April 9, 2025 • 22 mins
Uncover the secret weapon that savvy travelers have been using for years – local Visitor's Bureaus. These often-overlooked offices hold the keys to transforming good vacations into unforgettable journeys, and today we're diving into exactly why you should make them your first stop in any new destination.
Whether you call them welcome centers, tourism boards, or CVBs (Convention and Visitors Bureaus), these modest offices staffed by passionate locals are goldmines of information that your smartphone simply can't match. From San Antonio to Salzburg, I've walked into these places and walked out richer – with maps, tips, and insider knowledge that changed the course of my travels.
The next time you're planning a trip – whether across the state or across the ocean – make the Visitor's Bureau your first stop. Those fifteen minutes could be the most valuable time you spend on your entire journey. Have you had a great experience with a local tourism office? Share your story with us at editor@thetravelingfool.com or message us on our Facebook page!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bob Bales (00:00):
Hi and welcome to the Traveling Fool podcast, the
show that talks about traveldestinations, the history,
culture and people of thosedestinations, along with travel
tips and news.
I'm Bob Bales, and today we'retalking about something simple
but often overlooked, why everytraveler should stop by the
Visitor's Bureau when they hit anew city.
(00:21):
You know those little offices,sometimes called welcome centers
or tourism boards.
Man, they are gold mines,whether you're road tripping
through Texas or landing in someforeign town halfway across the
world.
I've got 15 reasons that'sright, a bunch of them, for US
travelers to make that stop,plus an additional five tips if
(00:43):
you're traveling abroad.
So stay tuned and we'll beright back.
(01:12):
So what are we talking abouthere?
Whether it's called a visitor'sbureau, a tourism board or a
CVB, which stands for Conventionand Visitors Bureau, it's
usually a small office.
It could be downtown or at arest stop or near the airport,
run by folks whose job it is tohelp you figure out what to do
(01:32):
at a destination.
In the US, every decent-sizedtown has one.
A lot of the smaller towns havethem as well, and sometimes
they may be a county-wideoperation, and overseas you'll
find versions intourist-friendly cities.
They're not there to sell youjunk.
They're there to make yourvisit work.
I've walked into these placesfrom San Antonio to Salzburg and
(01:57):
every time I've walked out withsomething useful, a map, a tip
or a heads-up about a roadclosure or something else.
Today's focus is mostly on UStravel, since most of my
listeners are in America andlove hitting the road here, but
I'll tack on some internationalpointers at the end, because I
know some of you are eyeingpassports and may want to do
(02:19):
some travel internationally.
The point is these bureaus arefree, they're local and they've
got answers that your phonecan't always give you.
Let's start with the 15 reasonsfor US travelers and then we'll
wrap up with those foreignextras.
First up visitors bureaus havethe latest on what's happening
in town.
You're not just getting awebsite's outdated calendar.
(02:41):
I mean, these folks know what'sgoing on today, tomorrow and
next weekend.
Say, you go into someplace inNorth Carolina and they tell you
about a bluegrass festivalstarting on Friday that hasn't
even hit Google yet, or afarmer's market popping up on
Saturday morning.
I've gotten tips about freeconcerts, live music venues or
some monthly flea market orsomething that's going on in a
(03:05):
lot of different places.
What you get out of it issimple.
You catch events that turn aregular stop into something
special, without digging througha bunch of old online posts or
trying to look up and see whatGoogle can tell you.
Number two they've got free mapsand guides.
I'm talking the physical stuff,paper that you can hold, fold
(03:27):
and mark up.
You know, the phone's greatuntil your battery dies or the
signal drops, righ?
I can't tell you the number oftimes I've stopped by and spoke
to the folks at the VisitorsBureau and found out about some
historic places nearby that Ididn't even know about.
They've got brochures too.
I mean hiking trails, historicsites, whatever.
(03:47):
You walk in and you walk outwith a plan in your hand, no
data required.
And you know we're going to gothrough these fairly quick today
, so it's not going to be a reallong podcast.
But number three talk to localsthat know the place.
I mean they actually know.
They live there.
These aren't the call centerrobots.
They live there, they workthere.
(04:09):
They've seen it change.
In Victoria Texas I stopped bythe Welcome Center and was
asking about locally ownedplaces to eat, because I like
visiting the small mom and pop,locally owned places in towns
that I visit.
You know the ones that havebeen around for a while and the
locals know about.
Well, they pointed me toFossati's Deli, the oldest
(04:33):
delicatessen in Texas.
Opened in 1882 by an Italianimmigrant and it's still owned
by the same family today, and Igotta tell you the food was
fantastic.
You could ask anything.
Is this road construction stilla mess?
