Sometimes it’s o.k. to be a tourist instead of a traveler.
To kick off summer 2014, my husband and I have an outrageous bill from Avis Car Rental that we picked up as a souvenir from our self guided driving tour of England. This is not to say that we don’t have other souvenirs that are more pleasant such as vintage clothing, local stationary, books, The Smiths and Beatles paraphernalia, tea towels, and, of course, an umbrella. However, the Avis gift is something that sticks out as it was a surprise – and not one of those accidental, look-what-fun-surprises-pop-up-when-you-travel type of situations. It was a $1,700 minor disaster as the car was to have been paid for using credit card points. The circumstances surrounding the mistake aren’t all that important as the dispute rages on and it’s actually all rather boring. What is important is the question of money.
Yes, I’ve now said the “m” word. What a drag! That one word can have a serious effect on travel decisions and experiences. A few weeks prior to leaving for England, my husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a relaxing weekend in Salida, Colorado. It was especially exciting for me as I had discovered a Living Social deal for a bed and breakfast that made the weekend all the more inviting – and affordable.
View from the other side of the window well in Salida, CO.
Until we checked in to the B & B to discover our room was in the musty basement and our view was of the window well. Another twist to the romantic weekend was getting kicked out of the dining room each morning as once the kitchen was closed, so was the dining room. No time for a relaxing cup of coffee or a friendly chat with the other travelers as we were on the innkeeper’s clock.
So where is the balance between a great deal and the you-get-what-you-pay-for sentiment? It’s a hard one to call. The British rental car was a small fortune and it took us almost two hours to get out of Heathrow because of issues at the Avis desk. We didn’t get $1,700 worth of service – we just got a headache.
*****
I’ve always been a bargain traveler. It’s a badge I carry proudly as by working hard to find deals, I’m able to do more, see more, travel more. In theory, this seems like a solid plan. And then there’s England. Besides the rental car situation, gas was expensive and so was food and lodging. While there are less expensive ways to get around and see the country, there really are no strong bargains.
The other challenge about this trip was that we were in constant motion. Our itinerary was as follows:
- Bath region – 2 nights
- Wales – No overnight … merely a lunch on the sea
- The Cotswolds – 2 nights
- Liverpool – 1 night
- Manchester – No overnight … more of a pit stop for The Smiths tour
- York – 2 nights
- London – 3 nights
When moving around at this pace and spending your days driving in a big circle around your base area, you never have the opportunity to become part of the local landscape. I was very much affected by this, as I also like to consider myself an authentic traveler. I so enjoy spending time with locals and learning about the area from them, and, having a (good) surprise experience that wouldn’t have happened without their insider knowledge. Being constantly in motion often compromises the ability to make connections while on the road.
As the rental car – or as I called it: the James Bond car – collected miles, I wondered how I could incorporate various elements of authentic travel to make this experience richer. As I was beating myself up for being a tourist as opposed to a traveler, a thought hit me … “Do one small thing.”
When I invite people to open themselves up to authenticity, to embark on an adventure or to play, I challenge them to do just one small thing in the hopes that it will lead to bigger things along the journey. It seems it was time to reconnect to my own life lesson. Not only could I do one small thing. I could do one small thing each day. The goal of this daily action was to touch an authentic local experience in some small way as, whether I intended it or not, I was operating as a tourist on this trip.
Here’s how I achieved my goal each day:
Day 1: London to Bath.
We ate dinner at the locally owned Wheelrights Arms Pub in tiny Monkton Combe forgoing driving to navigate the walking paths that lead to the village. After dinner, we enjoyed a local pint at the bar where we had lively discussions with the staff about the village gossip, the locally made cider and British music.
Street art in Glastonbury.
Day 2: Bath to Avebury to Salisbury to Glastonbury to Bath.
Bypassing the mass tourism that engulfs Stonehenge, we instead enjoyed the quiet, relaxing village of Avebury and its stone circles. After, we headed to Salisbury for a local pint and then to Glastonbury where we took in the street art.
Day 3: Bath to Cardiff to Hidcote Boyce.
Our charming homestay in the Cotswolds.
After checking in to a family farmhouse in Hidcote Boyce, we headed out for dinner to their pub favorite in the neighboring Mickleton.
