No matter if you’re travelling full-time like us, or are a homebody who loves it right where you are, it can sometimes be challenging to figure out what to do when you’re bored or feel like you have nothing to do.

So we wanted to share fun things and activities that can be done by anyone almost anywhere.

No matter where you live or are temporarily located you should be able to have fun wherever you go. Most of these activities or experiences should be doable in most cities or towns around the world.

Since our journey as digital nomads began we’ve been fortunate enough to see some amazing cities. We’ve done lots of fun activities wherever we’ve been. Most of the things we do are quite simple, fun, and can be done literally anywhere.

Hopefully, our list can inspire you and give you some new ideas of things to do around your home.

Murals in Flagstaff Arizona

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links which means that if you decide to use them we get a small commission from the platform at no additional cost to you. Thank you <3

14 fun activities near me

We both come from very different cities with very different attractions and things to do.

Since we’ve met (you can read our story here) we’ve been lucky enough to share both our hometowns with each other. This has been great since that’s made us realize how much both our hometowns have to offer. That’s something we may have never realized if it wasn’t for each other.

Sometimes it’s hard finding new things to do, or anything to do for that matter, when you’ve lived somewhere “forever”. I was the same way before showing Jo my city (Red Deer, Alberta) but that really opened my eyes to it.

So that’s why we’ve created this list: To help people like us get out there and explore our own backyards. Once your eyes are open to all the fun things you can do around home you’ll never be bored again 😉

We’re grateful for where we’re from and you should be too. Now it’s time for you to go out and explore!

Dom and Jo next to the Vltava River in the Czech Republic.

Hopefully, our list will inspire you and maybe even give you ideas of other fun things to do near your home wherever you are.

I myself come from a small service city in the middle of the Alberta prairies, where Jo comes from a thriving University City of Aarhus in Denmark.

At the end of the day, they’re complete opposites but we still find many fun things to do together. It’s fun to show each other the unique things around where we come from.

Let’s get to it!

#1 Use AllTrails for hikes and trails

AllTrails is a platform and app that finds walks and hikes to do in your area. Obviously, not everyone lives in the mountains but that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t any beautiful hiking trails nearby.

We love using apps like AllTrails to help find a new pretty walk nearby.

When we were in Southern Utah, for example, AllTrails helped us find the Ramparts Trail Hike which turned out to be one of our favourite hikes – and we had no idea it existed beforehand.

I’ve used it in my own city before and found fun little trails I had never been on which is great because then I don’t feel the need to go to the mountains every weekend. Instead, I can stay local and see some of the beauty my city has to offer.

Remember to practice Leave No Trace and if you hike in one of the US National Parks, don’t forget to buy and bring your America the Beautiful Pass.

Hiking Tip: Look up the trail on AllTrails before starting your hike 🗺️. You can find important trail information such as recent wildlife sights and trail closures. Check out the free version here or get a 7-day free trial of AllTrails Pro here.

#2 Visit a local micro brewery or distillery

Troubled Monk Brewery is one of many fun activities to do near me

There’s something fun about visiting a local microbrewery or distillery. Maybe the fact that the staff always seems to be friendly or the simplicity of just sipping on a nice cold locally brewed beer with a few good friends.

Since each microbrewery is so different and unique it’s fun to explore different ones. And your local one(s) will most likely have a big connection to your hometown and surroundings. You’ll usually end up finding friendly and happy people sipping on a drink, chatting, and playing a game around a table.

If you go by yourself it’s often a great way to meet some new people and see what’s going on around your local area. We love checking out local microbreweries wherever we go and see what’s going on.

Actually, in my (Dom’s) hometown, Red Deer, Alberta, we have a microbrewery called the Troubled Monk and every time I go, I have an awesome time. It’s fun supporting local companies and seeing the positive impact they can have on a community.

If you’re located in the US, you can use CraftBeer.com to find a microbrewery near you!

When we lived in Prague we checked out PočernickÝ Brewery which was a super fun experience. It was a little local brewery one of my English students recommended. Don’t worry I was teaching adults! 😉

Local Czech brewery in Prague.

#3 Visit a local market

A local farmer's market in Prague at the Trhy Jiřího z Poděbrad

Local markets are an awesome way to see what’s happening in your city and to be surrounded by locals.

Farmer’s markets especially – just strolling around and checking out locally grown produce and homemade products is so much fun.

We also love supporting small business owners, entrepreneurs, and farmers around the world.

