How to Be a Local Tourist

I’m tired of people saying Lynchburg is boring. 

Just in the past month, I’ve enjoyed an excellent community theater production of Newsies; a concert from the Vitamin String Quartet; a fall festival with two corn mazes, a tractor ride, and a pumpkin patch; rave bingo; a hike through rolling hills and pastoral views; and an excellent meal at an authentic Peruvian restaurant. And these are just the highlights. 

No matter where you live, there is joy and excitement to be found. It bothers me when people bash Lynchburg, but I’ve come to realize that enjoyment doesn’t come naturally to some people. You have to learn how to engage with your community and find joy and excitement in it. 

The easiest way to do this is by becoming a local tourist.

I’ve been a local tourist of Lynchburg, Virginia, for more than ten years. Here are my best tips for finding joy and excitement in your community, no matter where you live. 

Approach your area with curiosity

Show interest in what’s around you—it will lead to inquiry. 

Practically, this looks like paying attention to your surroundings. There may be historical markers on the side of the road, hole-in-the-wall antique stores without any kind of internet presence, or a food truck that sets up shop in the drug store parking lot that serves the best po boy you’ve ever tried—but you won’t notice any of these things unless you pay attention to your surroundings and start asking questions, even if they’re as simple as, “I wonder what that is?”

Stop by the visitor information center

The best place to learn more about where you live is the visitor information center. Many cities and towns have something like this. Usually, it’s located on Main Street, and it’s just a big room filled with rack cards and brochures advertising everything from restaurants and shopping to historic sites and entertainment venues. 

The staff are also incredibly helpful, as most people who work at these types of establishments are locals who genuinely love where they live and want other people to love it too. 

Ask for recommendations

Did you know that word of mouth is the most effective marketing channel? People trust recommendations from family and friends (and even strangers) more than they trust traditional advertising. 

Ask your friends, family, and coworkers what they like to do in the area. See what their favorite restaurants are or where they like to take their dog for a walk.

If you’re new or don’t know many people in your area, try asking for recommendations online. Many cities have a Facebook group where you can ask for recommendations, and websites like Yelp are a good place to read reviews. 

Patronize local businesses

Next time you need a birthday cake, try getting it from a local bakery instead of picking it out of the freezer section at Kroger. Or if you need to buy some screws for a home improvement project, pop over to the locally owned hardware store rather than Lowe's or Home Depot. Need to buy the next book for book club? Order it from an independent bookstore, not Amazon. 

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy — they employ people in the area, sustain the local economy, and help develop the community.

Plus, they are generally more fun than big box stores. Small business owners, in my experience, are more likely to start conversations with and get to know their customers. Their establishments have more charm to them, so a routine trip to the store could become an adventure.

Seek out events and activities

At the end of the day, excitement isn’t going to find you — you have to seek it out. Whether you like watercolor painting or working on classic cards, there are bound to be others in your area who like to do the same. Find them!

Here are some ways you can find events and activities that align with your interests: 

• Peruse Facebook events — I find a lot of events through Facebook. It’s a helpful tool because you can sort by date and location.

• Check out parks and recreation activities catalogs — If your town has a parks and recreation department, odds are they have an activities catalog that they publish monthly or quarterly. You can find everything from exercise classes to bridge clubs to youth sports through a parks and recreation department. 

• Look into library programming — Public libraries offer an abundance of activities for both kids and adults, and they aren’t all related to reading. The library near my house has a knitting circle, a genealogy club, and a birding group. 

• Pay attention to shop windows and bulletin boards — When I was in journalism school, I’d always check community bulletin boards and coffee shop windows for flyers and posters that may lead to story ideas. This is also a good strategy for finding things to do in your area!

Next time you find yourself thinking that where you live is boring, remember that there is always joy and excitement to be found — you just have to find it.