Day 4: Hidcote Boyce to Bourton-on-the-Water to Stow-on-the-Wold to The Slaughters to Snowshill to Stanway to Stanton to Broadway to Blockley to Broad Campden to Chipping Campden (The Cotswolds).
Whew! This was a challenging day as much of it was spent on the road visiting small touristy towns. However, a lovely moment happened in Snowshill – a village without businesses except for the local pub. A police officer chatted us up as she spotted us admiring the town cemetery. 20 minutes later the officer headed to the pub to let them know we were coming, but unfortunately the pub was closed. Even so, the chat remains a highlight.
Day 5: Hidcote Boyce to Liverpool.
Penny Lane is in our hearts.
This day was the quintessential tourist experience for a Beatles fan – Magical Mystery Tour, a visit to The Cavern Club – the club that put the Beatles on the map — and a stay in the Hard Day’s Night Hotel. Perhaps there wasn’t much of an opportunity to connect … I was able to have a quick sidebar conversation with the Magical Mystery Tour guide. I also chatted up the server at dinner — so much so that she ended up with my contact information should she in fact coordinate an American road trip that goes through Colorado.
Day 6: Liverpool to Manchester to York.
Only a Smiths fan can appreciate this shot.
Manchester, home of the New Wave music scene that exploded in the late ‘70s continues to birth talented musicians. Manchester Music Tours leads the way in connecting fans with Manchester music legends such as The Smiths. Since I’ve been a fan since the mid ’80s, I was crazy excited to see their old old haunts – one of which is the Salford Lads Club. It was established in 1903 as a “purpose built club for working lads.” Now it offers programs for girls and boys as well as serving as a museum of sorts paying homage to The Smiths who used the building façade on The Queen is Dead album cover. It is here where I chose to buy my Manchester souvenirs as proceeds benefited The Club.
Day 7: York.
York is the second busiest tourist town outside of London and we were visiting on one of the busiest weekends of the year as it was a bank holiday. What to do to complete my one small thing a day goal? Take a history tour. The Association of Voluntary Guides to the City of York have 110 trained guides who offer two hour free walking tours every day (except on Christmas). This is like spending 120 minutes with a history buff who can answer any historical question you can dream up! And, you can save your quid for the bar as the tour is free!
Visiting friends while traveling always makes for a richer travel experience.
Day 8: York to London.
Finally we were able to connect with my lovely friend, Darren, who is a London native! He has a real life perspective on the London of yesterday and today – he even works for the Tube! We were also visiting my American friends, Brittany and Clayton, who are the reasons we embarked on this British adventure. Brittany has spent the last year studying in London. Her perspective on the city is well appreciated, as her living experience has been much richer than any acquired from a vacation.
Notting Hill is special even without a film named after it.
Day 9: London.
An entire day of shopping and eating local! Stops included cafés in Camden, Regent’s Park and Notting Hill, a bookstore in Marleybone and an ethnic restaurant in Edgeware where I connected with my high school pal, Kathleen, who now resides in the English countryside.
Day 10: London.
Day two of shopping and eating local! In the East End, I shopped and dined my way though the Old Spitafields Market and several Islington markets. The transportation was the real deal too, as instead of hopping on the double decker tourist bus, I took the #205 public bus across town – enjoying a prime spot in one of the front seats on the second level. The day ended with an improv show at the Comedy Store. This may not seem like an activity to note, however, it’s important to also be authentic to yourself while traveling. Improv is one of my passions, so I try to see a show when traveling so as to enrich my own improv experience at home.
Cheers!
I did it! I actually did more than one small thing some days. It’s easy to get into an unproductive thought pattern when we focus on what’s swirling around the imagination. In my mind, the trip should have cost less. It should have lasted longer. It should have been done at a slower pace. And it also happened exactly as it was supposed to … I just needed to let it happen. Not every trip unfolds to our exact specifications. It’s what we do with these opportunities that matters. Now that I’ve had the chance to reflect and process the British self guided driving tour experience, I’m able to look well beyond the price tag associated with the James Bond rental car and focus on the small gems that may not have even made it into photos. Cheers (with a pint of local beer) to that!
