Episode 51: Being A Tourist In Your Hometown

19Jul 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva

I just got back from a weekend vacation in my own hometown of Nashville. I stayed at a resort, visited some great restaurants and bars, and did some tours, just like I would if I was a tourist.

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need to appreciate the things that we have, and if you’re a traveller like me, to enjoy the destinations that are right around us. Your own city is a tourist destination to others, so why not make it one for yourself as well?

Today, I’m going to tell you exactly how you can become a tourist in your own hometown.

Let’s go:

[04:34] Leave your house.

If you’re staying at your own house while exploring the city, you’re not going to have the true tourist experience.

Pick a great hotel (check out this blog post I wrote about picking the right hotel for a staycation).

[05:21] Recruit a friend.

During my staycation, I got to explore Nashville with a friend who had never been here.

Having someone from outside your hometown makes it more fun because it’s like exploring this town for the first time for both of you. In my experience, it made me more proud to be from Nashville, because I got to see someone’s joy from seeing all our amazing attractions for the first time.

If you can’t get someone from outside your hometown, that’s not a problem. Get someone who lives in town and go on an adventure with them, pretending that you don’t live right around the corner.

[06:54] Enlist the help of your visitors bureau.

Instead of putting together your own itinerary, get the tourism board of your city to do it for you.

This allows them to create an itinerary for an authentic tourist experience. If you’re doing it yourself, you’re probably going to be biased and choose only the experiences that you’re more familiar with.

[08:22] Take a city tour.

On my staycation, I took a hop-on hop-off tour, and I definitely learned some things that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

You can find a tour for your city at Viator Or simply contact your Visitors Bureau and let them either book it for you or give you the necessary information to book it yourself.

[10:03] Take pictures.

If you were traveling to a new destination, you would be taking pictures of everything.

Treat your staycation as if you were in a new destination and take those pictures of your hometown.

I booked the Photowall Nashville Tour, which was a 2-hour tour to all the hotspots in Nashville, and I had my photos taken by a professional photographer at all these spots.

If you can’t find a photo tour on Viator, try AirBnB Experiences.

[11:45] Hit the water.

In episode 25, I talked about the Nashville Watersports that I tried out.

You don’t need to necessarily leave your hometown to enjoy watersports, and if you’re the kind of person that looks for watersports elsewhere, you may be pleasantly surprised at what your hometown has to offer.

[13:26] Select restaurants and bars you’ve never been to.

If you’re putting together the itinerary, you’re more likely to select the bars and restaurants that you like or that you’re familiar with.

If you’re being a tourist in your hometown, you need to commit to going to those restaurants and bars that you haven’t been to. Ask your tourism bureau to suggest the best places if you can’t come up with any on your own.

There are so many ways in which you can experience a different side of your own hometown. Start with a staycation, book some tours, experience new foods and drinks, and have a tourist experience right in your backyard.

I hope this episode has given you some ideas for your next trip around the corner into your own hometown, and that you gain a new appreciation for the wonderful destination that many of us take for granted.

Relevant Links

Website: https://www.visitmusiccity.com
Visitor’s Guide: Digital visitors’ Guide
Attraction Pass: Music City Total Access (Attraction) Pass

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