TODAY 9 SANDESH NEWS
The upcoming travel season means taking some much-deserved time off, visiting new cities and bumping shoulders with the nearly 100 million other Americans who plan to do the same this year.
Fighting your way through traffic and crowds is definitely a downside of traveling, so itโs understandable if you want to skip the obvious tourist traps and look for things to do that are off the beaten path. While thatโs all well and good, there are a few โtouristyโ activities you should reconsider. You might be surprised by how fun they actually are.
1. Hop On And Off A Bus Tour
Riding a big double-decker bus across the city screams, โIโm not from here!โ But donโt knock this uber-touristy activity until youโve tried it. During my first trip to Boston, I decided to take a hop on, hop off bus tour at the suggestion of a local and it remains one of my favorite activities.
โThey can be a quick, pleasant and low-effort way to get an initial view of a city,โ said Miguel A. Suro, a Miami attorney who co-runs savings blog The Rich Miserwith his wife. โThey can also help you figure out where you want to do some more in-depth tourism later.โ
2. Hit The Water
If a bus tour is too boring or time-consuming for you, consider a boat tour instead.
You can choose to go the classy route with an architectural tour down the Chicago River or a gondola ride through Venice, or opt for a slightly cheesier experience like a duck boat tour. โThose giant car boats are ex-war machines turned tourist traps, but are so delightful to ride in and see a city,โ said Vanessa Valiente, creator of travel and fashion blog V-Style. โBoston, London and San Diego are just a few cities that have fantastic duck tours.โ
Other unique experiences include swamp tours in Louisiana, riverboat tours down the Mississippi River and the celebrity homes tour of Miami.
3. Visit A Museum
One of the most obvious tourist activities in any city is visiting the local museums. Though you might have a list of more exciting or unusual stops to make, consider strolling through at least one. A cityโs art, history or industry-specific museum holds an incredible vault of knowledge that you can soak in at your own pace.
Valiente said a few of her top spots include The Blue House, Groeninge Museum, the Louvre and The Met. My personal favorite? The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas.
4. Go For A Hike
I know, I know โ hiking is so basic. But it can be a great way to burn off some of those extravagant vacation meals while getting lost in nature for a couple of hours.
One great way to experience the unique offerings and rich history of a new city is to trek through its national parks. โTaking advantage of the national parks and landmarks that are being opened to the public or restored [allows you] access to these places that would ultimately be lost in time,โ said Lauren Grech, adjunct professor at New York University and CEO of event planning firm LLG.
If youโre looking for something more adventurous, Grech suggested hiking through ruins. โWe did this recently through Mayan ruins in Mexico, but there are options for this all over the world,โ she said. โOnce you get a sense of the locationโs history and culture, it heightens the entire rest of your trip because you pick up on certain customs, flavors or sights that you otherwise would have overlooked.โ
5. Ascend The Cityโs Tallest Building
Many cities are home to landmark buildings that let visitors take in the city from hundreds of feet up in the air. Waiting in a long line and paying way too much to spend 20 minutes observing the cityโs skyline might not seem like your ideal way to spend the day, but it can be a view worth investing in.
โIn London, my wife convinced me to take the high-speed elevator to the top of the Shard,โ said Trevor Kucheran. The couple, who blog at Travel Off Path, usually pride themselves on avoiding mass crowds and being โoff the beaten pathโ travelers. โI was absolutely stunned by the breathtaking views 95 stories above the city. … It may have been a touristy stop on our London adventure but is definitely one I wonโt soon forget!โ
Other buildings worth visiting include New Yorkโs One World Trade Center, Seattleโs Space Needle and Los Angelesโ U.S. Bank Tower, which features a glass slide at the top.
6. Visit A Place Of Worship
Regardless of your faith (or lack thereof), you should consider visiting a noteworthy cathedral, mosque or other place of worship while traveling.
โThereโs a reason why the Notre Dame, the Blue Mosque in Istanbul or the Cologne Cathedral are visited by millions of people per year. Itโs a holy escape from the city and a glimpse into history,โ said Erika vanโt Veld, a full-time backpacker and travel blogger at Erikaโs Travelventures. โAlthough you may still be surrounded by crowds of tourists inside these places of worship, you canโt help but feel a sense of peace and security within the echoing walls.โ
7. Attend A Sporting Event
On a work trip to New Orleans years ago, my companyโs CEO organized a group outing to see a basketball game at the Smoothie King Center. Iโm not much of a sports fan and wasnโt exactly thrilled with the idea, but I went and ended up having a great time.
What I learned is that you donโt have to be rooting for the home team or necessarily even like sports to enjoy a local game. Live sporting events are a great way to mingle with the locals, get a taste of the regional hot dog style and have something to talk about when chatting it up with strangers at the hotel bar.
Plus, some stadiums are landmarks in their own right. Visiting the iconic Wrigley Field, Notre Dame Stadium or the Rose Bowl will give you a taste of history while you catch a game.
