now I'm not saying that you should stop doing this big epic trips, instead you know I'm a total fan of going all out but why not get out even more?  Think about all those quiet Sundays or the Friday-off-because-you-can't-bank-any-more-vacation-days.  Instead of doing nothing, head out and create your own adventure!

The A Country Path trip was sponsored by the Central Counties, however the opinions expressed in this post are my own.

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About William Tang

William is the Chief of Awesome at Going Awesome Places which is focused on off-the-beaten-path, outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring others to travel, writing detailed trip itineraries to help others plan their own trips, and providing helpful tips and tricks to guide readers to travel better. He is based in Toronto, Canada but you'll find him on the road more often than not. Make sure to learn more about William to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

author will tang going awesome places profile photoHey, my name is Will and I'm here to help you travel to some awesome places around the world and my home country of Canada by providing insanely detailed itineraries, travel guides, and packing lists.

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