From local fruit and vegetables to handmade jewellery and eco-friendly products you’ll almost always be able to find a great variety of things at markets.

No matter where we are, we always love going to local markets. Most cities we’ve travelled to seem to have their own great markets, and recently we’ve come to realize that both our hometowns have great weekday and weekend markets!

Even if you’re not planning on spending a lot of money, it’s still nice to buy a little something to support the local community.

#4 Play pickle-ball

Pickleball is actually one of the fastest-growing sports in the US and is actually extremely fun!

Don’t let the name deceive you into not trying it out. It’s basically a simple version of tennis where the ball moves a lot slower and easier to play for the average person.

It can be played in singles but it’s more popular in doubles so it’s also a fun way to get together with a few friends.

More and more cities across the US and Canada are starting to incorporate pickleball courts into their parks and around the cities.

It’s an awesome way to get out and be active while having fun with a few friends. The best part is that pickleball is for literally all ages. It’s so much easier than tennis that little kids and grandparents can easily pick it up.

#5 Ride a bicycle

mountain-biking-adventure-oregon-red-white-adventures

Just like you can use AllTrails for finding new paths and hikes, you can also use it for bike trails – bringing you to places you’ve never been to before.

There’s nothing better than getting outside and breathing in some nice fresh air and riding a bike can be really fun. We especially love mountain biking.

We went on a really fun mountain biking tour in Oregon and absolutely loved it and now try and get out whenever we can.

If you’re commuting to work, you probably end up driving on the same road every day, see the same billboards, same shops. Gets old quick right? And it gets a little uninspiring.

But if you hop on a bike and take some different paths or streets then you may just stumble on places you had no idea even existed.

Jo and I love doing this when we visit new cities! You end up finding some of the coolest shops and neat places you would have never known existed. Just this week, we walked along this random road for no apparent reason and found the cutest cafe.

#6 Join a group

If you’re feeling bored or not sure what to do with your free time, then join a community group. It’s one of the best and easiest ways to find like-minded individuals in your community that share the same interests as you.

Obviously, depending on the size of your city it may be a bit challenging but if you have multiple interests this should be no biggie.

Nowadays you can search on Facebook for literally anything. Go down the rabbit hole and see what kind of groups you find in your area.

It’s a lot more fun doing something with like-minded people who enjoy the same thing as you. Soon you’ll be busy enjoying life with good people!

#7 Go buy from a local shop

Missoula-budget-travel

Being raised by parents who owned a local small business I know how much it means when people support small business owners. That money is so well spent compared to spending it at big corporations.

People who supported my parents’ shop helped pay for my school trips, let me play soccer, and go on holidays in the summer to visit my family in the Czech Republic.

Usually, it’s those small businesses that keep the charm alive in a city no matter if it’s an ice cream or pizza shop, a little art gallery, or a spa.

You’ll find those small business people are some of the most passionate and caring people out there. And you’ll end up meeting fantastic people and learning a thing or two about the people in your community!

Supporting small businesses is a great way to get more involved and support the locals.

#8 Read a book while sipping coffee

If there’s one place that will give you a breath of fresh air it’s a coffee shop!

There’s something special about finding and exploring new coffee shops. They have a special air to them (it’s probably the smell of coffee, lol) where your imagination can roam free and where ideas can come to life.

Coffee shop in Budapest

Whenever we need some inspiration or just need to get some work done we go to our favourite coffee shop to ignite the flame. I’m not sure if it’s the coffee, the atmosphere, or just being in a different environment but coffee shops do wonders.

We actually have a post about all the best coffee shops in Prague. We spend a lot of time blogging, reading, and hanging out in them since goof coffee shops just give out this awesome vibe of creativity and joy.

Next time you want to meet up with an old friend or just want to try something new go for a stroll and try and find a new coffee place.

Who knows, it may even turn into your next hangout spot or somewhere you just go to find a boost? Literally and metaphorically haha! =)

And if you go by yourself, why not bring your favourite book or that one book you’ve been wanting to read for a while? We know we have a ton on our “to-read list”.

Below you can find just a few of the many many books we want to read!

Self-help & entrepreneurial books

Atomic Habits by James Clear.

This book has been on our list for SO long. It’s an awards nominee and Goodreach choice but this book is so much more. Everyone we’ve talked to who has read this book says it is a game-changer. They finished it in a few days and they constantly go back to it.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson.

You have likely heard about this book before! It became extremely popular a few years ago and has since sold over 6 million copies. It is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and that is probably enough said!

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero.

