Step1
Do your research ahead of time. By delving into a destination before you travel, you can scratch beneath the surface ‘tourist traps’ and find out more about the cultural and historical aspects the locale has to offer.
Step2
Make sure to visit the local historical museum now found in essentially every city, and most towns to boot. This is a good starting point as well in discovering other historically significant highlights of an area.
Step3
To really appreciate a place, and learn about it, visit the sites tied into its local history and economy. For example, in Puerto Rico consider touring a rum distillery; in Detroit stop by a Ford plant; in Florida visit an orange grove. You’ll not only learn more about the area, but subjects such as rum, cars, oranges, agriculture and so on.
Step4
Sign up for a walking tour of a town or city in advance of your visit. These forays are usually fairly affordable, and generally touch on many key elements of a place—history, architecture, famous past residents and much more.
Step5
When dining out, try to eat at restaurants serving local and regional cuisines, and frequenting ‘mom and pop’ eateries might also illuminate you on the area. No one ever learned much, for example, about French food and culture while eating at a Parisian McDonald's every day.
Step6
Do something cultural each day—like seeing an opera, strolling some art galleries, taking in the local orchestra. When seeing a show, read the program, talk to an usher—whatever you can to find about the theater and/or the show being presented.
Step7
Make a visit to a landmark home in the area that is open to the public. These sites are a great resource for learning about a region, its history, architecture and past residents.
An educational vacation goes well beyond reading a book.
Comments
Veesites said
on 10/27/2007 Great advice, especially the part about looking for the places to eat where you see locals, not just tourists. I find the elderhostel trips are really fun and educational, too.