How to Find Adventure
With lockdowns and restrictions keeping us from global getaways or cross country travel, the search for adventure has gotten a little more local. If you’re looking for places to explore in a well-known area, then most people would just rely on social media geotags or travel influencers to tell them where to go. Where do we go now that we can’t leave our province or state? How do we find less known areas around us that we can still safely explore? Those places that travel influencers haven’t been, where tourists don’t overrun, and where adventure is still there to be found. I’m going to highlight my 3 favorite ways to find new places or even ones that are right under your nose.
Tommy Hostetler @tommyhostetler
1. Google Maps
Google maps is an incredibly easy tool to use for finding new areas. Just moving around the map with the satellite layer on can reveal locations that wouldn’t be viewable from the ground. Getting a birds-eye view really does change your perspective on what is around you. Hidden lakes/rivers, unmarked trails/roads, even old buildings can all be found quite easily just from doing a little satellite overview of the area you want to explore. Best of all it’s free and can be used at any time as long as you're in service, although there are options to download maps for when you're not in service. Use it to plan out your trip or even get a better view of your surroundings. This point extends beyond just Google maps, as there are many other apps available to assist in your exploration. Find campsites, acquire land ownership maps, and plan hiking routes all with your phone.
Kenny Bloomberg @kennybloomberg
2. Talk to strangers, locals, and friends
The most knowledge that you can find about one area is from someone who has already been there or even better, frequents that area. Try to meet people who normally travel around the area or who live there. You'll get more than enough ideas of where to go from a friendly local. If you don’t know where to find a local, then start at a locally owned/operated outdoors store. Not the big box stores, I’m talking about the local bike, ski, surf, outdoors store. Those are the people who would rather be out exploring with you, then trying to sell people gear to do it. I have yet to find a local outdoors store that doesn’t have employees just itching to talk about adventures you could find locally, what to do, and where to see. They are all so friendly, and although won’t share all their secret spots, they’ll give you more than enough info to get started.
Katie McKitrick @red.fox_.photography