I heard that over here wasclosed down.
Where's a quiet park I canvisit?
You get real answers from thepeople who aren't guessing.
They live there and they know.
(04:56):
Number four you find hidden gems.
They'll point you to the hiddengems, because every city's got
spots tourists miss.
Small museums and quirky sites,a view that nobody talks about.
In Bandera, texas, I was toldabout the Hill Country State
Natural Area.
I'm usually not one for goingto big parks or bird watching
(05:18):
and things like this.
It's just not me.
But this is a 5,369acre sitethat was gifted to the state of
Texas by the family that ownedthe Merrick Bar O Ranch.
The owner stipulated that it bekept far removed and untouched
by modern civilization.
So when you get there the roadsare not paved.
(05:42):
It's an old ranch road goingthrough the ranch.
It's old Texas man, with a fewold buildings still standing
around.
There's hiking and horse trailsand streams and fields and no
crowds and you won't see anyasphalt anywhere on that place.
And you get to walk away withsomething unique, not just the
(06:03):
same postcard stops thateverybody else hits.
Number five they know about allthe discounts and deals.
Now a lot of bureaus havecoupons laying around.
There are two-for-one museumtickets or a cheap boat tour,
whatever.
I've gotten free passes anddiscounts to attractions and
passes to those hop-on, hop-offbuses that drive around and hit
(06:24):
all the interesting sites.
It doesn't sound like much butit adds up.
They might even tell you aboutfree admission days or something
like that.
You have some cash and you getmore out of your budget.
Reason number six they've gotthe current safety info.
The websites might say a park'sopen, but the Bureau will tell
you if a trail's flooded or adowntown street's a little dicey
(06:45):
after dark.
I just recently returned fromOconee County, South Carolina.
It's up in the far northwestcorner of the state.
The Visitor's Bureau told meabout a stretch of highway that
was closed because of the recenthurricane that went through
there.
They said they just hadn't hadtime to get it repaired yet or
the money hadn't come through.
That doesn't surprise me, but Ineeded to get to a small place
(07:07):
in the county, so she directedme to a road that took me there,
but I had to go up and over amountain.
It got me to where I needed toget, though, and I tell you it
was a nice little ride, muchbetter than probably being on
that highway.
But you stay safe and you getto skip all the surprises
Because, like I said, this isthe place that knows all that
stuff.
(07:28):
Reason number seven they helpyou dodge the crowds.
You ask them when the bigattractions are getting slammed,
like, hey, man, when is it justa zoo to go visit the Liberty
Bell over here, when's the besttime to visit the cave, the
museum, the park or some otherattraction, and whether it's a
place where school kids takefield trips or when the tour
(07:48):
buses start arriving.
In St Thomas, the US VirginIslands, they have cruise ships
that dock for the day and theisland gets swamped with cruise
passengers.
Well, the tourism folks knowwhen they're arriving and can
tell you the best times to avoidthe crowds.
They know the patterns.
You'll get a lot smoother visit, a lot less elbowing through
(08:09):
the lines.
Numbereight.
They'll tip you off to nearbytowns or sites.
You're in Santa Fe, new Mexico,they might say well, check out
Los Alamos 40 minutes north andthe old atomic lab stuff.
You know we were talking aboutOconee County they told me about
right across the border, 20miles away in Georgia.
They have the Currahee Museum.
(08:31):
You know that's the one fromBand of Brothers where these
guys went and trained.
Three miles up, three milesdown Currahee Hill.
Well, currahee Hill is stillthere.
They've got a great littlemuseum and they've got the
recreations of the barracks anda couple of guard towers and
some trucks and stuff.
And if you're game you can dothe three miles up and three
(08:52):
miles down.
I don't know if I could walk it.
My knees are shot.
I'm damn sure not going to runit.
But if you want to, hey, knockyourself out.
But you know, I did not know itwas that close to where I was
at.
But this way you can stretchyour trip a little wider.
You can find a few of theextras that you may have missed,
because they have connectionswith the tourism bureaus in the
next town over.
(09:12):
They know where all that stuffis at and they can hook you up.
Now we're on to number nine.
They'll give you the historyand the context, not a lecture,
just a quick rundown on whatmade that place tick.
In Wichita, Kansas I was toldabout their aviation history and
why they are known as theaviation capital of the world.
I did not know that before Igot there.
(09:34):
Why I don't know, but I didn't.
I mean all the pioneers, likeBeechcraft, Textron, Cessna,
they all were there and they allmade a huge contribution to
Wichita and the aviation history, even up to World War II when
Boeing plant manufactured B-29aircraft.
They have a great aviationmuseum in Wichita and they also
(09:57):
have one of two fully restoredand flying World War II B-29
Superfortress aircraft.
