Tour Small Towns

We all spend a lot of our days wishing, waiting and planning our next vacation, but, for many of us, these vacations come maybe once a year, if we’re lucky. What if we could go on mini vacations all the time, though? What if we could experience new things without travelling very far from home? No matter where you live, I guarantee that there are tons of small towns around your area. The great thing about these small towns is not only their immense heritage and pride, but also their combination of some of the best one-off coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries, museums and architecture. So skip the Starbucks in your local area and go find a self-made cafe in a nearby town.

Coffee Shops

Most small towns contain one or two coffee shops that completely diverge from the cookie-cutter designs of the classic Starbucks or Tim Hortons. The great thing about this is that the feel of the coffee shop is not only unique and warm, but also the food and coffee is often richer and more charismatic than the over-produced beans and pastries you’ll find in one of the big shops. The food is fresher. The coffee is bolder. Some of the coffee at these places is even roasted in-house. The only way you’ll get a fresher cup of coffee than one of these places is by growing your own beans.

Restaurants

Similar to the coffee shops, most small towns have small, unique restaurants that diverge from the over-production of fast food/chain-based restaurants. I’m talking about your classic ma’ and pa’ diner where the food is classic, but incredibly flavorful.  A lot of small town restaurants also use local ingredients so you know that the food is as fresh as possible.

Book Stores

Or other antique-based stores. A lot of these stores will have beautiful older copies of books or other items that would sell for much more in a major city. I’m talking about classics from Hemingway, Steinbeck and Greene from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Whether or not these items sell for less in a small town is due to the fact that the sellers haven’t done their research or they don’t care to make a hefty profit on a classic work of art, you can often find a great and unique piece of work for a reasonable price. Buying a copy of a classic book will also go well with the cup of coffee you drink at the cafe down the road!

Landscapes

By this I mean both the architectural landscape and the surrounding landscape. A lot of small towns will have old buildings that house their stores, museums and art galleries, which offers not only a beautiful sight for walking around in, but also an opportunity to brush up on your knowledge of architecture. A lot of small towns are also situated near interesting country spaces. Make sure you check and see if there are any trails, hikes or drives you can pursue while you’re in the area.

So next weekend, instead of travelling down the road to the same Starbucks you go to every weekend, travel a little bit farther down the road and see what you find. Sometimes small things lead to bigger things than we could ever imagine.

For more content like this, follow me here.