Essay 2

When traveling to a new location, a tourist typically visits sites they have either researched, someone has recommended, or where others have gathered significant, notable data about the area. Many of these sites are worthy destinations, but breaking free from the typical path often leads one to exciting, new and sometimes unusual observations.

Traveling rule-breakers known as “anti-tourists” seek out places of nothingness where nobody’s watching (Kalder). In these overlooked locations, oftentimes things are observed which are unique and interesting; yet
the mainstream population may not even be aware they exist. The ordinary tourist will not likely encounter these uncommon places as they trod down their pre-planned, well-worn paths. At the destinations of an “anti-tourist”, there are no gift shops with photo postcards to send home. They are not the areas seen by countless people the same way each time they visit. Analogically, they are not the well-groomed trails through the woods, carefully followed by map as they wind through the sun-drenched pines. The “anti-tourist” deviates and heads toward the undergrowth, slops through the mud and lifts the dead tree branch to see what might be lying underneath. You never know what treasure may be hidden from sight. By rejecting the common path and plotting a course less traveled, they gain a fresh perspective, encounter communities and other things that are often overlooked and ultimately have new stories to tell (Kalder).

Kalder, Daniel. Interview. To the Best of Our Knowledge. WPR, Madison. 17 Aug. 2011.