Travel like a Local

Traveling like a local means experiencing a new location just like a local would: immersing yourself in the culture, doing what they do, eating what they eat, and avoiding the cookie-cutter tourist experience. Sure, trying out the neighborhood coffee shop instead getting your standard Pike's Place Roast at Starbucks is definitely riskier--but I would argue that your reward is greater than your risk.

Would you rather sip on a cup of Joe here... or here?

  

 

The picture on top is of the Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL.  It is one of the coolest coffee and tea shops I've ever been to. How did I know to try out this unique establishment? A few minutes of time on the following websites can mean the difference between a hamburger at Chilli's for dinner or a hand-crafted BBQ Bacon Burger from a neighborhood restaurant.

 

Some ideas:

 

Yelp.com:  Yelp is hands down one of my favorite websites.  In fact, I am not embarrassed to admit that I am an Elite Yelper (meaning I've written enough reviews that Pace and I get invited to Elite city events). Never heard of Yelp? According to American Express, other than Google, there is no other website more critical to the success of a local business than Yelp with 78 million website hits per month (source).  Yelp has a mobile app that allows you to search for "best Chinese food" and will give you a list of nearby options along with helpful reviews. I recommend sorting your search by either "Elite" reviews on top or "Most Reviewed" instead of the standard "Best Match".

 

Every major city has a weekly city newspaper.  St. Louis has several including the Riverfront Times and Sauce.  Before making a trip, browse the local alternative paper for unique events, road races or restaurant openings.  For example: if you are in St. Louis this weekend, be sure to check out all of the Earth Day events at Forest Park.  Apparently St. Louis has one of the world's largest Earth Day celebrations in the world! http://www.saucemagazine.com/blog/?p=35916

 

Know what you like... and know where to get it!  For example, if you like BBQ, make it a priority to find the best BBQ on your trips. Travel and Leisure came out with a guide to BBQ in 2009 with their favorite smokehouses.  I've known foodies to literally build trips around food! 

 

If you like to shop, find out where the local markets are and avoid the malls! St. Louis has one of the oldest public markets still in existence  (I'm really making a push for people to come visit me in St. Louis). My favorite Saturday involves fresh donuts and an OJ with a splash of a little something extra at the Farmers Market.

 

Many cities have unique markets--including Charleston (although there's can be really touristy!), Chattanooga and Kansas City.

 

And lastly, if you really want to feel like a local... take the local transportation!  Boston, New York, Denver... all have great public transportation systems.