This Post Started as a HubPages Question

What do you seek when you visit other countries?

Baudelaire wrote of escaping "anywhere out of this world" and Proust pondered our longing to get out of our own lives, frustrated by discovery that they follow us wherever we go like our shadows. Enlightenment travelers are less concerned with the experience there are having than with understanding the places and people they visit, but it takes time and patience and modern tourists are short of both.

Asked by Beata Stasak.

I Like to Travel for Culture and History

I like to find the atmosphere of the place. I'm not a social butterfly, but I push myself a bit and talk to people when I travel. I ask about things that interest me. Sometimes I find out about a great place to visit while I'm there. Sometimes they tell me about a local group I could join in with. Often I get a new perspective on my old, taken for granted ideas.

I like finding culture and history. I will go to things like local museums and flea markets and those farmer's markets where they really do still have produce as well as crafts and such for sale.

One thing I always do it get out very, very early so I can be out people watching as the town/ city wakes up for the working day. I like to see the place start fresh and come alive around me.

There is something special about getting away. First you have that flash of horror at being adrift in a new place. But, once you get over that the adventure starts. It's only when you travel that you can really be free, reinvent yourself, try something new and waste a day doing nothing, guilt free.

How to Enjoy the Trip

Remember you're a tourist and take the day (or week, however long you are away) off.

Write about your adventures. Draw, doodle and illustrate if you can. Add postcards if you can't draw anything at all. Save ticket stubs and other bits of things which you can add to your travel journal.

Have one planned destination each day. Maybe a tourist spot, maybe a restaurant that sounded too good to pass up, or a place you planned to see long before you left home even. Don't plan every step of your day. Give yourself room for unplanned adventures, changing your mind and wandering.

Talk to people. Even if you don't usually talk to anyone, put forth a little effort and talk to a couple of people each day. A real conversation. See if you can get past the regular small talk about the weather.

Take photos, lots of photographs. We are past the days when you had to pay for photofinishing and film. Now, the digital camera sets you free to make a fool of yourself being a tourist with a loaded camera. Go all out and put your thumb in a few pictures too, it's traditional.

Take the time to send postcards while you are still away from home. Write them with a new pen while you enjoy coffee, tea or something else in a lovely location with a great view.

The hotel, motel, bed & breakfast, or hostel you are staying at is a good (easy to find) source for great places to see, what to eat and things to do.

Do some of the things you like to do when you're home. I like browsing at bookstores. It's a great way to spend an afternoon when I'm in another town, another city, province (state), or country. I look for second hand bookstores too, not just retail.

Do something you don't make time for when you are home and busy or just don't have the energy. It might be something like getting a pedicure for the first time ever. You might get tickets and go to a live theatre performance, evening or matinee. Be open to new experiences.

I like the history of the old cemeteries. That's why I take my camera and respectfully enter old cemeteries in the city or nearly forgotten cemeteries in rural areas where the church itself might be just a rural ruin now.

It's a shame to see graves which have been moved. It still seems disrespectful, even all these years later. I like to photograph the old headstones and admire the engraving/ carving/ sculpture.

People like to explore cemeteries and graveyards for assorted reasons. Some are urban explorers, some are genealogists researching family histories and some want to discover more about local history.

Myself, I'm an urban explorer in rural Ontario. I often see small cemeteries or just a few plots leftover on a farm. It would be nice to have them remembered, those people who became our history.

How and What to Photograph in a Cemetery

Each headstone that you photograph should be done from a few different angles, try to get the shadows as highlights on the letters and engraving/ sculpture. A stone which you can read at the time will be harder to read in the photograph when you are back home. Give yourself every chance at getting a good, clear photo. Take more than one photo from up close and farther back.

Morning light is often the best light for cemetery photos. In older cemeteries it was traditional to bury people facing east. There are always exceptions to this rule. If you can return to the location a few times, experiment and find the best time of day and the best weather (cloudy, sunny, rainy) to work for the stone you want to photograph.

Bring aluminum foil (or a large sheet of white bristol board/ paper) to add illumination to the stones. Set it at the foot/ base and move it around to catch and reflect the light onto the headstone. White bristol board will give a glow to the stone rather than a shiny reflection.

