Thursday, March 17, 2011

Hello World! Intro to Arizona Backyard Travel

Not too long ago I was sharing with a friend a dream of mine. One day I would love to be a historical travel writer. I know that this is lofty and risky as many people don't care for history, especially someone else's, and many people sadly, don't travel very much. Nonetheless, I yearn to be a new and yet different incarnation of Anthony Bourdain. In his TV series "No Reservations" Bourdain takes viewers on trips around the world and introduces them to the average people of exotic lands and takes said viewers from their own living room to that of the shows subject. Tony gets viewers acquainted with cultures around the world and along the way shows his audience a side of the world that in all likelihood, they have never seen before. I want to do this but in a different way; with a different angle. If I were lucky enough to have a show like Bourdain's, I would want to show people cultures from around the world and instead of talking about how they tick, I want to show what happened to make them tick that way, and while I'm at it show off any points of interest that have historical value. Like I said, it's a long shot and it may never work out, but hey, a guy can dream right? 

Anyways, I told my friend of this dream and she came back very quickly, "Well, why don't you start a blog?" The thought had never quite occurred to me. I've never been into blogs before; I don't even subscribe to one, how am I supposed to create one…what do I write about…will anyone really be interested? Obviously I have figured a few of those things out and I hope that there is someone out there interested in what I have to say about what the world has to offer as far as tourism. Below is a kind of overview of how I want to start my career as a travel writer and what this blog will, with any luck, look like. Again, this may never work but at least I can't say I never tried.



                                       Arizona Backyard Travel 

Arizona Backyard travel is something that came to me in the weirdest of places; I was at an art museum. This is a weird locale because it's somewhere that I wouldn't go on a normal basis. Strangely enough, I really enjoyed myself, and that is what started the thought process. What if there are other people out there like me: they would love see all this but the thought has never occurred to them to come? It really was a cool place to go and was a pretty cheap way to waste the day without having to leave the valley. Then I started thinking of the other places that my wife and I like to go without having to spend the day driving somewhere else, things that we could do in our own backyard.

Backyard travel is pretty much just what it says: it's going out and seeing something new in your own backyard, in my case, that's the Phoenix metropolitan area know collectively as The Valley of the Sun. These are generally things that you don't have to drive a long way to get to and don't usually require an overnight stay somewhere. This can include sites in your city or day trips that get you just outside your comfort zone. I like the idea of Backyard tourism for a few reasons. First off, you get to see something that is close to home and is revisitable; you can see it once or go again and again and develop a personal connection with whatever that place is. This is always the goal in travel, to make a lasting connection. Another pro for backyard travel is that it can be pretty economical. This thrifty facet helps because in a world like todays there isn't always a budget for fun stuff to do on the weekend or on days off. Backyard travel presents an opportunity to do something as a couple or as a family without having to put up lots of money on lodging and travel. You can make a 20-minute or hour drive and see something new and exciting without having to spend a fortune on doing it. So that's the goal for this blog: to show some of those interesting things to do here in our corner of the world. Of course I will hit the obvious places but I hope to also show you something that you have never seen before. So if you are game for a little adventure here in Arizona, then catch a ride with me and we'll take a tour in our backyard. 

  The Ground Rules:

I'm going to try and post on a monthly basis, but if I don't get to please have some patience with me, I do have two jobs and gas is expensive. I will also try and do some neighborhood reviews of different areas here in the valley, I'll go by zip code and try to list some of the best restaurants, parks, points of interest… that kind of stuff. Please don't be afraid to comment or leave suggestions about where I should go, what I should see, or what I should do. Also, tell me how I'm doing, what you like and what you think I can improve on. You can even feel free to tell me I suck, please just be willing to provide a reason and a solution. As always please try to make your comments family friendly and have respect for your fellow reader. 

Thanks for reading, and travel well!