This Ain't Slow Travel!

Slowed down. 2007. Hanging with grandma at Little Sandy Bottom Pond, MA. 

One thing that I wanted to do once I quit my job was to slow down a little and spend some time really getting to know a location before moving onto the next. I have found over the years that I do love seeing a lot of places, but often when we travel quickly, we end up seeing a lot of the touristy or busy places and really missing some of the hidden gems. My favorite trip to Paris was after I had already been once and I had seen the Eifel Tower and the Louvre and all of the other things. I went back and spent a month there and I had the best time ever just walking along the Sienne, reading my book in the park and getting groceries (and a baguette, let's be real here) every day and eating regular meals. I also liked to spend time in a café with a café au lait and my journal, whiling away hours watching people walk by. 

2004 vs. 2019: I look exactly the same! 👵 Right?

I actually went back again with a friend and had a great time with him, as he had never been, but was more into food than attractions, so we ate a lot and it was all delicious. I went back again in November and it was rainy, but I was with a running friend and we just ran from place to place, even the Eifel Tower and Arch de Triumph and we covered a ton of ground on foot, much of which I hadn't seen before, which was also nice. He also had no expectations of food, so I took us to four different places that had duck confit so we could do a confit-off and see which one was best (PS I love duck confit). I could easily go back again and explore a different neighborhood and be totally happy. I could probably go back ten times and be totally happy and see new things each time. Speaking of, I just read Melissa's post about Monet's Garden and of course now I want to go there next time! 

I want to see all of the places, but I am not really a fan of very touristy places, and I hate waiting in line, especially when it's hot and humid (Italy-cough-Sistine Chapel) and the woman behind you keeps saying in the loudest obnoxious voice that she is from CALIFORNIA (cringe!). Gag me. The good thing about my new existence is that I can take the time to find either less touristy places, or to go to the more touristy places in the off season, and hopefully have the city or the beach to myself. Do I care about swimming every day? Not really. But I do like it if there will be things to do, so I will plan accordingly. I also want to do some hiking, and of course, there is a limited time for that due to weather, so it may take a little jiggering to get it right. 

For the last year, I have been lucky mostly. Even thought I was definitely not slow traveling, I got lucky with the seasons, and I arrived in Canada when many of the provincial parks were still closed. However, the cool thing about BC, which is where I was, is that if you can go around the closed and locked gate, you can stay in some of them! There is no running water or facilities (I had to pack out my trash) but you can use the camping pad and picnic table, which was a blessing. Also, there are sites called recreation sites that are first come first served where you can camp either for free or for a nominal fee, like $8 or $13 in some cases. The great thing is that I was there in April and May and so I always got a spot! 

Camping near Banff, Alberta

In June I went to Banff and it was not yet the high season, although by the end of my week there, it was getting more busy for sure. However, when I first arrived, some of the lakes on the Icefields Parkway were still frozen and many of the park campgrounds were still closed. I figured it out though and got to have some nice nights there. Then it was the Tour Divide, when I camped a lot or just took what I could get! I was really worried about Fourth of July weekend but I ended up being in a place where it was not an issue! 

Crowsnest Highway, Alberta

Then I got to the Midwest and it got a little harder. Not that I could not get a room somewhere but the prices were a lot steeper and there was a lot less camping. The same applied in Ontario, where a campsite was often $80 or $90!! For one night! For a tent and a bike and no services! What the H-E-double hockeysticks Ontario! In Quebec there was some camping, but it was not really on my route, so I opted to take the lazy way out and get a room, but they were not cheap! 

The Toaster House, NM

I have seen a lot of great places and met up with people and done some fun things this year. However, this is not the slow travel that I had planned. I knew this going in of course, but still, I have definitely experienced waves of decision fatigue, especially over the last couple of months, where camping was more sparse, motels were more expensive, and biking infrastructure was not always great. I am really looking forward to cutting down on costs and mental power by being able to plan things a little more ahead and also to not have each day be in a completely different place. 

Bob likes colorful art. WI

However, I am trying to hold on to the last part of THIS journey, and to remind myself  that I have done a lot and learned a lot over the past several months. I remember my first day like it was yesterday, riding away from my parents' house in the drizzle (fitting, eh?), not having a clue what I was going to see or do aside from ride my bike each day. That in itself does have a sort of freedom, and I did develop a routine of sorts. I have honed down my packing system and dialed in my grocery store hauls. I have gotten used to (but still don't love!) wearing lycra. I am more comfortable riding on the side of the highway or on a single track trail than I was six month ago. It has been a lot of fun. I am not done yet, but this part of my journey is coming to an end soon. It's kind of bittersweet, but also kind of exciting! 

Next week I will talk about what I have planned for the next leg of the journey and will talk a bit more about my travel plans for 2025. 

When you travel, how long do you stay in each place? Do you like going to the mainstream attractions or are you more of a hole-in-the-wall kind of person? Do you ever get decision fatigue? 

This post is part of NaBloPoMo. You can find the rest of my posts for this challenge here. You can find the list of participants and their information here.