Bring water in a spray bottle. Wet the stone and let it dry a little. Water will remain in the crevices but dry from the flat areas. This will add some texture and make the stone easier to read in your photograph. Take photos before you wet the stone so it can be seen as it is (unless you really only want to read it).

When taking a photo of an individual stone - fill the screen with it as much as possible. Turn the camera so you are taking a tall rectangle rather than the squat square standard photo. (If you've never done this before you should read more about basic photography). Tilt the camera for the stones which have settled on an angle, few of the old headstones are perfectly in place.

Some headstones will be flat on the ground. Avoid getting your shadow caught in the photograph. Take the photo from an angle, try moving to the side or take the photo standing at the top of the stone instead of the base. Whatever works to keep your view of the stone clear from your own shadow.

Bring a gentle brush to remove dirt from the stone. Don't do anything that will harm the stone. Avoid chemicals and cleaners which will cause the stone to become more porous (shaving cream has been used to clean the stones but it also weakens them which causes them to deteriorate sooner).

Carefully pull weeds from around the stone. A stone already on the ground could be fragile and crumbly where the weeds have been making inroads. It's great to see more of the stone and give it a break from the crowding weeds but it would be a shame to have a chunk of it fall apart once the weeds are no longer supporting it/ keeping it in place.

Haunted Victoria Canada Graveyards: Ghosts at Old Burying Ground, Ross Bay Cemetery, Pioneer Square

Provincial Resources

• Western Canada Cemetery Association
• StonePics: Newfoundland Cemeteries

For Canadian Cemetery Explorers

• CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project (Canadian Cemetery Directory)
• Flickr: Cemeteries of Ontario (COO)
• Flickr: Canadian Cemeteries

Other Resources

• Pinterest - Cemeteries fascinate me.
• Cemetery Photography | Photography.ca
• Juliet's Lace.: My guide to graveyard photography.
• Achingly Beautiful Cemetery Sculptures (20 photos) - My Modern Metropolis
• The Stories Behind The Stones; Cemetery Photography | Fuel Your Photography
• The Association for Gravestone Studies
• Genealogy.com: Tips for Photographing Gravestones
• Recording Cemeteries with Digital Photography | Interment.net
• How to Photograph a Cemetery
• 11 Tips for Taking Pictures in a Cemetery | StoneAngels
• The Hobby of Graving
• 40 Hauntingly Beautiful Photographs of Graves Taken In Graveyards and Cemeteries

A day trip is simple, just the one day away. You don't need to put in a lot of serious planning, you don't need heavy duty packing. If you leave something undone at home - you will be back later the same day to finish it up. Just make sure you leave your home safe - turn things off and lock it up!

A day trip can be something you decide to do just because you want a change of scenery, feel frustrated or need to recharge your creative energies.

I really enjoy a day trip. Day trips can be impulsive or planned in advance. Either way, you don't need to bring a lot with you or plan your life around the one day you're taking off.

Where to Go on a Day Trip

• Visit friends or family who live in another city or town.
• Pick a restaurant you wanted to try.
• Take the bus or train and go into the city for the museum, art gallery, etc.
• Take the bus or drive out into the country, be rural for the day.
• Travel around and try farmer's markets on a weekend day.
• Look for local events like seasonal fairs and festivals.
• Pick a town you heard something interesting about and go there.
• Go to the beach. In winter it's cold but still nice to hear the waves.
• Look into short excursions like ferry boat tours and ghost/ haunted walks.
• Pamper yourself by going to a spa or enjoying some other luxury.

Check the Weather

Check the weather expected at your planned destination and along the route you plan to take there and back. You can expect seasonal weather but you might want to see if you're heading into a humid or rainy day or a day where the winter is going to dump a few inches of snow. This is also good to know for the driving conditions, if you are driving rather than taking a bus, train or plane.

Pack for the Activities Planned

If you know what you will be doing, make a list of everything you will need. Do this ahead of time so you can add items to the list as you think of them. Trying to think of everything last minute can leave you with something important forgotten at home. You really don't want to be the one person who forgot to pack a swimsuit for the beach.

