One of our favorite locals, Lizanne from @lizannelately, shares hers tips and tricks of how she used the time during a pandemic to Rediscover and fall back in love with her home state.
If I learned anything from the Pandemic that started in 2020, it’s that rediscovering your own backyard can be just as adventurous as traveling somewhere new.
In the past 10 months, I’ve had some incredible adventures that were almost all in my home state of Minnesota. From weekend getaways, to day trips, and even quick morning adventures, I was able to rediscover and even fall more in love with my own home state. Whether you have lots of time on your hands or only a few hours, read on for five ideas on how to do the same where you live!
1) DAY TRIPS
Do you have that city or town that’s really not far from you, that you always say “oh I’ve been meaning to get there” but you always seem to forget about it? Take the time for a day trip to explore a new surrounding area. Day trips are some of my favorite adventures to go on because they are quick, inexpensive, and it gets you out of the house without much commitment. I always consider somewhere that’s about 90 mins or less from my starting point and plan the day from there based on interests from who’s all going. I always love to have some experience (a hike, boat ride, museum, festival), a dining option or 2, local shopping, and then either a place to grab coffee or a sweet treat! Having a loose plan makes you get the most out of your day.
2) CABIN STAYS
Even though most of 2020 was spent at home, escaping to a “different” home for a few days let me recharge and reset my mind and mood for whatever was to come next. Find a cozy cabin on Airbnb or VRBO that’s just a few hours from your home and book it for a midweek stay and “work from the cabin” or book for a weekend to revel in the beauty of doing nothing. Maybe find one with a fireplace and cozy up by the fire all weekend long with a new game or book to dive into! On the drive to the cabin you may even discover new to you places that you want to revisit next time.
3) HALF DAY ADVENTURES
Maybe you're limited on time, but are still itching to escape. Take a morning or afternoon off and discover a new neighborhood in your city or revisit an old favorite. One of my favorite half day adventures was heading to a quaint town about 40 minutes away with a friend. We started the morning with coffee and donuts, did a hike with a breathtaking view, walked around the downtown area and did a little shopping, then ended the morning with a delicious brunch overlooking the river. It was enough to recharge me without having to really adjust my schedule.
4) SUPPORTING LOCAL
One of my favorite ways to rediscover my neighborhood or even my own state is to support local businesses. Whether it’s take out or shopping local, I love learning about new to me places and the story behind them. It’s a great way learn how they weave into the fabric of your neighborhood. Don’t know where to start? Try looking up restaurants on Google Maps, find local hashtags on Instagram, or see if there’s anything happening in the area on Facebook.
5) REDISCOVER NATURE
If you rolled your eyes reading this you probably are like me. I’m not a super outdoorsy type, but man last year I was able to get outside and discover new things and realize - hey the outdoors isn’t so bad! I went for a walk down the same route 2-3x a week for about 3 months straight. Did it bore me? Absolutely not. I was able to see the flowers bloom, meet the gardeners who put some much passion into the landscape work, all while getting some steps in and some fresh air. It’s fun to see your “route” change day to day. And when did fresh air ever hurt anybody?
I hope these sparks some ideas for you to start planning a little adventure of your. Remember, you don't have to go for to find adventure.