A fantastic, fantastic museumand tour.
You walk away understanding whyyou're there and you're not
just snapping pics for no reason.
Number 10, they know what's free.
Parks with no entry fee, publicconcerts, walking tours that
(10:21):
don't cost a dime.
In Brenham, texas, I was toldabout a lot of free things to do
in town and nearby.
And, let's face it, you go inthere with a family.
You have you and your spouseand a couple of kids.
It starts costing a lot ofmoney by the time you start
paying for everything.
So if you can get free stuff,why not?
They told me about the AntiqueRose Emporium, which is an
(10:44):
operating nursery.
You can actually go there andbuy stuff, but it's also eight
acres of antique roses andnative plants and perennials and
herbs and wildflowers.
I mean, we're talking about afree botanical garden that you
can just wander around.
They have the Brenham FireMuseum, which has all kinds of
cool stuff and old fire trucksand things.
They've got an antique carouselin one of the parks and nearby
(11:08):
you have Washington on theBrazos, where Texas declared
independence.
The Star of Texas Museum isright there, along with
Barrington Plantation, which isa living history farm that
belonged to Anson Jones, thelast president of the Republic
of Texas.
So you get to enjoy the citywithout opening your wallet
every five minutes.
(11:29):
There are always a lot of freethings to do.
If you ask the tourism bureau,they can point you in the right
direction.
Number 11, you get help withlogistics.
You need a bus schedule, youneed parking tips?
Well, they've got it.
In Savannah they've got thishop-on, hop-off trolley that
runs around town.
It's great.
I enjoyed the heck out of itand they told me the best stops
(11:50):
to get off to visit the thingsthat I wanted to see.
So you save time, you don't getlost and you figure out all the
practical stuff really fast.
I'm telling you, if you everget to Savannah, you got to do
that hop-on, hop off trolley.
It takes you to all the bestplaces.
And that brings us to numbertwelve.
They are the go-to source ifyou're planning a family reunion
(12:12):
.
You have a family spread outall over the country and you're
planning that once in every 10year reunion?
Well, these folks can help youout.
They can tell you the best partof town to book that vacation
rental home so you're close toeverything.
They may be able to get intouch with a restaurant owner
that can accommodate your30-member group or a caterer
that's in town.
Give you some ideas of placesand things to do for your large
(12:35):
group.
You know it's the same forconventions.
That's why they call themConvention and Visitors Bureaus.
That's what their job is.
But you don't have to be thelargest organization to get help
.
Maybe you belong to someFacebook group for authors or
antique collectors or some localgroup that you have.
Heck, even a podcaster's group,and you want to have a small
(12:57):
two-day convention and bringpeople in so they can all meet
up and do whatever.
Well, the Visitors Bureau canhelp you with all the logistics.
That is what they are there for.
Number 13, they'll update you onthe weather.
Is rain closing the site?
Is heat shutting down a trail?
They know what's happeningtoday.
(13:17):
They can tell you what roads toavoid during heavy rains or
places that are just not good tovisit because of the weather.
For instance, in parts of Texas, those little lazy rivers and
streams?
Well, man, they turn intoraging flash flood areas when we
get a heavy rain and people notused to the area get stranded,
or worse, at some of these lowcrossing areas.
(13:39):
Well, they can hook you up andthey can tell you about these
places so you're prepped forwhatever the sky has in store
for you.
Number 14.
Connect with local tours orguides.
Not the big bus companies, butthe small outfits, the local
experts.
Man, I've done walking ghosttours in Savannah, a walking
tour of Jack the Ripperlocations in London, and had
(14:02):
guided little known of andout-of-the-way museums when some
personal collections may haveturned into some kind of huge
collecting passion.
The small places that thetourists just don't know about.
You get a deeper dive andtailored to what you're into.
Reason number 15.
You get to feel the city's vibefirsthand.
(14:23):
These folks love their town andthey tell you what makes it
special, not just facts.
You can learn about the peopleand events that make the area
special.
When I visited Brenham, Texas,there was a volunteer with the
tourism bureau, gave me awalking tour around the downtown
area, pointed out all theplaces where historic events had
(14:44):
occurred and told me about thehistory of the town and the
people that built the city.
You connect with the place.
You're not just checking offboxes.
All right, that's 15 tips forthe US travelers.
Not bad 15 tips in 15 minutes.
We're just smoking right alonghere.
It works anywhere from Maine toMontana.
But some of you are headingoverseas, and I've been there
(15:05):
too.
Visitors' bureaus exist abroad,often called tourist offices,
and they're just as useful,especially for Americans.
So here's five extra tips forwhen you're traveling outside
the US.
