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The Year of Staying Close to Home

July 2nd, 2008 Posted in Destination reports, Leffel projects, Vacation deals

Earlier this year I did an MSNBC column basically saying that if there are places near your home you’ve always wanted to visit, this is the year to check them out. Flying is more expensive and less pleasant every month, plus gas prices are at historic highs, so this is a good time to see what’s in your own back yard.

Well, I ended up getting a lot of media calls on the subject after that, even showing up in Newsweek. On Thursday, I’m going to be on ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson giving tips on this subject. If you live in the U.S., check it out on your TV between 6:30 and 7 eastern time on July 3. The funny thing is, I was actually on vacation myself at the time, catching up with some old college buddies in Virginia, so they shot it in Richmond at the home of one of my former college roommates. I think there will be some footage of us playing foosball and kicking a soccer ball around. The lesson was, crash with your old friends or relatives to lessen the lodging sting. [Update - OH NEVER MIND! The producer wasted the afternoon of 7 people and didn't use any of the footage. Just a minor attribution on their website, with no video. Why do I ever believe what these people tell me? I hate TV. ]

My main ongoing point though is that no matter where you live, there are probably a hundred things worth doing or checking out within a 200-mile radius. Sure, I’d love it for everyone to buy my books and go exploring Guatemala or Indonesia, but for a short vacation, it’s looking much more attractive now to see what’s close and easy to get to.

In a sign of how things have changed, I’m in my old stomping grounds of Virginia. When I was in college there were 10 vineyards in the region of the Shenandoah Valley and Charlottesville. Now there are over 100, like this swanky Veritas place where I had a really impressive tasting a few days ago. What has changed where you live? Go see…

Veritas vineyard

  1. One Response to “The Year of Staying Close to Home”

  2. By Charlene on Jul 3, 2008

    I live in Virginia and am always amazed at how many people here have never hiked in the mountains, never been to Monticello, never visited a vineyard, never been to one of the caverns. No matter where you are in this state and the ones around it, there is so much to see and do only an hour or two away! Sure, I’d rather fly to Thailand, but when money is tight, it’s not like you have to avoid traveling.

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