We all have that one touristy place in our area that we recommend as a place to visit to everyone who comes in to town but have never visited ourselves. It’s just somewhere that we always think would be interesting to go to, but we never make the time to go there ourselves. For L and I that place was the Royal Canadian Mint.
I’ve now lived in the area for 6 years and I’ve never gone to the Mint, considered by many to be an essential visit when you’re in town. L has lived here all her life and has never visited either (apparently she was sick on field trip day). With these facts in mind we decided that it was time to check this landmark off our list.
We went on a guided tour, something I would recommend because there’s not much you can see if you’re not on one of these tours. If you’re by yourself you can visit the first floor of the building, which contains the gift shop and a few feature windows showing the end of the minting process. Your experience would be lackluster if this was all you were able to see. By taking the tour you are able to see the process in its entirety and have it all explained by the guide, allowing you to properly understand the process. We called ahead to book our tour (just in case) but you can also book them from the front desk when you arrive. Overall it’s an interesting place to visit and one I would recommend checking out if you’ve never been.
And now on to the real sentiment behind this article, encouraging you all to go visit these places in your area.
As I have said, we all have places in our area that we recommend to others but have never visited ourselves. So what’s holding us back? If we are telling others to visit these places then why aren’t we going there ourselves? Many times these places are quintessential destinations, the kinds of things you see on the brochures advertising your town. They are the landmarks that define our homes, the pictures that are undeniably of your city and yet we don’t go to them. For some of us it’s because we don’t make the time, for others it almost becomes a point of pride (“I must be the only person in New York who’s never been to Central Park”). Whatever the reason, it’s time to go out and visit these places. These locations define our homes and it’s time to see them.
One thing that travel teaches you is to appreciate your home and in order to appreciate it we have to explore it. So go out and find that location that you’ve never been to. Spend a day exploring your home and enjoy the appreciation you gain for it as you learn more about it. These places are our homes and the best way to make them feel as such is to explore them.
So get out and explore,
JP
thepaetkaulife 