This book is one for the ladies! Any female (and male if you willl) entrepreneur should read this book. It is THE self help book for the people who are passionate about changing their lives for the better. It is refreshing and entertaining, and we love it!

Novels & fiction books

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling.

What would a book bucket list be without a J.K. Rowling book? Honestly! If you haven’t read this book before you’re in for a serious treat. The reviews speak for themselves!

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

This book may or may not make you cry. Matt Haig covers the difficult subject of suicide in a sensitive way. We can highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be better at appreciating the little things in life.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry.

People We Meet on Vacation is a quick, easy, and fun read in a “When Harry Met Sally” kind of way. A good read if you’re looking for something lighthearted.

#9 Visit a historic building

Beautiful Hluboka Castle in Czech Republic.

There are historic buildings all around the world. Some are of course older than others but all are very important in some way.

History shaped the world into what it is today and there’s no better way than going straight to the source.

Whether it’s a castle, museum, manor, or any other historic building then this is one of the best places to learn about the history of a specific location.

You might not find all of it interesting but if you’re willing to learn about the past of where you are it can be very interesting.

#10 Find an indoor or outdoor pool

I remember when I was young and how fun it was to go hang out at the local outdoor pool. We have to bring back hanging out and relaxing at a pool because those days were so much fun!

Yeah, pools can get crazy at times but there’s nothing like going for a refreshing swim in the summer. It’s also a great form of exercise and great for the body.

Sometimes swimming pools even have steam rooms and saunas which are really nice in the winter months if you live somewhere that get chilly in the winter.

Pools are definitely one of the underrated things to do wherever you live.

#11 Go floating down the river

This one is obviously a bit harder to do if there’s no river in your city or town. But there’s probably a good chance that somewhere nearby there’s some running water!

Floating down the river was always something we did with friends growing up and was always a blast.

You’ll most likely need two cars for this. One at the starting point and one at the end to be able to get back to the start once you float down the river.

This is more of a group/summer activity but when done right it can be an absolute blast of a time! Especially on a warm summer day.

We went River Rafting in Cesky Krumlov (a beautiful fairytale town in the Czech Republic) for example, and it was so much fun!

#12 Visit the local animal shelter

This is an activity near me that can be done in most places. If you love animals and have some free time you can always drop by the local animal shelter and ask if you can donate your time for a few hours.

Lots of the time the staff will be more than grateful if you can take a dog or two for a walk or maybe give some of the animals some loving.

I don’t know about you but it always feels good to go and spend some time with animals.

#13 Buy some plants and start your own garden

One thing we’re starting to see more and more is people growing their own plants. If it’s in the house or in the garden people are starting to become plant parents at crazy rates! lol

We never thought about it before but you don’t need that much room to grow some plants and if you want your home or backyard to become a bit greener this can be a fun hobby to get into and you can do this almost anywhere!

#14 Go on a guided walking tour

Even if you’re in your hometown, you can be surprised by how many things you don’t know about it.

Going on a guided walking tour can be a super fun way to explore the local area and learn about the history of the city you’re in.

There are a ton of different types of walking tours you can do, so if a standard tour doesn’t sound appealing to you, you can get a little creative!

A few years ago, we went on a guided homeless walking tour in Jo’s hometown, Aarhus, which was really interesting!

If you search on Viator and Tripadvisor we’re sure you can find a fun guided walking tour.

You may also like…

Summary of things to do near me

We hope we inspired you to explore your city a little more and to do things to do around where you live. As you may know, Jo and I travel quite a bit, but we still love showing each other the cities we grew up in.

No matter where you live you’ll find fun and exciting things to do. Sometimes you may just have to look a bit harder or think a little more outside the box.

Everywhere in the world is beautiful and now it’s up to you to go find that beauty in your own backyard.

We look forward to hearing about all the new beautiful places you find close to home. Let us know which of these 14 activities near me you end up doing!

Love it? Share it!

Posted in

You may also like...

2 Comments

  1. Pauline Chicart on April 19, 2020 at 4:14 am

    Such a great post with amazing ideas! I love using AllTrails to choose hikes, it’s so helpful. I’ve also been wanting a bike so bad lately, especially with what is going on! It’s so much faster to get to places and nicer than taking the bus when it’s sunny!

    • redwhiteadventures on April 20, 2020 at 8:00 pm

      Hey Pauline,

      Yes we use Alltrails all the time to get inspiration. Totally, and living in Vancouver you could see so much taking your bike around!

      -Dom

Leave a Comment