Travel books and websites are great, but there's nothing like asking the locals about what to not miss. Whether it's restaurants or attractions, ask people in the know!
I'm a planner when it comes to traveling. I rarely fly by the seat of my pants. I want my reservations made so I know I have someplace to sleep. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to see and do in each place I visit. The exception to this is dining. In this case, I might have some general ideas, but I wait until I'm there to know what is available and how our siteseeing has gone for the day. I never know what I want to eat until I'm in the moment.
But one thing I've learned about travel is that you should always take the time to ask the knowledgeable locals about what to see and do . My husband and I have discovered some real gems this way. One of those discoveries was the Calvin Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. It is kind of ironic that we hadn't planned on going there since we are both history buffs and enjoy presidential history. But it wasn't on our map (so to speak) until the innkeeper suggested it. We decided to swing by there on the way to something else and ended up staying a long time. Visiting Silent Cal's tiny home hamlet was a highlight of our vacation and spurred me on to read more about this interesting president to the point it has become a little hobby of mine.
And all because we listened to the innkeeper!
