Okay, so I wanted a quick getaway, you know? Nothing crazy, just a change of scenery. I started by thinking, “What’s even around me?” I literally just grabbed my phone and opened up the maps.
I zoomed out a bit, just to see what was within, like, a six-hour driving radius. I live in (Your city/state), so I was curious to see what popped up. I’m not gonna spend half a day just driving.
Figuring Out the “Where”
- First step: The map. Seriously, just looked at the map.
- Second step: Ruled out places I’ve been to a million times. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
- Third step: Started looking for little towns or areas I’d never really explored.
I noticed a few state parks and some smaller cities that looked kinda cute. I started to get some ideas, but nothing I was so sure about.
Digging a Little Deeper
So, the map gave me some general ideas, but I needed more info. Time to get on the internet, and look up a few of the places I thought might be cool.
I was mostly searching stuff like “things to do in [town name]” or “[state park name] reviews”. Basic stuff. I wasn’t looking for anything fancy, more like, is there a decent place to grab a bite? A nice walking trail? Maybe a quirky little shop?
I used a simple rule: If I couldn’t find anything interesting after, like, 10 minutes of searching, I crossed it off the list. No point wasting time on a place that’s a total dud.
Making a Choice
After a little bit of this, I narrowed it down to two places: a state park with some awesome-looking hiking trails and a small town that seemed to have a few cool antique stores and a highly-rated bakery. Tough choice, right?
Honestly, the bakery might have been the deciding factor. I’m a sucker for a good pastry.
So, yeah, I ended up picking the small town. I booked a cheap little room at the only motel, packed a bag, and hit the road. No fancy planning, no detailed itinerary. Just a quick escape, all thanks to starting with a simple map and doing a little digging.
It turned out awesome! The town was super charming, the bakery was amazing, and I even found a vintage record store where I scored some cool vinyl. Best random little getaway ever.