Number one.
First, they help with thelanguage barriers.
You're in Prague and your Czechlanguage skills are zero, which
(15:26):
mine were when I was there.
Well, the tourist office staffusually speak English and they
can help explain train ticketsand schedules and point you to
an ATM.
They can help you understandhow to get around and tell you
the best way to navigate thosetourist sites.
You get past all the confusionand you keep moving without
(15:46):
fumbling through everything.
Second, they'll clue you in onlocal customs.
They'll tell you what's polite,what's rude, so you don't stick
out like a sore thumb, becomethat ugly tourist or, worse,
offend somebody.
In certain churches and templesyou can't wear shorts, or women
must have their hair coveredwith a scarf.
There's all kinds of rules andcustoms that the average tourist
(16:09):
just may not be aware of.
For instance, in Bali and thisjust came out like a couple of
weeks ago they recently made newrules for tourists regarding
respecting the local religiousand cultural sites.
Well, the tourist offices, theycan tell you what to do and
what not to do so you don't getin trouble and get fined or,
worse, wind up in jail somewhere.
(16:31):
Number three you get reliablecurrency advice.
They've got the currency advicethat you can trust.
When I was in Uzbekistan, thebureau warned me about shady
exchange booths.
Saved me from getting rippedoff, I tell you.
They'll tell you where to swapthe dollars, where you can get
your money exchanged or if cardswork better.
You don't want to run afoul ofthe local police exchanging
(16:53):
money at an unauthorized placeor, worse, just getting ripped
off.
You keep your money safe andyou spend it smartly.
Number four they know the visaand entry rules.
You're in Prague and someonesays, well, you need a stamp to
go here.
Well, is that true or not?
When I was in the Philippines, Ifound out how to have my stay
(17:14):
extended and where to get itdone in the least amount of time
.
In fact, I went to the officethey told me to go to.
It took me an hour and a half.
Other people were saying, ohman, this is like a three-day
process.
Well, you didn't talk to theright people.
In Thailand there are thingscalled visa runs.
I did one of those too, andthey can give you companies that
(17:35):
do this visa run.
The company basically picks youup in a van at your hotel,
drives you to Cambodia, whereyou walk across the border for
15 minutes, grab a Coke to drinkmaybe, look at the trinkets
they're trying to sell.
Then you walk back over intoThailand, get a brand new visa
and they drive you back to yourhotel in the same van that took
(17:57):
you there.
So they know all of the tricksand they can point you in the
right direction.
Make sure you don't run afoulof overstaying your entry or
something like that.
Numberfive they can point you to the
emergency resources if you needthem.
You lose your passport in Rome?
Well, they'll tell you wherethe US Embassy is.
It happens People losepassports when they travel.
(18:20):
You need a doctor?
Well, they've got numbers.
Some of these places?
Well, I'll tell you.
In Manila, for example, Manilahas a hospital that mainly
caters to foreigners, soforeigners feel a little bit
more comfortable going to thisone, which has more of a Western
feel to it, than some of thelocal hospitals.
(18:41):
Not to say the local hospitalsare bad, they're just a little
different, maybe.
So they can point you to theright direction.
They can point you to thehospitals that may speak your
language.
They can help you get the helpyou need and get in touch with
your country's representativesif you need to, and you're
covered if things go sideways.
(19:02):
They've got all the resourcesthat you need to get the help
you need.
So there you go 15 reasons forUS trips and five more tips.
If you're traveling overseas,visitors bureaus are your first
stop Free, local and packed withinfo.
Check out their website beforeyou go, or call them and get
(19:25):
info before your trip,especially if you have questions
and you're traveling abroad.
Take a few minutes to stop inand have a chat with them when
you hit town, doesn't matter ifyou're in Omaha or Oslo.
They'll set you up with maps,tips, deals and you get a feel
for the place.
I've used them everywhere andthey've never let me down.
(19:45):
It beats scrolling through aphone in a parking lot somewhere
trying to find information.
And here's something you can dofor them.
If you had a good experience ata restaurant or a store or an
attraction, tell them about it.
If you visited somewhere that'snot on their website but you
had a great experience, let themknow so they can tell other
(20:05):
people.
They may want to add it totheir website and that way
everybody knows about it.
If you take photos or makeposts on social media about
places, tag them as well as thebusiness.
That way they know people werethere and enjoyed it.
On the flip side, if you foundinfo on their website that is
out of date or incorrect, letthem know that as well so they
(20:30):
can fix it.
Some of these bureaus run onlimited budgets and staff and
don't always have a full-timetech person making sure that
everything is perfect.
For instance, they might belisting a business that is
closed or some information thatis out of date.
Well, let them know.
