For the purpose of this website and our blogs, Out and About shall be translated as traveling beyond a 7 hour round trip of the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. Conversely, Local Gems are basically a day trip from where we live.
We fully acknowledge this is randomly subjective. However, it serves to provide a baseline of understanding for website viewers.
Beyond that, Out and About is not just the rest of the continental US, it is essentially everywhere else in the world. From there, we’ve further categorized stories by country.
Like the Local Gems we highlight, our focus will still be on the same categories. Wineries, Nature-Hiking, Restaurant-Foods, and Places To Stay. However to make it easier to follow for any trips you may be planning, for now we will categorize our stories by location (country, or in the US – region, specific location).
How do we find Out and About places?
Finding places to go Out and About requires more concentrated effort. You can’t exactly rely on the recommendations of others you knoow personally who have been there ahead of you. Although sometimes people you know have been there. Either way, this is where we tend to rely on a broader network of resources. JMO looks at websites like Yelp (our review of Iona Stables and Inn), TripAdvisor (our review of Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City, MD), and other locations you can find reviews to assess for your journey.
As we mention in our JMO Reviews and Articles post, you’ll only find positive articles on the website. Negative comments are reserved for Yelp, TripAdvisor, or whatever website is appropriate.
Our Secret
One secret we have realized? Ask a local. We will say, and have said it over and over. We’ve even asked folks on the street for restaurant recommendations. Even people in another country that speak another language. We once dined at a local cafe on the street no more than 150 feet from The Parthanon in Rome. We ended up at Ristorante Da Fortunato al Pantheon.
No matter where you are, if you ask a local you’re virtually guaranteed to get some good information that can help point you in the right direction. We have almost always benefitted from getting information “right from the source”.
In particular, ask your host or concierge. They have their favorite places for a reason. To the date of this post, we have yet to be disappointed by a local’s recommendation.
By asking locals, we have gotten some incredible information. It has saved us time and money (skip the line tour at the Roman Colosseum, boating to the Cliffs of Moher). We have eaten at fabulous restaurants (Le Forum in Orange, France). Hiked in the Kuli’ou’ou Ridge Trail in Honolulu, Hawaii. We’ve also had great experiences like snorkling and sailing on a catamaran in the Carribean.
All because we asked a local. Take a look at some of the places we’ve been out and about to see for yourself how wonderful asking a local can be.