Traveling vs. Tourism and Why You Should Take That Plunge

 

For those of you who have followed my travels and ideas for the last decade or more, you know that I don't always go where hordes of  people go.  I don't frequent Paris, make a yearly pilgrimage to a Disney park, or try to cram myself into Times Square at New Year's.  It's not my style.  It's more my style to go with my parents to Los Algodones, Mexico to refill their expensive prescriptions.  I tend to go my own way, and I've often encouraged others to do the same.

A guided tour or a cruise with options that the staff on board can help you with is a good way to get started.  I say that because the few tours I've taken I've noticed that while the information was good; they do take you to where they get kickbacks.  Long story short; you never get to have your own adventure with someone else in charge.  This is why I encourage folks who want to have an adventure to actually have one.  Guided tours are easy, but are they really the things you want to see?

The time I took my family on a four country trip to primarily Switzerland, I had a lot to organize.  We spent a little time in Helsinki, because we got a great price for our flight.  Finnair was having a huge sale to celebrate their anniversary.  I didn't look to visit Finland, but we had a great time there.  Helsinki was a beautiful city with a lot of things to do and great history.

We spent the bulk of that trip in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.  This is a fabulous location, and as we discovered, it was full of tour buses and vacationers.  We watched as the tour groups were herded from attraction to attraction on a schedule that barely allowed them to enjoy the sights.  I was happy we didn't take that trip that way.  

There were two requests that I had from my family for that trip and neither one of them had to do with Lauterbrunnen.  Therefore, if I'd booked a tour, it might have been a disaster.  My husband wanted to tour the supercollider at CERN.  My son wanted to make a brief visit to Italy.  Both requests were last minute.  Both requests were granted. Thank God we weren't on a tour.

One year, my son and I took a drive to Vermont to look at the foliage, and once again, we encountered tours.  There were buses everywhere, and they tended to really get in the way.  Once again, the leaf peepers were herded from location to location on a very strict schedule.  My son and I ended up staying overnight in Brattleboro, because the traffic was so awful with all those buses.  The truly sad part of the event was that we enjoyed a lot of places that the tours didn't go, and all those paying customers missed some of the best stuff.

I've had many such experiences over the years.  I have friends who go to Disney every year.  I have friends who like to take cruises.  I get it.  It can be a lot of work and a little scary to plan your own itinerary to a destination of your choosing to see and do what you wish to see and do.  But, it's so worth it.  If you take the time, do the research and planning, and take that scary plunge into actual travel; you'll love it.  You'll feel accomplished.  You'll feel far less like you've missed something.  You'll have great stories to tell when you get home.  You'll have powerful memories that will last a lifetime.

The beauty of traveling at your own pace is that you can see the same attractions as everyone else, but in St. Lucia for example, you won't have to put up with your tour guide tapping his watch because you have to go to the next stop.  You can rent that apartment and car, see things at your own pace, and have time to do whatever silly thing you want; even kayaking.  You can eat at local restaurants with real food, real people and learn so much about the location you're visiting.  I promise you,  I saw what the tour customers went through in St. Lucia and was happy I didn't have to deal with it.

Taking the plunge actually means taking control.  It frees you up so see and do what you want.  You'll have more time to talk to locals and see what life in your travel location is really like.  You'll have a chance to try more local food.  You'll have more time to understand what it is you're seeing.  In my experience, tours left me with a lot of questions.  When I guide myself, I answer all my questions.  It's a huge difference.

The bottom line is, if you want to do something; just do it.  You know, like Nike says.  I recently decided that I wanted to see the northern lights.  My decision based on where I live was that Iceland was the easiest and best place to go to see this natural phenomenon in action.  People thought I was insane because I was going to Iceland in January.  Then the fissure at Grindavik started to act up and I got more messages, calls, texts and so on, asking me if I was still going because of the volcano.  I'd never had friends and family so concerned about an independent trip I'd planned.

I went.  I saw the northern lights.  It was cold, because it was the North Atlantic in winter.  The sun rose at 11 and set just after 4, because it's January.  It snowed.  The wind blew.  It was everything everyone worried so much about for me.  What did I think?  I loved every minute of it.  I enjoyed the long sunrises and sunsets which were a good two hours long each every day.  I enjoyed the people.  I enjoyed the view.  I enjoyed the Northern Lights very much.  Do I have any regrets?  Maybe that I didn't plan to stay longer.  It was a wonderful trip, and I do not regret going.