They'll appreciate knowing itso they can get it fixed.
(20:50):
So that's it.
If you've got a story about atourism bureau you've visited,
hit me up at the Traveling Fool.
All you got to do is send mean email at editor@
thetravellingfoolcom, or go onthe Facebook page Traveling Fool
and send me a message.
I might include it in a futureepisode.
So that was quick, runningabout 22, 23 minutes there.
(21:14):
So until travels.
time, safe travels.
.
Hi and welcome to the Traveling Fool podcast, the
show that talks about traveldestinations, the history,
culture and people of thosedestinations, along with travel
tips and news.
I'm Bob Bales, and today we'retalking about something simple
but often overlooked, why everytraveler should stop by the
Visitor's Bureau when they hit anew city.
(00:21):
You know those little offices,sometimes called welcome centers
or tourism boards.
Man, they are gold mines,whether you're road tripping
through Texas or landing in someforeign town halfway across the
world.
I've got 15 reasons that'sright, a bunch of them, for US
travelers to make that stop,plus an additional five tips if
(00:43):
you're traveling abroad.
So stay tuned and we'll beright back.
(01:12):
So what are we talking abouthere?
Whether it's called a visitor'sbureau, a tourism board or a
CVB, which stands for Conventionand Visitors Bureau, it's
usually a small office.
It could be downtown or at arest stop or near the airport,
run by folks whose job it is tohelp you figure out what to do
(01:32):
at a destination.
In the US, every decent-sizedtown has one.
A lot of the smaller towns havethem as well, and sometimes
they may be a county-wideoperation, and overseas you'll
find versions intourist-friendly cities.
They're not there to sell youjunk.
They're there to make yourvisit work.
I've walked into these placesfrom San Antonio to Salzburg and
(01:57):
every time I've walked out withsomething useful, a map, a tip
or a heads-up about a roadclosure or something else.
Today's focus is mostly on UStravel, since most of my
listeners are in America andlove hitting the road here, but
I'll tack on some internationalpointers at the end, because I
know some of you are eyeingpassports and may want to do
(02:19):
some travel internationally.
The point is these bureaus arefree, they're local and they've
got answers that your phonecan't always give you.
Let's start with the 15 reasonsfor US travelers and then we'll
wrap up with those foreignextras.
First up visitors bureaus havethe latest on what's happening
in town.
You're not just getting awebsite's outdated calendar.
(02:41):
I mean, these folks know what'sgoing on today, tomorrow and
next weekend.
Say, you go into someplace inNorth Carolina and they tell you
about a bluegrass festivalstarting on Friday that hasn't
even hit Google yet, or afarmer's market popping up on
Saturday morning.
I've gotten tips about freeconcerts, live music venues or
some monthly flea market orsomething that's going on in a
(03:05):
lot of different places.
What you get out of it issimple.
You catch events that turn aregular stop into something
special, without digging througha bunch of old online posts or
trying to look up and see whatGoogle can tell you.
Number two they've got free mapsand guides.
I'm talking the physical stuff,paper that you can hold, fold
(03:27):
and mark up.
You know, the phone's greatuntil your battery dies or the
signal drops, righ?
I can't tell you the number oftimes I've stopped by and spoke
to the folks at the VisitorsBureau and found out about some
historic places nearby that Ididn't even know about.
They've got brochures too.
I mean hiking trails, historicsites, whatever.
(03:47):
You walk in and you walk outwith a plan in your hand, no
data required.
And you know we're going to gothrough these fairly quick today
, so it's not going to be a reallong podcast.
But number three talk to localsthat know the place.
I mean they actually know.
They live there.
These aren't the call centerrobots.
They live there, they workthere.
(04:09):
They've seen it change.
In Victoria Texas I stopped bythe Welcome Center and was
asking about locally ownedplaces to eat, because I like
visiting the small mom and pop,locally owned places in towns
that I visit.
You know the ones that havebeen around for a while and the
locals know about.
Well, they pointed me toFossati's Deli, the oldest
(04:33):
delicatessen in Texas.
Opened in 1882 by an Italianimmigrant and it's still owned
by the same family today, and Igotta tell you the food was
fantastic.
You could ask anything.
Is this road construction stilla mess?
I heard that over here wasclosed down.
Where's a quiet park I canvisit?
You get real answers from thepeople who aren't guessing.
They live there and they know.
(04:56):
Number four you find hidden gems.
They'll point you to the hiddengems, because every city's got
spots tourists miss.
Small museums and quirky sites,a view that nobody talks about.
In Bandera, texas, I was toldabout the Hill Country State
Natural Area.
I'm usually not one for goingto big parks or bird watching
(05:18):
and things like this.
