Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken,” describes a person standing at a fork in the road unsure which path to take. The two roads symbolize the choices people must make. In the well-known poem, the speaker chooses the road less traveled, believing it made all the difference.
Often, educators choose the familiar path when it comes to educational travel. It is so easy to choose a popular destination in the United States like New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, New York or Miami. Or, they opt to visit somewhere in Western Europe like London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona or Berlin. These are wonderful destinations, but face challenges like overcrowding and exorbitant prices. What if the teacher and the students chose the road less traveled and visited somewhere off the beaten path?!
To prepare for an off-the-beaten-path destination, the group could brainstorm and find locations that align with the educational curriculum. That might mean incorporating agriculture (Italian or Iowa farms), unique landscapes (Greenland or Craters of the Moon in Idaho), historic sites (Cuba or Selma, Alabama), rock formations (Cappadocia in Turkey or Devils Tower in Wyoming), deserts (Namibia or Death Valley in California), medieval sights (Estonia or Boldt Castle in New York), religion (Israel or Salt Lake City, Utah) or one of the many islands (Faroe Islands or Ocracoke Island, North Carolina).
Once a destination is chosen, the group can research possible experiences, transportation, guided tours, and logistics. I highly recommend that educators reach out to SYTA partners who can assist in this part of the planning process.
Why would an educator or students choose to visit a lesser-known destination? What are the benefits of traveling to off-the-beaten-path destinations? First, these destinations offer unique experiences that are not found in most tourist locations. They provide the students with opportunities to engage with locals and learn about their cultures and traditions. Another advantage is that it will not be as crowded, which can lead to more authentic travel experiences.
When visiting unique locations, the students are more likely to encounter and interact with the locals. These interactions will foster connections and shared experiences. These off-the-beaten-path destinations create distinctive learning opportunities that provide insight into different cultures, histories, and ways of life. Lastly, these destinations reduce the footprint on a location. The most popular locales are overpopulated and overused by tourists, which harms the region, so choosing to visit an underrated destination provides a positive, not a negative, footprint on the area.
I have led college groups for years. If I asked the students where they wanted to visit, they always chose the usual destinations, but if I pushed them a bit and asked them to think “outside of the box,” their eyes were opened up to unique destinations and experiences. One year, we planned to visit Chicago. My family lives in Northwest Ohio, and I gave the students a choice: (1) spend all six days in Chicago or (2) spend three days in Chicago, one day in Northeast Indiana, and two days in Northwest Ohio. The students voted for the varied itinerary. After three days of sightseeing in Chicago, we headed to Shipshewana, Indiana, home to a large Amish population. The students rode in horse & buggies, visited an Amish farm, and ate at an Amish restaurant.
Then, we went to Bryan, Ohio, where my family resides. My cousins hosted a cookout and bonfire. The students loved interacting with the locals. The next day, we toured Northwest Ohio and visited Spangler Candy Company, home of the Dum Dums, visited Sauders Village, and ate dinner at the Barn Restaurant, a Mennonite restaurant. As we headed back to Chicago, we stopped and explored Notre Dame University. When we returned to the college campus in North Carolina, I gave a survey to the students. Hands down, their favorite part of the trip was the three days visiting the off-the-beaten-path locations. In fact, many said they would have skipped Chicago altogether and spent more time having authentic experiences.
What did the college students gain from this Northwest Ohio & Northeast Indiana adventure? They explored new places, engaged with the locals, learned about the Amish and Mennonite religions, and discovered hidden gems.
On another trip, I took high school students to Germany. We visited Munich, but we also had the opportunity to visit small villages. The students loved exploring the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where they took a Nightwatchman’s tour, visited the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store, and tried schneeball pastries. We also went to a tiny Bavarian village, Lengmoos, Germany, where the population is less than one hundred citizens. There was only one small store, a tractor dealership, a family hotel, and a famous chocolate store, Confiserie Josef Obermeier. While in Lengmoos, our students did a homestay and attended the nearby school. Despite the smallness of the village, the students enjoyed interacting and staying with the families, learning about and experiencing their educational system, and visiting the small grocery store and chocolate store.
These “alternative” destinations provide opportunities to provide a positive impact not only on the region, but also on the students.
As Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Written by Julie Beck.