Just remember, you only regret the things you didn't do.  I believe that.  Do I regret the time I went to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for Valentine's Day to stay in a super mall?  Had the time of my life and got a little sunburnt at an indoor water park when it was below zero outside.  It was cool.  Do I regret going to Greenville, Maine to watch cars race on Moosehead Lake?  Nope, it was cool.  I do what I want, I experience what I want, I do things in my own time, and I enjoy my own bucket list.  

So, remember; do some work.  Decide what you truly want to do.  Don't dance to anyone else's tune.  If you want to do something, do it.  If you don't, that's the thing you'll regret.  I'd rather have a list of fabulous memories that other people think is insane than a list of things that were normal, but not what I really wanted to do.

Don't take the easy way out.  Don't settle for a cruise that only let's you see the tip of the iceberg in a location.  Don't take the guided tour and see what someone else wants you to see.  Do it yourself.  travel, don't be a tourist.  Enjoy experiencing what life is like in a place you visit.  Go to find the unusual.  Go to see the beauty.  Go to learn what a place is like.  Experience is something you can't buy.  You have to live it to get it.

So, take the advice of someone who's toured and who's traveled.  I learned.  Do it your way and enjoy!

https://triptile.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=DSA_RLSA&utm_content=436340262120&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA_OetBhAtEiwAPTeQZ1dFN2QEX7LCZ6wh7-ZpK2EGpiYNC_uG_pr6Ds4GaKOT-CATOTi-mxoCZEsQAvD_BwE

https://www.tripit.com/web/free

https://wanderlog.com/

https://portico.travel/

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning

https://wonderplan.ai/

https://www.routeperfect.com/trip-planner

https://www.purewow.com/travel/best-off-season-winter-travel

https://www.projects-abroad.org/blog/why-travel-off-season/

https://www.explore.com/1102831/destinations-that-are-even-better-during-the-off-season/

https://www.visiticeland.com/things-to-do/?category=5ec7d096a90548233654d4ba&page=0

Some Interesting Facts I Learned in Iceland!

 

I get to talk about one of my favorite subjects today.  Iceland.  I visited the country in the summer some 30 years ago and discovered how amazing this country is.  I spent days hiking in the highlands of the Eldga, and discovered what it was like to experience almost continual daylight.  I've never forgotten those days and that trip.

Fast forward to this winter.  I wanted to see the Northern Lights, and I couldn't think of a better spot than Iceland.  This time I got to experience the five hour day and see some truly extraordinary things.  What I wasn't expecting was the overall education that I once again got while in Iceland.  

I thought that today I would share some of the interesting day to day things I learned on my visit.

First, some of this happened.  The morning we arrived, I do mean morning because it was a time of day I hadn't even seen in a while, the fissure/volcano near Grindavik erupted again.  The only evidence we personally saw of it was the barricade of police blocking the road into the area as we drove by on our way into Reykjavik.  The fact is, that situation will not effect your trip at this time unless you're trying to visit The Blue Lagoon.

I heard someone while in a restaurant on my first evening in the city trying to recoup their money from a reservation they'd had at The Blue Lagoon.  It sounded like even though the Lagoon was closed due to volcano eruption, it was going to be a process to get their money back.  I don't bother with places like that anyway, opting for more local pools and such if I swim.

Here's a tip:  Closer to town is Sky Lagoon.  It's another natural spa that isn't being affected by a volcano at the time.  There are also several around the country in many styles.  All I can say is that Iceland is a beautiful country that you'll never forget, so don't base your decisions on one spa.

https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/sky-lagoon

Another tip for enjoying your trip to Iceland is to enjoy the people.  Iceland is a country sitting on top of volcanoes.  It's full of glaciers, and is very dark for months of the year.  It's being pulled apart by two tectonic plates.  It rains sideways and no one even talks about the wind unless it tops 30 mph.  

Icelanders don't spend a lot of time dwelling on anything.  They love to relax and have a good time.  They embrace visitors and share their lives with tourists when the occasion arises.  Believe it or not, a lot of Icelanders aren't from there, hailing from other countries around the world.  Iceland is a forward thinking, progressive, productive country with many opportunities.  You never know who you'll meet or where they're from, so put yourself out there a bit and meet some people.

The most amazing thing about Iceland is that they are a cashless society.  They'll accept money, they say they'll even take American dollars, but there's no need.  I didn't use cash at all.  I didn't go to an ATM machine even though they were everywhere for the tourists.  The Icelanders didn't want tourists to feel uncomfortable so they still have options for them.  We did everything with our cards.