It's just not me.
But this is a 5,369acre sitethat was gifted to the state of
Texas by the family that ownedthe Merrick Bar O Ranch.
The owner stipulated that it bekept far removed and untouched
by modern civilization.
So when you get there the roadsare not paved.
(05:42):
It's an old ranch road goingthrough the ranch.
It's old Texas man, with a fewold buildings still standing
around.
There's hiking and horse trailsand streams and fields and no
crowds and you won't see anyasphalt anywhere on that place.
And you get to walk away withsomething unique, not just the
(06:03):
same postcard stops thateverybody else hits.
Number five they know about allthe discounts and deals.
Now a lot of bureaus havecoupons laying around.
There are two-for-one museumtickets or a cheap boat tour,
whatever.
I've gotten free passes anddiscounts to attractions and
passes to those hop-on, hop-offbuses that drive around and hit
(06:24):
all the interesting sites.
It doesn't sound like much butit adds up.
They might even tell you aboutfree admission days or something
like that.
You have some cash and you getmore out of your budget.
Reason number six they've gotthe current safety info.
The websites might say a park'sopen, but the Bureau will tell
you if a trail's flooded or adowntown street's a little dicey
(06:45):
after dark.
I just recently returned fromOconee County, South Carolina.
It's up in the far northwestcorner of the state.
The Visitor's Bureau told meabout a stretch of highway that
was closed because of the recenthurricane that went through
there.
They said they just hadn't hadtime to get it repaired yet or
the money hadn't come through.
That doesn't surprise me, but Ineeded to get to a small place
(07:07):
in the county, so she directedme to a road that took me there,
but I had to go up and over amountain.
It got me to where I needed toget, though, and I tell you it
was a nice little ride, muchbetter than probably being on
that highway.
But you stay safe and you getto skip all the surprises
Because, like I said, this isthe place that knows all that
stuff.
(07:28):
Reason number seven they helpyou dodge the crowds.
You ask them when the bigattractions are getting slammed,
like, hey, man, when is it justa zoo to go visit the Liberty
Bell over here, when's the besttime to visit the cave, the
museum, the park or some otherattraction, and whether it's a
place where school kids takefield trips or when the tour
(07:48):
buses start arriving.
In St Thomas, the US VirginIslands, they have cruise ships
that dock for the day and theisland gets swamped with cruise
passengers.
Well, the tourism folks knowwhen they're arriving and can
tell you the best times to avoidthe crowds.
They know the patterns.
You'll get a lot smoother visit, a lot less elbowing through
(08:09):
the lines.
Numbereight.
They'll tip you off to nearbytowns or sites.
You're in Santa Fe, new Mexico,they might say well, check out
Los Alamos 40 minutes north andthe old atomic lab stuff.
You know we were talking aboutOconee County they told me about
right across the border, 20miles away in Georgia.
They have the Currahee Museum.
(08:31):
You know that's the one fromBand of Brothers where these
guys went and trained.
Three miles up, three milesdown Currahee Hill.
Well, currahee Hill is stillthere.
They've got a great littlemuseum and they've got the
recreations of the barracks anda couple of guard towers and
some trucks and stuff.
And if you're game you can dothe three miles up and three
(08:52):
miles down.
I don't know if I could walk it.
My knees are shot.
I'm damn sure not going to runit.
But if you want to, hey, knockyourself out.
But you know, I did not know itwas that close to where I was
at.
But this way you can stretchyour trip a little wider.
You can find a few of theextras that you may have missed,
because they have connectionswith the tourism bureaus in the
next town over.
(09:12):
They know where all that stuffis at and they can hook you up.
Now we're on to number nine.
They'll give you the historyand the context, not a lecture,
just a quick rundown on whatmade that place tick.
In Wichita, Kansas I was toldabout their aviation history and
why they are known as theaviation capital of the world.
I did not know that before Igot there.
(09:34):
Why I don't know, but I didn't.
I mean all the pioneers, likeBeechcraft, Textron, Cessna,
they all were there and they allmade a huge contribution to
Wichita and the aviation history, even up to World War II when
Boeing plant manufactured B-29aircraft.
They have a great aviationmuseum in Wichita and they also
(09:57):
have one of two fully restoredand flying World War II B-29
Superfortress aircraft.
A fantastic, fantastic museumand tour.
You walk away understanding whyyou're there and you're not
just snapping pics for no reason.
Number 10, they know what's free.
Parks with no entry fee, publicconcerts, walking tours that
(10:21):
don't cost a dime.
In Brenham, texas, I was toldabout a lot of free things to do
in town and nearby.
And, let's face it, you go inthere with a family.
You have you and your spouseand a couple of kids.
