Anyone who has ever traveled will tell you that if you want to experience a place in its natural state, visit the destination that tourists are least likely to see. For decades, this has always been the choice of tourists searching for the next amazing place on their Bucket Lists. Unfortunately, since COVID-19 debuted in our world, finding destination places free of crowds of tourists has become a challenge.
I must admit that I was lamenting to my daughter about the tons of people EVERYWHERE ruining my retirement years when she said, “You sound old. You want things the way it used to be. Well, suck it up. It’s never going to be that way again.” I was, of course, stunned! Lol But yeah, I DO want it the way it used to be, before everyone and their mother decided to work from home, putting in half days and finding time to shop and travel. I DO want it to go back to a time when a retiree could wait for everyone to go back to school to visit a popular destination, with very few tourists cluttering photos and packing restaurants.
I have to admit that I’m annoyed. My husband and I worked forty years, day in and day out, with long hours and low pay, hoping to one day retire and 
travel the world. But since COVID-19, the generations below us are “living life to the fullest” and not waiting forty years like we did. They spend every cent they have to experience the world’s wonders before they are too old to enjoy them or dead. I don’t blame them, really. I wish our generation would have had that mindset. But it was a different place and time. Despite wanting everyone to go away so I can have my cake and eat it, too, it’s just not going to return to the way it was. This younger generation will be standing in line with me no matter what I say. So what is the solution for seeing the world without having everyone and their mother along for the ride?
The secret is finding places that are off the beaten path. Instead of visiting Venice, Italy, where cruise ship after cruise ship unloads tourists into St. Mark’s
Square, visit Bruges, Belgium. The city boasts canals and mid-evil architecture, and it’s known as the Venice of the North. Instead of going to Europe, where so many Americans go, try visiting Africa, where tour guides await and are ready to dazzle you with safaris or beach experiences in Seychelles. And skip the Mexican resorts for something unique like Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. It has white and gold beaches and boasts some of the best snorkeling you will ever find.
Be like my son and his family, who decided to head to Jordan despite the war in Israel next door. It was as if they were the only tourists anywhere. The people of Jordan were very welcoming and excited to host them. My son said they had the best hotel rooms an impressive food. Everywhere they went, they were treated like royalty.
So, think outside the box. Do you have to see the Eiffel Tower in person? Haven’t you seen it enough online that it isn’t that exciting anymore? Are the Bahamas, with its massive cruise tourists everywhere, your idea of seeing the world? Better yet, think about this… Why travel abroad when in your own country you can find the most amazing topography, history, and cultures?
Recently, I went away for a quick weekend to a small town in Arizona called Prescott. It was quaint, with enough history to interest me and my friends on our two-day getaway. It was as if we went back to another era when life was slower and more peaceful. Our hotel was something out of the Old West (The Grand Hotel on Whiskey Row), and the restaurants were diverse and good. When was the last time you took a two-day trip to a town near you?
What have you seen in your own state or country? Can you believe that some people will travel the whole world and never stop to discover the city they live in? It truly IS okay to be a tourist in your own country, your own town…
You see, I may be annoyed when I try to visit the big things I’ve always wanted to see because there are too many tourists, or I have to join a lottery to get in or make a reservation when I never had to before, but despite this… Deep down inside, I know that maybe I’m missing out on better places that no one has discovered yet. And isn’t it intriguing to plan a trip that no one else has thought of? I’m making plans for new adventures that satisfy my old bucket list and ones that have found their way onto a new one. No matter the road I’m traveling, I hope to see you on my journeys. Life is too short to be stuck in a line with a bunch of tourists!
Next stop…
