Be a Tourist in Your Hometown!

Every summer the kids & I visit family in the Midwest for a few weeks.  It’s a great opportunity to see relatives and relax.  I have been coming to this area for over 15 years now, but never really appreciated my husband’s hometown until I saw it through my kid’s eyes. We started by taking a walk down Main Street.  My in-laws live in a small town, but this could certainly apply to any area of the town you live in too. We stopped and looked at the War Memorial and learned about who it was dedicated too.  As we were looking around, my son found a brick dedicated to his Great-Grandfather.  It made him so proud to have found that! As we walked on, we stopped in the town’s Historical Society & Museum, where my children learned how old the town was and saw several artifacts – including old yearbooks with their Dad’s picture in them. The town is built around a farming community and has a vastly different landscape than where we live.  We took advange of the trail that walks right by the tall corn stalks and soybeans.  I encouraged my kids to run through the corn and see if they could hide. Mission accomplished! We even walked down to the grain elevator in town and watched trucks fill up with grain.  We asked one of the farmers how the elevator worked and he taught us all about it. He even allowed my son to climb up the ladder and get a closer view of it. If you find yourself traveling to a small town this summer, or you are looking to learn your town a little better, here are a few ideas to get you started: – Visit the town’s Historical Society or Museum. Many have great displays, artifacts, and pictures to learn about the city.  Ask if they have any information on historical walking tours or places to visit. – What is the town built around economically?  Visit it (such as our grain elevator trip) and ask questions – you may even get a free tour! – Take advantage of any festivals going on while you are visiting. We enjoyed a Fourth of July Ice Cream Social! – Take a long walk and use your senses other than just what you see.  What does it smell like?  What do you hear? How do the local plants feel? – Go to a local restaurant and try the local favorite dish.  You may discover something new to eat! We had such a great time learning more about the town that we visit each summer.  I can’t wait to try it out in my own city!