It starts costing a lot ofmoney by the time you start
paying for everything.
So if you can get free stuff,why not?
They told me about the AntiqueRose Emporium, which is an
(10:44):
operating nursery.
You can actually go there andbuy stuff, but it's also eight
acres of antique roses andnative plants and perennials and
herbs and wildflowers.
I mean, we're talking about afree botanical garden that you
can just wander around.
They have the Brenham FireMuseum, which has all kinds of
cool stuff and old fire trucksand things.
They've got an antique carouselin one of the parks and nearby
(11:08):
you have Washington on theBrazos, where Texas declared
independence.
The Star of Texas Museum isright there, along with
Barrington Plantation, which isa living history farm that
belonged to Anson Jones, thelast president of the Republic
of Texas.
So you get to enjoy the citywithout opening your wallet
every five minutes.
(11:29):
There are always a lot of freethings to do.
If you ask the tourism bureau,they can point you in the right
direction.
Number 11, you get help withlogistics.
You need a bus schedule, youneed parking tips?
Well, they've got it.
In Savannah they've got thishop-on, hop-off trolley that
runs around town.
It's great.
I enjoyed the heck out of itand they told me the best stops
(11:50):
to get off to visit the thingsthat I wanted to see.
So you save time, you don't getlost and you figure out all the
practical stuff really fast.
I'm telling you, if you everget to Savannah, you got to do
that hop-on, hop off trolley.
It takes you to all the bestplaces.
And that brings us to numbertwelve.
They are the go-to source ifyou're planning a family reunion
(12:12):
.
You have a family spread outall over the country and you're
planning that once in every 10year reunion?
Well, these folks can help youout.
They can tell you the best partof town to book that vacation
rental home so you're close toeverything.
They may be able to get intouch with a restaurant owner
that can accommodate your30-member group or a caterer
that's in town.
Give you some ideas of placesand things to do for your large
(12:35):
group.
You know it's the same forconventions.
That's why they call themConvention and Visitors Bureaus.
That's what their job is.
But you don't have to be thelargest organization to get help
.
Maybe you belong to someFacebook group for authors or
antique collectors or some localgroup that you have.
Heck, even a podcaster's group,and you want to have a small
(12:57):
two-day convention and bringpeople in so they can all meet
up and do whatever.
Well, the Visitors Bureau canhelp you with all the logistics.
That is what they are there for.
Number 13, they'll update you onthe weather.
Is rain closing the site?
Is heat shutting down a trail?
They know what's happeningtoday.
(13:17):
They can tell you what roads toavoid during heavy rains or
places that are just not good tovisit because of the weather.
For instance, in parts of Texas, those little lazy rivers and
streams?
Well, man, they turn intoraging flash flood areas when we
get a heavy rain and people notused to the area get stranded,
or worse, at some of these lowcrossing areas.
(13:39):
Well, they can hook you up andthey can tell you about these
places so you're prepped forwhatever the sky has in store
for you.
Number 14.
Connect with local tours orguides.
Not the big bus companies, butthe small outfits, the local
experts.
Man, I've done walking ghosttours in Savannah, a walking
tour of Jack the Ripperlocations in London, and had
(14:02):
guided little known of andout-of-the-way museums when some
personal collections may haveturned into some kind of huge
collecting passion.
The small places that thetourists just don't know about.
You get a deeper dive andtailored to what you're into.
Reason number 15.
You get to feel the city's vibefirsthand.
(14:23):
These folks love their town andthey tell you what makes it
special, not just facts.
You can learn about the peopleand events that make the area
special.
When I visited Brenham, Texas,there was a volunteer with the
tourism bureau, gave me awalking tour around the downtown
area, pointed out all theplaces where historic events had
(14:44):
occurred and told me about thehistory of the town and the
people that built the city.
You connect with the place.
You're not just checking offboxes.
All right, that's 15 tips forthe US travelers.
Not bad 15 tips in 15 minutes.
We're just smoking right alonghere.
It works anywhere from Maine toMontana.
But some of you are headingoverseas, and I've been there
(15:05):
too.
Visitors' bureaus exist abroad,often called tourist offices,
and they're just as useful,especially for Americans.
So here's five extra tips forwhen you're traveling outside
the US.
Number one.
First, they help with thelanguage barriers.
You're in Prague and your Czechlanguage skills are zero, which
(15:26):
mine were when I was there.
Well, the tourist office staffusually speak English and they
can help explain train ticketsand schedules and point you to
an ATM.
They can help you understandhow to get around and tell you
the best way to navigate thosetourist sites.
You get past all the confusionand you keep moving without
(15:46):
fumbling through everything.
Second, they'll clue you in onlocal customs.
