How I Get Travel Tips
What’s one of your first stops when you arrive at a new destination? If you didn’t say the local visitors center or something similar, then we need to talk. There are various resources and locations for travel tips that are available to us when we travel. They can be named chamber of commerce, visitors center/bureau, or welcome center. Sometimes certain rest stops will have some information! This week, I want to explain what these locations are and why I love to visit them.
Who Has the Travel Tips
First, let me explain what each place is and what they can all do for you.
Chamber of Commerce: a voluntary partnership of businesses and professionals working together to build a healthy economy and improve the quality of life in a community. Some of these actually operate as excellent tourist information centers in person.
Visitors Center/Bureau or Welcome Center: a physical location providing visitors with trustworthy information on the area’s attractions, lodgings, maps, and other items relevant to tourism.
Upon arrival, you’ll find friendly and experienced staff and the tools you need to find restaurants, activities, and services. There might be walls of brochures and pamphlets or interactive displays. Most will also have a brief historical rundown of their location. Even better, you might find deals and coupons for all of these things at a discount or free! Don’t forget to grab a traditional map while you’re there. The map will have a detailed view and highlight landmarks. In any case, certain locations can have cell service disruptions. With a map in my bag, I’m assured that my adventures will not be interrupted.
Travel Tips with a Human Connection
I want to have a more enjoyable experience when I travel. This happens when I feel knowledgeable about a specific location. However, I can’t do that part without help. We have become accustomed to using our cell phones for everything. While that can be a necessary part of our research, it lacks the human connection. We need human interaction. Meeting new people is a large part of why I love to travel. There is so much that one can learn when getting to know new people in a new location. Spending time with passionate and knowledgeable staff could open so many possibilities to things that we didn’t even know existed. Receiving travel tips in this way allows for a deeper dive into your destination.
My Travel Tips Experience using the Visitors Center
I have a great example of applying this travel tip to my own adventures. It happened in the spring of 2022 in Placer County, California. I had spent the morning hiking around the Foresthill Bridge in Auburn, CA. The Foresthill Bridge soars 730 feet above the stream bed of the American River’s North Fork. It is reputed to be the 3rd highest bridge in the United States and the tallest in California. (https://sierranevadageotourism.org/entries/foresthill-bridge/4123fc95-8a25-4827-baba-fca9c8e4485a). This was something that I had researched prior to my arrival in California. It was so exciting to hike down to the river and look at the bridge above me.
Then I was able to walk across the bridge in its entirety of 2,428 feet and hike just underneath. Once I had completed my adventure, I decided to go back into town to plan out the next one. That led me to the California Welcome Center. I was greeted with a friendly smile and an official welcome as soon as I walked inside. Since I had been traveling solo, I was happy to chat with someone. She asked what brought me to the area and what my interests were.
This is the chance, to be honest about your likes and dislikes, and say specifically what you’re looking to do while there. If you want to find out where the best coffee shop is, then ask. No reason to have someone suggest a highly skilled kayaking adventure course if you simply want to do a light walking tour. There is the right activity for everyone. After I told her about my morning adventures and I could see that she had a sense of what other activities I might be interested in.
Travel Tip Incoming
She spoke to me about Tulip Festival that was happening in nearby Nevada City at a place called Crystal Hermitage (https://crystalhermitage.org/2022-tulip-watch/) which hosts a tulip festival with over 17, 000 tulips every spring. I happened to be visiting the area at the perfect time. She directed me to the website so I could purchase my $10 ticket and we chatted some more, before I left I was able to purchase a sticker of the Foresthill Bridge for my collection. It was a lovely experience and I learned about a new experience that I couldn’t wait to explore. Two days later, I was walking among 110 flower beds, 10,000 forget me not, 5,000 pansies, 100 woodland hyacinths, and of course the tulips! I had a perfect day surrounded by nature and beauty.
Travel Tips Come in All Forms
As we finish this week, I hope that you can see that these locations should be considered key players in any travel planning. They have the travel tips that you need. Each office might look or feel different, but they all serve the same purpose. They want to give you all the travel tips you are looking for in order for you to not only stay at their location but be a repeat visitor. Consider practicing by finding a local office in your area and choosing a new adventure.
