I love small towns. I think the fact that I don't have any preconceived expectations of them add to their character and charm. We live near many small towns that we rarely visit. I thought it would be fun to explore some of them this summer. So, I added the idea to our summer bucket list and it's been a hit for us. The pictures below aren't from one town, but a menagerie of towns we visited because we liked the idea so much.
Here are some ideas for exploring small town USA with kids...
- Consider dropping by the visitor's center, if there is one! They can tell you the best places to visit and the most fun things to do during your visit.
- Is the town famous for anything? Many small towns have a claim to fame somewhere in their history.
- Are there any fun festivals planned? I have found that many small towns in our area have at least one fun and unusual festival each year.
- Are there any museums to visit? We have found a few that are rather interesting.
- Find a public garden or park to visit.
- Find out if there are any historical sites/homes.
- Find the post office, the bank, the fire station, and church or place of worship of your faith.
- Find out where the locals like to eat lunch and pay them a visit.
- Take a picture of the "coolest" architectural structure you find.
- Is there a town clock? A town square?
- If you feel safe doing so, take some of the side streets. It's amazing some of the things you might find!
- Fun stores to scope out and visit might include:
- the local 5 and dime
- an old fashioned soda shoppe
- the town bakery
- a farmer's market
- antique stores
- a hardware store
- Are there any interesting guided tours worth taking?
- Pick up some postcards and write some notes to the grandparents before leaving.
- Consider making a "scorecard" of sorts and over dinner rate the towns you visit.
Pin It Linking to: All Year Round Blog Carnival, Summer, Weekly Kids Co-op, For the Kids Friday, Creative Genius, Once Upon a Weekend, The Sunday Showcase, Link and Learn
3 comments:
This is a good list to use, even if you live in a small town!
We love to visit small towns and I agree they almost always have something fun. Our local "small towns," aren't too small anymore, but they still have some fun stuff.
If you're a AAA member you can get their travel guides for free and that's one way to get information.
I love this post! Small towns are underrated.
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