Travel has always been a desire of mines but it wasn't until several years ago it became a passion. I have had a lot of people ask me "how do you find the places that you visit?" and while my answer is complex there are a few things that I do to ensure that I have the best experience possible. I have decided to put together 5 tips that have been helpful to me. I have also included a few places that we traveled to in Florida.
Know your surroundings:
A lot of the time when I am looking at places to eat, coffee shops to visit, and things to explore; I always check to see what's around me. I normally Google ex. "local coffee shops near me". When I see one that looks interesting I check out their Instagram, their reviews, and distance to where I am from. The closer the better but I don't mind driving.
Know your taste, aesthetics, and vibes:
Aesthetics, vibes, and experience are all at the top of my list. So, when I look at places, I have to make sure that I have a good feeling about it. Another thing I look at is the lighting, one of the things I enjoy doing is taking photos of the location and dishes so lighting is always a plus.
Search city Instagrams, locals Instagrams, and hashtags:
What better way to learn about a city than through those who actually live there. They always have the best suggestion and sometimes recommend places that you would have never known about. If you and the local Instagrammer share the same taste then don't be afraid to ask for a list of their favorite things to do or places to see. I have found a lot of things to do on the @Stufftodoin Instagrams.
Don't be afraid to drive:
I've found that I enjoy traveling to different parts of a city. It always feels like a vacation within a vacation. Different areas have different vibes and I want to experience all of them.
Curate a list:
I always curate a list of places I have visited or would like to visit to share with others and refer back to. For example, we frequent Florida often and I have a list of places that I check off when I am there. Also, by curating a list I can send it to others. I have a list for Raleigh, Durham, Smaller North Carolina Towns, Nashville, Florida, New Orleans & Atlanta. I am working on a list for Washington DC and Santa Barbara now. Keep in mind you may not be able to visit all of the places that you have on your list but you will always have a list to refer back to. Ps, you can keep adding to the list, so keep it open and be open to exploring new things!
As you can see traveling is a passion of mines whether it is going across the country or doing a day trip. There is so much learning, so much to explore and so many lattes to drink. I want to leave you with this: don't feel like you need to plan an extravagant trip to experience the joy of traveling sometimes driving a couple of hours up the road is more than enough and you will then see that, that too can be just as extravagant.
Get outside and play!
Here is a list of Florida Places that we visited:
Coffee:
The Glass Knife - Winter Park
Deeply Coffee- Downtown Orlando
Craft and Common - Downtown Orlando
The Table - DeLand
Breakfast/Brunch:
Winter Park Biscuit Co. - Winter Park
Lunch:
East End Market - Orlando
Dinner:
Taqueria: 5 points - Jacksonville
Dessert:
The Glass Knife - Winter Park
Dochi - Orlando
Drinks:
The Robinson Room - Downtown Orlando
The Wine Room - Winter Park
Shopping:
House on Lang - Winter Park
Shops at WinterPark
Local Malls
Amusement:
Dezerland - Orlando
Beauty:
The Brow Wizard - Downtown Orlando
Kiara
TBMx