Second Chance Sunday: The 100 Mile (160 km) Staycation

This is not an old post, but it does fit in in with the theme of second chances.

When you walk down your local street, do you see anything interesting? Take that same street, put it in a town you have never been to, and everything is suddenly exciting, isn’t it?

Last year for sure and this year possibly, will be the year of the staycation. With travel options limited, and a lot of people just more wary of travel, now is the perfect time to find some hidden gems in your own community (and the outliers).  Think about when you research travel/vacation spots. You look at travel blogs (this one is not), travel guides and more common now, websites such as TripAdvisor.

You look for funky spots to eat/drink, historic sites, unique shopping options, sports venues, and the like. Every city has them, and guess what? So does yours. Really? Why wouldn’t it? Dallas has them, Paris has them, yes, even Medicine Hat*.

Sure, some places may not have the same allure as others, but if you have ever stumbled upon that small coffee/bakery overlooking the stream, found that butcher shop who makes the best hot pepperoni sticks, or that perfect park bench under the willow tree, then you know that there are some places worth visiting.

So, in these times of re-openings, let’s get out and support our local businesses.  Go explore a street you have never gone down, visit a local shop you have never been in, head to a neighborhood that you have never visited, stop at the small town you always pass, and pretend you are away from home—which you are when you think about it. Support your local businesses as you would if you were a tourist because the tourists are not coming in droves for awhile.

^{*50.0292° N, 110.7034° W (It has a really big tepee)}

-Leon

Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.