Tourist vs. Traveler | Strouse House Adventures
Allie and I love traveling and the joy of experiencing a new culture, food, and scenery. We typically do a bit of googling on our up coming destinations to find out the "must-do's", but the first thing we do at hotel check-in is ask, "so what's good around here"? The concierge usually start with the "tourist must do's" like monuments and aquariums, but we ask, "where would you eat if you weren't working" or "what would you do on a date" which leads to the true local gold mines. Asking these questions has lead us to places like Pfunky Griddle in Nashville, chicken biscuits the size of our faces in Raleigh, and some of the greatest craft beer this nation has to offer!
We have noticed there are two distinct types of jet-setters: Tourists and Travelers. Here are a few key differences:
1.) Tourists seek out guided bus tours that hit all the historic landmarks in one day and then move on to the next city. Travelers explore one city for an extended amount of time and stumble onto landmarks in the midst of their daily adventures.
2.) Tourists make no effort to blend in or hide the fact that they are foreigners in a strange land. They are typically wearing bright colored tennis shoes or homogenous new balance sneakers, fanny pack, DSLR hanging around their neck, and are lost, but unwilling to engage locals for directions. Travelers can be found navigating the subway, reading the local paper, and dining at a top rated restaurant in a back alley basement.
3.) Travelers pack light. They only bring the bare essentials and items that can be worn for multiple days and in multiple configurations. They may stink, but they can fit two weeks of clothing into a messenger bag. Tourists pack for every contingency. They travel with a full medicine cabinet, wardrobes for three seasons, and enough snacks to feed the 5,000.
4.) Finally, Travelers take chances. Tourists play it safe. Tourists go from their Holiday Inn to the waiting charter bus while Travelers rent a car and explore the countryside. Tourists tread familiar footsteps while Travelers strike out on their own.
I'm sure you can tell we are a bit biased, but traveling is fun no matter which way you do it! Which are you? Tourist or Traveler? We'd love to hear your favorite destinations and the one thing we should do while we are there!
We learned that we are definitely more of a traveler than a tourist during our STROUSE HOUSE ADVENTURES in EUROPE!