Saturday Mornings
Early on Saturday mornings when I was young, somewhere around the time the pitch-perfect sunrise transitioned from pink to orange, you could find my Dad standing on our house stoop welcoming the day. With steaming Ovaltine in his favorite Bugs Bunny mug clutched in one hand and the car keys dangling in the other, he was like a puppy with a stick – ready to play.
“Wakey, wakey” he’d often whisper to me after bounding up the stairs and poking his head into my bedroom. “Time to get up, Andrew, we’ve got to hit the road.”
With my eyes still closed and body in its warm cocoon of blankets, a smile would creep across my face. I knew this would be a fun day. Pulling on clothes, often backward or wrong side-out, I’d stumble out of the house still wiping the sleep from my eyes just in time to hop in the car that was already anxiously backing out of the driveway.
“Where are we going today, Dad?” I’d ask.
But the response never mattered. It could be a lazy, lakeside festival in cottage country, a crazy roadside attraction or the factory that produced his favorite cheesy snacks. It didn’t matter because we always had fun discovering amazing, off-beat places. We were a modern day Lewis & Clark, exploring the unknown of our backyards and backcountries.
For me, these Saturday mornings were the dawn of Detourism.
20 Years Later
20 years later and now I am that day-tripping soldier called to attention at first light. Instead of Ovaltine (blech!) I clench a thermos of green tea and my iPod chockers full with a new soundtrack to my pending adventures. I was unaware at the time how the experiences of my youth – the Art of the Day Trip my Dad had taught me – would have a profound impact on my life. I still seek out the unique people, places and activities that dot our local tourism landscape. 20 years of exploration yields a lot and now, with the help of like-minded friends, I’d like to share what I’ve learned and, if you are willing, learn from you as well.
The Art of the Day Trip
For my Dad and me, a beautiful sunrise signaled a day of promise. I realize heading out for adventure at the crack of dawn with your father to travel or fish, for example, is a fond memory many men carry. But at the time, because the roads were so empty, it felt like the idea and world were all our own.
Logging miles in my Dad’s old jalopy, I didn’t realize how much the little things meant. The feel of the summer breeze as our arms hung out the open windows, the taste of those peanut butter and honey sandwiches he’d have packed in our picnic lunch or the sound of the oldies crackling over the AM radio. The only restrictions we had were ourselves. We could go anywhere, and sometimes we did.
Travel: Local vs Abroad
Some people think traveling requires a plane ticket. I prefer to think it is a state of mind that kicks in once you open your house door with everything beyond it interesting for the inquisitive mind.
My Dad was never big on air travel. In fact, the only time he flew for business in the 1980s he got violently ill. As a result we only vacationed where boat, car, bike or feet could take us and I didn’t step foot onto a plane until I was 26.
I appreciate international travel now, but I don’t think I was deprived as a child. With few stamps in my passport, I was curious and intimate with my city and region. Honed at home, my local perspectives now heighten my experiences abroad. I feel you don’t have to travel far to find compelling places, people and stories. In fact, the adventure and discovery of travel is always right outside our doors.
The Detourist Guide
It is with this appreciation I wanted to start this website. Traveling abroad is great, but for the other 50-52 weeks a year most of us don’t, local travel can be just as – if not more – fulfilling. I hope this site helps you get the most out of the experience.
I’m not a computer guy and, like you, I’d rather be out exploring than staring at a screen. However, I also realize the power of the web – a necessary evil we can use to find new places, connect with others and exchange ideas. Part showcase, part conversation over coffee (or tea), welcome to the Detourist Guide.
Happy Detouring,
