Independent Travel Shownotes
Dayton, Ohio
In this episode: Volunteer travel is the FAQ, the destination is
Dayton, Ohio, and the mistake is booking airfare too late. The travel tip is to
watch out for street food.
FAQ: How can I volunteer in my travel? I’ve heard of voluntourism and I
want to know more about that.
First, that’s great to think about as you determine your plans for
independent travel and the first places to visit are volunteermatch.com and
govountoriing.com to see what opportunities are out there. You may find a mission
in Vietnam, Cambodia or Haiti. Or you may find work in San Francisco or New
Orleans. If you want to go somewhere not too far from home, but still have a foreign experience, why not visit Mexico?
There are programs with GlobeAware, Roadmonkey
and I-to-I
Volunteering. You could also volunteer locally. Two that I know about personally
are Habitat for Humanity and Door of Faith Orphanage. Keep your eyes open
for opportunities and let me know if you select one and how it went.
Today’s Independent Destination Dayton, Ohio
In the southwest corner of Ohio sits a city with a population of 140,000 that
is worth your visit if you’re nearby.
The famous inventors, the Wright Brothers had their famous bike shop in
Dayton, and I’ve been to the Woodland Cemetery where they are buried, with
their sister. Visit the Birthplace
of Aviation.
The National Museum of the
US Airforce is a much larger experience than I expected. It’s easy to find,
visit and even spend a full day looking at aviation from the perspective of our
military. Many famous planes are located here. Admission and parking are free.
Carillon Historical Park has more than just bells. It’s a 65-acre open
history museum, open every day of the year, and has a lot to explore. Dozens of
museum buildings and countless artifacts will inspire all ages. I found a lot to
do for an afternoon, including a lot of hands on exhibits, a tasty restaurant
and learned so much about the floods of 1913 and how Dayton came to be since
this disaster.
The Oregon District, known most recently for a terror incident, but for
decades was known for a fun place to eat and drink in the community. It’s a 12-block
district that combines commercial and residential living, including lots of
great pubs and restaurants.
Dayton Strong- That’s where the community gathers their support for each
other.
University of Dayton- my alma mater,
my favorite college basketball team the Flyers
are ranked #6 this year in the Men’s NCAA poll. And the women are also performing
great as well. The school is known for a solid Christian faith higher education
and known to be one of the “happiest colleges” in the USA. Students excel in
areas like Engineering, Education and Communications, which is my degree. I was
also featured there on the commercial radio station in the 1970s.
Outdoor in Dayton: Places to go….Riverwalk, Xenia, are some of my favorites
in the area. My favorite restaurant is Milano’s. For the best subs.
Today’s Mistake- Booking airfare after the price rises
I booked some airfare too late when the prices went sky high. For
example, just the couple of weeks between planning and booking a trip can cost
you hundreds of dollars. It did for a recent trip to Hawaii for me and my son.
Between when we planned and booked this trip, the airfare cost increased
another $250.
I’m booking trips for the year now and getting updates on the best time
to purchase the trips. Skyscanner,
based in the UK, is giving me frequent updates on my travel planning. Sometimes
they indicate the price has dropped, and other times, it’s higher. I’ve heard
that 70 days in advance is the best time to book international travel, and 2-3
weeks for domestic travel, but that is not always true. What do you believe to
be the best strategy? They say that Tuesdays at 3pm is the best time to book.
Do you agree?
Today’s Travel Advice
Be careful eating street food. If you have a solid stomach, you may be
ready for this, but if not, take heed. Food trucks are cheaper, but you don’t
want to ruin your trip if you eat something that was not prepared properly. So,
take caution.
Comments