How much of a tourist are you?

Wes said:
I haven't been a tourist for so long that I can't remember the last time I was one. I'd like to learn how to become one once more, though.
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will you be able to ?

I haven't been abroad since Covid... and I probably won't be going this year either, hopefully next year... .. but I have a booked a weeks stay at a coastal location in the Uk for July...
 

I've been blessed to have traveled and experienced many wonderful places, mostly with my best friend and traveling buddy, some of the best trips were off the beaten path, small towns, country roads, local restaurants ....now, my 'traveling' is by computer and YouTube.
 

My tourist days are over, unless someone takes me. Have been many places in the past, thank goodness.

As a native NYCer I have never been to the Statue of Liberty or the top of Empire State. Was at top of Twin Towers though.
 
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Michael Z said:
My preference is to simply explore the more ordinary places near where I am staying at a relaxed pace. For example, visiting an ethnic grocery store is quite interesting. Or taking a walk in the neighborhood.
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You are so right! My neighborhood is in constant flux, due to all the different ethnicities that have moved in. The stores are kind of boring, there are a lot of empties due to high rents and many are being converted into housing and bigger buildings. I take my adventures where I find them, can no longer be a seeker.
 
Pepper said:
As a native NYCer I have never been to the Statue of Liberty or the top of Empire State. Was at top of Twin Towers though.
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That does seem to be the habit of the 'locals' everywhere. I've never been to the Hollywood sign nor walked Hollywood Boulevard. And, I've only gone to the Rose Parade when touring families from out of town went there and wanted a 'native' to escort them. I wonder why it is that the natives of cities with notable attractions which others travel hundreds of miles to see never bother to take a look in their own 'backyards'. I wonder how many Parisians have never been to the "Tower".
 
hollydolly said:
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Here I live by one of the most visited cities in the world...

I haven't even visited Buckingham Palace.. no interest, why would I want to.. I can see it in the news every day...

I've been to other tourist attraction in the city.
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That amazes me. People who live next to touristy places don't visit them. When I lived in Queens, and Brooklyn, NYC, I met people, who had never been to Manhattan in their lives. I used to live about 10 miles from Old Sturbridge Village, Mass, and never went there. DUH! :unsure:
 
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I have travelled quite extensively and when i still had a young family then yes we did do all the major attractions in the country we were visiting. These days being on my own i prefer to visit the out of the way places where possible that are well off the tourist trail.

I always find that if i at least try to converse with the locals in their own language it can open up a whole lot of possibilities with regards as what to see.
 
I've traveled the many states of the western U.S.: California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Washington state, and Oregon. Have never visited anywhere else. And, yes, it is true that if you speak the language of the locals (as I do) the places you visit are much more interesting. But, I learned a lesson too. The places you don't visit you don't miss, as a senior looking back on your life as it was lived.
 
I have visited 67 countries over the years. Visited Washington, DC in 2023 (highly recommended). This year I am off to see the good folks down in Iowa. After that I am off on an Alaskan cruise with my "honey." I don't care about labels. I just love traveling and seeing what is over the next hill. My favourite all time song is "The Happy Wanderer" by Frank Weir from 1953. I think that says a lot more than any sort of label.
 
I like to wander and some of my best memories are off the beaten path. I have no desire to go to cities and prefer natural beauty. I usually go west and have visited the grand canyon, petrified forest, painted desert, yosemite, redwood forest, many native American sites in Colorado and New Mexico, Yellowstone, the list goes on. I love outdoor wandering.
 

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