There are a few things to know about cashless.  You can't use Discover.  They don't take it anywhere.  Amex is a little better.  Visa and Mastercard are your best bets.  Before leaving, I heard that you needed a pin and a chip to use a card.  I was a bit worried about that because only my debit card had a pin.  What I discovered was that if you can tap your card, no pin is necessary.  This probably won't help you at the gas pump, but they are updating that as we speak.

Another thing that I learned was how to go to an Icelandic laundromat.  We went to Laundry Wash in Reykjavik, just down the hill from Hillgrimskirkja.  This place was amazing.  You pay at a pay station as you do at parking lots and garages.  But, this place was all about efficiency.  You didn't have to bring detergent.  It was dispensed by the machines per load.  It was part of what you paid.  One less thing to worry about and so convenient.  I hope the whole world updates to that.  Once again, cashless and easy.

We learned that at restaurants whether it was the semi fancy Bastard or the food court at the bus station, everything is with a card.  Therefore, you always pay at a cashier.  Whoever has the reader.  If you spend a lot of time in the tourist district, you'll typically find a menu outside the restaurant so you can see if there's something you'd like before entering.  Everything is fairly expensive in Iceland, but tipping isn't expected like it is in the U.S.  It kind of balances out.  Make a note though, some of the best food in Reykjavik is some of the cheapest.  Fancy isn't always better.

Winter is a challenge in a lot of places.  Iceland is one of those.  The locals deal with it well.  We had narrow, basically pedestrian streets in our neighborhood, as it was the tourist neighborhood.  There were winding barely plowed roads in the country.  There were massive long bridges, one lane bridges, miles long tunnels, and lot of roundabouts.  We had a snowstorm while we were there as well.  And, for some reason, there are no tractors allowed on Icelandic highways.  Not sure where that comes from.

It can be a challenge.  We rented a four wheel drive Dacia Duster and thought it was an automatic gasoline vehicle.  Challenge accepted when we found out it was a six speed manual diesel.  With it's studded snow tires, it navigated everything brilliantly.  We did a lot of exploring in that car.

The last thing I'm going to talk about in this entry is time.  I went to Iceland in January.  I knew that sunrise was just before 11 am and sunset was about 4:20 pm.  What I didn't realize was the timeline for the sunrise and sunset.  It starts the pre dawn light at around 9 am.  The twilight after sunset doesn't end until around 6 pm.  The sky is so big and the horizon is so long that sunrise and sunset seem to last forever.  It makes the day much longer than expected and a lot cooler.  I like sunrise and sunset so I like the days.

I hope this information helps you appreciate the fun you can have in a country like Iceland in the winter.  I loved my trip and would do it again and again.  I would actually stay longer next time.  So pack your bags and some warm clothes and fly to Iceland in January and enjoy!

https://www.visiticeland.com/

https://www.islandsstofa.is/en/visit-iceland

https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-info

https://www.government.is/topics/business-and-industry/tourism-in-iceland/icelandic-tourist-board/

https://www.flyplay.com/en-us/cheap-flights-to-iceland?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqsitBhDlARIsAGMR1RjhpBFYfWYIMM7rX2iZhYajrYempjKXzFwixaPjohwtWj_ycs3yh8kaAgnQEALw_wcB

https://iceland.nordicvisitor.com/travel-deals/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqsitBhDlARIsAGMR1Rh7We1c8I7zm2rU5l-reJDkgu81KYjaxaAaY3tpgdZYKDpUxPAnQykaAjcdEALw_wcB

Let's Talk About Food! Connecticut!

I love to eat and love to cook and love to try new food.  I moved to Connecticut over 30 years ago, and the one thing I loved more than most things was the food.  So, here are some of my current favorites!