If you are going to be active (swimming, hiking, etc.) you might want to pack your own shampoo, even though you only plan to be away for the day. Chances are you will find some where to have a quick shower to freshen up before heading home again.

Think of the little things which you may not need but could really wish you had packed, if you had planned ahead. If you don't end up using everything, then just bring it home.

Light Travel Links

• Well Designed Travel: How to Pack Lightly | Apartment Therapy

• One Bag - The Art and Science of Travelling Light

• How to Prepare Your Day Pack | Festival Survival Guide

What to Pack

Don't use a huge suitcase or massive luggage for a day trip. You're just going to be stuck carrying around a huge bag when you could be carrying everything much more easily and with less weight to haul around. Your actual bag to be packed should be light weight, as with any luggage.

• Any tickets, documentation, government or insurance papers you need.
• Any medicines and toiletries (shampoo, hairbrush, toothbrush, etc.) you need. Pack these as if you were planning the trip for an overnight stay, just in case plans change. Stash a light nightgown and a change of underwear too.
• ID, money, wallet, credit or debit cards. Keep some cash handy too. One of the best things is stopping for farm fresh produce at the roadside stands.
• A good book, possibly pens and paper too to keep yourself amused should you end up waiting for someone or something. (I'm into bookpacking myself.)
• Your electronics of choice: camera, mobile phone, tablet, mini laptop, etc. Pack the chargers too if you haven't already charged the electronics at home.
• Maps! If you are driving look for maps showing the back roads. Get driving directions if you need them.
• Something to drink should you be in for a long drive. Stop for coffee if you want to but keep something with you in case you don't find a good coffee place.
• If you are going anywhere fancy pack an extra set of clothes to wear so you aren't wearing the same travel clothes.
• Consider items for first aid or wardrobe malfunctions.
• Consider a sturdy pair of boots if you are the type to stop for interesting detours along the way.
• Pack sunglasses for warm travel and warm socks for cold travel.

Of course, you won't need all of this for a day trip. Skip whatever you don't want to pack or carry around. If you can't fit more into your light backpack or travel bag then re-plan how much you are taking and leave some of it behind. The theme of the day is to keep it light. As long as you have the basic ingredients you can usually grab anything else you need along the way. Day trips, after all, are not that far from home.

The Adventure of the Little Sad and Blue House

One of the old, abandoned rural places which I explored over the summer. The location is, Ontario.

I don't like to give away too much about the location because not everyone likes to just have the adventure of looking at an old place. Some people will still do harm, take things, or leave garbage around the site. Worst of all are those who cause damage because these places are owned by someone and they will only be left forgotten as long as they remain care-free and ignored.

Once an abandoned property becomes a problem, gets too many visitors, starts to become wrecked, the property owner will have to do something about it, like demolition. Demolition is the final end for ruined, old places. Once they are demolished there is no adventure left for anyone and, the history of the old place is just a memory.

I like to see old houses before they are gone. I like the history and the idea of documenting and preserving the history, and workmanship/ architecture of those old houses. Mainly, rural farm houses around Ontario.

There is also something sort of romantic and mysterious, alluring about an old house.

I did not go inside.

This is something many people ask and expect. But, going inside does not feel right to me. It's a personal choice. I think there is a thin line between exploring and trespassing. Going inside, just seems to cross the line for me.

Not that I have never gone inside an abandoned house. I'm careful about it. Mainly because it is dangerous. Floors are not so steady after years of weathering. Often the houses I like to photograph the most are those which are the most ruined. So, not very safe to explore them from the inside.

Picture a sunny day, maybe it's Autumn when things have cooled off from summer, leaves are changing colour on the trees and (if you're Canadian) you have been making plans for family coming over and Thanksgiving dinner. It's nice to have a quiet day to yourself amid all the planning, people visiting, phone ringing... why not take make a quick, simple picnic and spread a blanket in the cemetery to eat lunch and read a book?

Cemeteries and graveyards are only as creepy as you make them. In fact, they are well landscaped with history and greenery. They are quiet places - great for bird watching, writing, solitude and picnics. Stop by for a visit, even if you don't have relatives there.

Cemnic - Picnic in a cemetery. Usually thought of as a large, well landscaped place but it could also be a family graveyard in a rural area, anywhere really.