They'll tell you what's polite,what's rude, so you don't stick
out like a sore thumb, becomethat ugly tourist or, worse,
offend somebody.
In certain churches and templesyou can't wear shorts, or women
must have their hair coveredwith a scarf.
There's all kinds of rules andcustoms that the average tourist
(16:09):
just may not be aware of.
For instance, in Bali and thisjust came out like a couple of
weeks ago they recently made newrules for tourists regarding
respecting the local religiousand cultural sites.
Well, the tourist offices, theycan tell you what to do and
what not to do so you don't getin trouble and get fined or,
worse, wind up in jail somewhere.
(16:31):
Number three you get reliablecurrency advice.
They've got the currency advicethat you can trust.
When I was in Uzbekistan, thebureau warned me about shady
exchange booths.
Saved me from getting rippedoff, I tell you.
They'll tell you where to swapthe dollars, where you can get
your money exchanged or if cardswork better.
You don't want to run afoul ofthe local police exchanging
(16:53):
money at an unauthorized placeor, worse, just getting ripped
off.
You keep your money safe andyou spend it smartly.
Number four they know the visaand entry rules.
You're in Prague and someonesays, well, you need a stamp to
go here.
Well, is that true or not?
When I was in the Philippines, Ifound out how to have my stay
(17:14):
extended and where to get itdone in the least amount of time
.
In fact, I went to the officethey told me to go to.
It took me an hour and a half.
Other people were saying, ohman, this is like a three-day
process.
Well, you didn't talk to theright people.
In Thailand there are thingscalled visa runs.
I did one of those too, andthey can give you companies that
(17:35):
do this visa run.
The company basically picks youup in a van at your hotel,
drives you to Cambodia, whereyou walk across the border for
15 minutes, grab a Coke to drinkmaybe, look at the trinkets
they're trying to sell.
Then you walk back over intoThailand, get a brand new visa
and they drive you back to yourhotel in the same van that took
(17:57):
you there.
So they know all of the tricksand they can point you in the
right direction.
Make sure you don't run afoulof overstaying your entry or
something like that.
Numberfive they can point you to the
emergency resources if you needthem.
You lose your passport in Rome?
Well, they'll tell you wherethe US Embassy is.
It happens People losepassports when they travel.
(18:20):
You need a doctor?
Well, they've got numbers.
Some of these places?
Well, I'll tell you.
In Manila, for example, Manilahas a hospital that mainly
caters to foreigners, soforeigners feel a little bit
more comfortable going to thisone, which has more of a Western
feel to it, than some of thelocal hospitals.
(18:41):
Not to say the local hospitalsare bad, they're just a little
different, maybe.
So they can point you to theright direction.
They can point you to thehospitals that may speak your
language.
They can help you get the helpyou need and get in touch with
your country's representativesif you need to, and you're
covered if things go sideways.
(19:02):
They've got all the resourcesthat you need to get the help
you need.
So there you go 15 reasons forUS trips and five more tips.
If you're traveling overseas,visitors bureaus are your first
stop Free, local and packed withinfo.
Check out their website beforeyou go, or call them and get
(19:25):
info before your trip,especially if you have questions
and you're traveling abroad.
Take a few minutes to stop inand have a chat with them when
you hit town, doesn't matter ifyou're in Omaha or Oslo.
They'll set you up with maps,tips, deals and you get a feel
for the place.
I've used them everywhere andthey've never let me down.
(19:45):
It beats scrolling through aphone in a parking lot somewhere
trying to find information.
And here's something you can dofor them.
If you had a good experience ata restaurant or a store or an
attraction, tell them about it.
If you visited somewhere that'snot on their website but you
had a great experience, let themknow so they can tell other
(20:05):
people.
They may want to add it totheir website and that way
everybody knows about it.
If you take photos or makeposts on social media about
places, tag them as well as thebusiness.
That way they know people werethere and enjoyed it.
On the flip side, if you foundinfo on their website that is
out of date or incorrect, letthem know that as well so they
(20:30):
can fix it.
Some of these bureaus run onlimited budgets and staff and
don't always have a full-timetech person making sure that
everything is perfect.
For instance, they might belisting a business that is
closed or some information thatis out of date.
Well, let them know.
They'll appreciate knowing itso they can get it fixed.
(20:50):
So that's it.
If you've got a story about atourism bureau you've visited,
hit me up at the Traveling Fool.
All you got to do is send mean email at editor@
thetravellingfoolcom, or go onthe Facebook page Traveling Fool
and send me a message.
I might include it in a futureepisode.
So that was quick, runningabout 22, 23 minutes there.
(21:14):
So until travels.
time, safe travels.
.
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