Whenever we travel we look for, well actually, seek out
off-beat tours and attractions. Sure, if you’re in Paris, a visit to the Louvre
is de rigueur as is the Tower in
London or any other major historical or cultural attraction. But there is so
much more to exploring new environs than just hitting the traditional places.
In another blog we discussed the fun and insight (not to
mention the
travel savings) to be had by going grocery shopping to stock the fridge
in your next home swap vacation home. But once you’re settled in, it’s time
to explore. Now, we’ve always been a bit off of plumb.
Finding places like the Dewa
Museum in Chester, England
can be a real treat, both aesthetically and intellectually. Sure, you can go to
the British Museum in London and spend hours viewing artifacts from the periods
of Roman occupation and beyond. They are wonderfully catalogued and very
informative. By the same token, while there is the thrill of actually being in
the presence of world renowned artifacts, they are probably the same things
you’ve seen in book illustrations on the topic.
With the Dewa, on the other hand, the tour starts before you
even get to the museum. Entering Chester, one passes through the curtain wall
gates built by the legionnaires. The museum itself houses several wonderful
‘common day’ artifacts. One can leisurely peruse the exhibits without pressing
crowds. There are also ‘experiential’ exhibits such as the inside of a Roman
galley complete with sounds of the oceans, the beater who kept time for the
oarsmen, and more.
Or, if you happen to arrange a vacation home exchange in the Seattle Metro
area, consider taking the “Underground Tour”. It’s both amusing and very
informative. You’d be amazed to learn
what history lurks beneath the busy streets of this Northwest city, and why
it’s there. The pre tour talk will take you through time from the founding of
the settlement to the Alaskan Gold Rush days. It’ll also explain why there were
so many ‘seamstresses’ in Seattle and what they were really putting
together. It’s a light and charming
guided tour which goes up and down staircases behind these mysterious locked
alley way doors.
Every city has these kinds of ‘off the beaten path’ kinds of
experiences. They are all staffed by passionate and interesting locals who are
eager to share their pride in and knowledge of their communities. We’ll be
visiting San Francisco in the coming weeks and plan to take a self-guided tour
powered by a mobile device app. That should be interesting and we’ll be sure to
let you know how it goes. (and if there are more apps for other interesting
locales where you might make an exclusive home swap.
The point here is that, seeking out the unusual, the
off-beat, and the just plain strange can be richly rewarding and very
entertaining. It will certainly enrich your travel experience and provide you
with more interesting stories and comments than, “Yes. We waited in line three
hours to see the Mona Lisa and it…..”
Happy travels!
Thank you to the writing team that is MA Scott.
IMAGE CREDITS:
Mona Lisa - Pinterest
Roman bottle - dewaromanexperience.co.uk
Underground passage - undergroundtour.com
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