1.   Frank Pepe's Pizza.  I don't know that there's any way to argue this.  It's the best pizza I've ever had in my life, hands down.  They've been around since the 1920's and they now have a few franchises out there.  I can say one thing.  There is no substitute for visiting the New Haven, CT location in their Little Italy.  It's the original.  It's the magic one.  It's the best and I highly recommend it to anyone.  There is no experience like visiting the original.  By the way, I've had pizza in many forms, many countries, and many styles to cook them.  This rocks.  I do not lie.

https://pepespizzeria.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/frank-pepe-pizzeria-napoletana-new-haven

https://www.ctinsider.com/living/food/article/pepes-pizza-new-haven-ct-food-and-wine-18125572.php

https://ctvisit.com/listings/frank-pepe-pizzeria-napoletana

https://www.timeout.com/usa/restaurants/best-pizza-in-america

2.    Lasalle's Market and Deli, Collinsville, CT.  This is one of my favorite spots in one of my favorite hidey holes!  I don't know how long Lasalle's has been there.  I do know it used to be Keney Market, but that's all I know about that.  The current Lasalle's is a place that showcases local art, has open mic nights, sports eclectic decor, is relaxed and a great place to hang out.  They have games to play, reading material, and they're located on one of the most popular walking routes in the state along the Farmington River Trail.  Oh yeah.  They have great food!  They have sandwiches, pizza, salads, soups, entrees, breakfast, and even ice cream.  They make so many different things that you'll never run out of new things to try.  The place is completely informal and truly fun!

https://www.lasallemarket.com/index.php

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33746-d879320-Reviews-La_Salle_Market_Deli-Collinsville_Connecticut.html

https://roadfood.com/restaurants/lasalle-market-deli/

https://www.yelp.com/search?find_loc=Collinsville%2C+CT&attrs=RestaurantsPriceRange2.1%2CRestaurantsPriceRange2.2

https://ctvisit.com/listings/visit-collinsville

3.    The Brass City Bistro, Waterbury, CT.  This is hands down, my husband's favorite restaurant, and I love it too.  The owners are so friendly that you may have seen this place on the cover of my recent novel, "Bourbon" with Rylee King as my cover model.  Brass City Bistro opened with the idea of seasonal food done well, leaving the customer feeling happy that they came in for a visit.  You never know what you're going to find on the menu, but whatever it is, it will be good.  Just don't be surprised at the portions.  They don't let anyone leave hungry. There are pasta staples and there's always steak, but if you like to try new things, the menu varies in the best of ways.

https://www.brasscitybistro.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33963-d2420724-Reviews-Brass_City_Bistro-Waterbury_Connecticut.htmlut.html

 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/brass-city-bistro-waterbury

https://restaurantguru.com/Brass-City-Bistro-Waterbury

https://ctvisit.com/listings/city-waterbury

4.    Nour, Bethel, CT.  This is Lebanese food at its finest.  It's a tiny joint with more seating outside than inside.  To be fair we normally get takeout.  But, I promise you, if you like Lebanese food, this is the spot for you.  The owners and staff are amazing, and they always make sure you have everything you need and more.  The Kebabs, Shawarma, and everything is yummy.  They also have a small store area where you can buy some of the ingredients to go home and try it yourself.  It's one of my favorite spots in the whole state.  Can't say enough great things about the wonderful world of Nour.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/nour-lebanese-cuisine-bethel

https://www.instagram.com/nourlebanesecuisine/?hl=en

https://www.happycow.net/reviews/nour-lebanese-cuisine-bethel-126919

https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/bethel-ct/food-drink/nour-lebanese-cuisine

https://ctvisit.com/listings/town-bethel

5.    The Rogi Shoppe, Shelton, CT.  Do you like Pierogis?  This is the place for you.  Derby/Shelton is one of the more confusing places to visit in Western Connecticut, but this place makes it worth the time.  I enjoy the river walk through the city, which is how I discovered this tiny little take out place almost underneath the bridge over the river between Derby and Shelton.  They have gourmet Pierogis of many kinds as well as Kielbasa and side salads.  All Polish yumminess!  It's one of my favorite finds recently, although it's been there for years.  It's the pinnacle of a foodie neighborhood that should not be missed.  If they're so busy that they're overwhelmed and have trouble keeping up with orders, which does happen on holidays; they'll be happy to sell you frozen pierogis that you can take home and fry up yourself.

https://www.therogishoppe.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-rogi-shoppe-shelton

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33915-d23930226-Reviews-The_Rogi_Shoppe-Shelton_Connecticut.html

https://www.ctbites.com/blog/2022/2/21/the-rogi-shoppe

https://ctvisit.com/listings/city-shelton

So, there you have it.  If you happen to be in Connecticut, there's a lot of good restaurants and food to eat.  These are some of my favorites.  I have a lot of places that I can't get enough of, so I might continue to post the occasional fast five of great places to eat.  There are so many.  One thing they have right on the East coast is the food.  No matter what city you visit in Connecticut, there are restaurants that you will enjoy!