A Few Links

• A Halloween Picnic: In a Graveyard! | Halloween Alliance

• Full Life, Good Death: Cemeteries and Picnics

• Road Trip: Picnic and a Movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

How to Have a Cemetery Picnic

Pick a Location

Most cemeteries are considered public property so you should have no problem with access - this means you are not trespassing. However, cemeteries may have scheduled hours. The gates may be closed due to the lateness of the day or they may be closed one day a week for maintenance and groundskeeping.

In the cemetery itself, find a place where you can be peaceful, away from traffic and foot traffic. Pick a picture perfect spot, where the grass isn't dry and prickly and the trees aren't dropping twigs or insects upon you.

Bring a Few Things

Bring a blanket to sit on, especially if the ground is damp or freshly mowed. Bring an extra blanket to curl up in if you get chilly. The cemetery tends to have a lot of open area so it can be breezy. Dress for the weather. Bring an umbrella if you might get rained on.

Of course, you need the picnic itself. If you have a whole picnic basket with plates, glasses and cutlery, great. If not, pack all the supplies you will need, don't forget napkins.

Sandwiches are traditional picnic fare but you could pack up anything you like as long as it's won't slop outside of the containers you pack it into. Try to avoid anything which will leave a lot of crumbs. Birds and other critters may eat the crumbs but the groundskeeper may not want to encourage all the various wildlife to come around.

Drinks in bottles which you can re-cap are a good plan. Insects will be attracted to sweet drinks but you can keep them from bothering you if you keep everything sweet contained.

You can get a quick picnic by going to the counter where they have sandwiches and salads at the grocery store, or a bakery, etc. Grab a container of cottage cheese or any other extras you like. If you didn't already pack knives, forks, spoons and napkins you can pick them up there too.

Bring a bag for trash. Usually you can find trash bins at the cemetery, if not, take it with you and find another place to dispose of the trash.

Respect the dead and the sensibilities of anyone who may also drop by to visit.

Don't leave behind trash. Don't drink too much. If you smoke (you probably shouldn't) but don't leave cigarette butts anywhere. Anything and everything you bring with you should also leave with you. The only exception being something you brought for relatives/ ancestors buried there. My brother and I will leave my Grandparents a Tim Horton's coffee when we visit them.

You might bring a laptop to work in the quiet. You might bring a radio to listen to some music. Watch the sound level, you want to keep it respectful. If you bring animals keep them leashed and clean up after them, pick up the poo and don't let them pee on any gravestones.

Don't take or disturb the flowers and decorations left by other families. Some people may have left money even. Resist temptation.

If you're visiting with family and making an occasion of it, bring a camera and take photographs.

If you're visiting family graves take some time to think about them. Talk about them if you're with family - talk to them if you're alone.

As you sit there, or while you walk around, take note of names on the stones. This is your local history. The families who lived in your town, built houses and businesses and had families are all right there. You could find out more about some of those old family names if you have an interest in local history.

Day of the Dead

Likely you have heard about the Mexican Day of the Dead, November 1st and 2nd. Family and friends gather to pray for and remember those who have passed on. In Mexico it is a national holiday.

Private altars are built, honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds. Favourite food and drink of the departed are prepared and brought for visiting the graves with these gifts. Possessions of the dead are also brought and left for them.

Tomb Sweeping Day

The Qing Ming Festival (more commonly known as Tomb Sweeping Day) is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrating the arrival of Spring and remembering ancestors. Families visit grave sites the month following the Lunar New Year and days before the Spring Equinox.

The burning of incense and paper after the grave has been swept and maintained. Family members bow in front of the tombstone with incense in their hands and placing the incense upright in the ground. This is how they pay their respects to the dead.

Specialty shops sell paper versions of material possessions. One can buy paper houses, paper servants, even paper cell phones. It is believed material objects like these will still be needed in the afterlife so these paper versions are brought by the families.

After the paper offerings are burned, the food is divided up between family members. It's traditional to bring a whole roast pig to be offered at the tombs. Other food brought includes whole steamed chicken, white/yellow sugar cakes, oranges and other fruits. Rice wine is poured on the ground for the dead.

This picnic at the cemetery is a happy occasion of remembrance.