Ready for adventure?  Wanting to know a new city?

Take off and get lost!  Seriously.

Head out on foot with a map, your smart phone and at least enough money to take a cab back to your hotel.  Walk for a few blocks in one direction, maybe looking for a coffee shop.  Stop in.  Check it out.  Then ask a local question, like when is the local farmer's market.  Then take off for another type of shop.  Maybe a bakery.  Maybe a charity shop.  Maybe a book store.  Maybe a park.  Maybe a street performer.

Can you find these things?

Then comes the real test. Can you find your way back to your hotel?

In a matter of a couple of hours, you learned more about an area than you could ever learn on the internet.  Or from a tour guide.  Why? Because it is your personal experience.  Completely priceless.

Ever been in a nice hotel especially in Europe and they have those slots by the door where you need to insert your room card to get electricity? The idea is that you don't leave lights on and waste electricity when you aren't there.  Fair enough. Makes sense.

But what about us travelers who want to charge that extra battery or camera while we are out?

Here's my clever tip:   Any card with a magnetic strip works in the slot!  I usually keep an extra keycard or 2 with me at all times from other hotels. Sometimes they are souvenirs.  Sometimes I just forget.

But any card will work.

So the next time, stick in your random card in the slot, power up, and keep your room key with you.

​But please turn off the lights.