How to Plan a Day Trip from Anywhere
I’ve been on the road for the past few months, staying in a new place each night, so day trips haven’t been super prominent (I would consider something a day trip if you are starting and ending in the same place), however, I use this same process when I am looking for things to do wherever I am staying. You may be familiar with these tips, but I hope that it serves as a good reminder that you can find new things to explore no matter where you are located. Your location will definitely play a role in what you are able to see considering you won’t see the ocean in Wisconsin or the Grand Canyon in Florida, but there are still adventures to be had. Finances may also play a role in the day trip activities that you are able to do. I plan on writing a future post about free staycation ideas, but this post can be catered to your budget. Day trips require travel time and travel fees, so please keep that in mind when you are planning. I cannot guarantee a completely free trip, but I hope these tips are helpful! I also added a few day trip examples at the end. Please let me know what you think or share your trips with me!
Step 1: Decide on a budget
Like I said above, it is hard to plan a day trip that is completely free considering that you would need to pay for gas or some sort of transportation, but other than that, you can keep the cost to a minimum. I have found a lot of free things to do such as visiting parks, museums, libraries, or window shopping. You can also pack food and snacks to bring along instead of going out to eat.
Step 2: Decide how far you want to travel
I do believe that you can find new things to do near you, and even in your town, but I tend to drive an hour or so to find unique places to visit. You can also break up the driving on a trip by finding additional places to see along your route.
Step 3: Check the weather
I have a really bad habit of not checking the weather before I go somewhere and packing the wrong clothes. Make sure to check the weather before traveling anywhere so that you know what to bring as well as what activities to do. Don’t plan a day trip outside in the rain if you find that miserable!
Step 4: Decide what activities you want to focus on
A day trip that I would plan for myself looks different than one I would plan for some of my family and friends. Try and narrow down what you want to do on your travels. My trips tend to be a mix of either hiking and parks or visiting galleries and local shops.
Activity options: hiking, relaxing at a park, going to the beach, visiting a museum or library, going shopping, attending a play, going out to eat, and many more.
Step 5: Decide what you’ll do for food
Restaurants are pretty prominent wherever you go, so you could decide on a place while you are there or find a few options before you go. Like I said before, a great way to save money is by bringing your own snacks and meals.
Step 6: Utilize Google Maps
I use google maps pretty religiously because it is very easy to search for and see pictures of places you want to go. When you are looking for specific places to go, start with the main activity you want to do. If you want to visit a gallery or museum, look for those first. If you want to find a hiking trail, start with that. After you’ve found the main attraction you want to see, it is a lot easier to then look for food, smaller trails, shopping, etc in the same area.
As you can see, Google Maps allows you to search for different places, foods, activities, and many other things. You are also able to save the places that you find and can create a route from there. Near the top, you can also see the “More” option, which will bring you to the lists below.
When searching for food places, Google Maps has this list of options, but you can also search by cuisine or specific dishes.
Google Maps also provides a great list of things to do to start your searches.
Step 7: Keep calm and enjoy yourself
You’re now in a new place and trying new things, so try and take it all in! Pay attention to the people around you, the views, maybe the food you tried. Whatever it may be, I hope that you find something that you’ve never seen before and have an awesome day!
Step 8: Share your trip!
Tag me on Instagram at ritzer_roams, or share your itinerary with me at ritzerroams@gmail.com; I would love to see what you come up with!
Bonus: Day Trip Examples
Day Trip Idea from Eagle River, WI
Black River Scenic Byway (Ironwood, MI). For easy navigation, follow directions to the Black River Harbor Camp and Picnic Area.
Distance from Eagle River: 88 miles; about 1 hour and 45 minutes. This is the distance from Eagle River to the Black River Harbor Camp and Picnic Area which is at the very end of the byway. With that being said, all of the waterfalls are along this drive, so plenty of chances to stop and get out of your vehicle.
Things to do: hiking! The waterfalls and beautiful views are short hikes from the byway. If you take the route through Watersmeet, MI, there are other waterfalls between the byway and Eagle River as well.
Places to eat: There are a few restaurants along the drive such as Road House Grill (Watersmeet), Earla’s (Marenisco), and Korner Kitchen (Wakefield).
Day Trip Idea from Minneapolis, MN
Stillwater, MN
Distance from Minneapolis: 26 miles; about 30 minutes
Things to do: walk across the Stillwater Lift Bridge, shop at Stillwater Antiques Mall, hike St. Croix Boom Site, or walk up the stairs for the Scenic Overlook
Places to eat: Nelson’s Ice Cream, Leo’s Grill & Malt Shop, or Ziggy’s on Main
