travel escape meaning

Escapism Psychology: Is it healthy to travel to escape?

Dr Charlotte Russell, Clinical Psychologist & Founder

We’ve all seen Instagram captions like “I’m going to build a life that I don’t want to escape from” and to be honest these always make me feel a little sceptical. I would bet that for most of us, even if our home lives were just how we wanted, we would still want to travel. Not to escape perhaps, but to enjoy all of those other psychological benefits of travel like enhancing our creativity, curiosity, giving us distance from life’s challenges, and providing space for restoration.

In this article I’m going to talk you through what it means to escape and help you to understand the difference between escaping in helpful and unhelpful ways.

What is escapism?

Escapism in psychology is any behaviour that we use to avoid difficult feelings and emotions. These feelings are part and parcel of being human and so we all have to learn ways of dealing with feelings like disappointment, guilt, loss, and sadness. Common forms of escapism are using alcohol, drugs, gambling, eating high calorie foods, video gaming, doomscrolling, and a range of other behaviours that provide a focus which absorbs us and helps us avoid our feelings temporarily.

The excessive or persistent use of any of these strategies is where we begin to run into problems. In isolation none of the above behaviours are maladaptive in themselves. However when we begin to use them in excess, usually because we don’t have other strategies, this becomes problematic. Even behaviours which would usually be seen as healthy and adaptive, such as exercise or working a project you enjoy can become maladaptive if used persistently and excessively as a way of escaping.

In short, using escapism as a strategy is unhealthy when it is excessive and when used persistently as our only coping strategy.

What are healthy ways of coping?

The research tells us that proactive coping strategies are associated with increased well-being (Carr, 2022., Greengrass and Fiksenbaum, 2009). Being proactive means taking steps to manage or change the problem we’re facing, or how we feel. In contrast, the persistent use of avoidant forms of coping, including escapism, is often present in mental health conditions including anxiety disorders and depression.

Problem focused coping describes a range of proactive coping strategies. These include accepting responsibility for problems and taking realistic steps to solve or manage them. It also involves maintaining an optimistic view of our own ability to cope. In most situations these kinds of strategies are helpful both for our own coping and to achieve positive outcomes (Carr, 2022).

Emotion focused strategies are ways of managing how we feel about situations. These are also proactive and often help when we are facing situations and stresses that we don’t have much control over. They include making and maintaining social connections, reframing our problems and finding meaning. Coping strategies like meditation techniques and physical activities like sports or yoga would also be considered emotion focused (Carr, 2022). These are strategies that psychologists and therapists often recommend because they are very effective and helpful!

We have all had days when we have been feeling very overwhelmed and have needed to use escapism as a way to manage how we are feeling. This might involve binge watching Netflix or scrolling more than we intended to. Doing this occasionally is not going to have a negative impact as long as you are using proactive strategies, and ensuring that escapism is not becoming a regular habit.

Is travelling to escape always a bad thing?

Not always. Sometimes life gets a bit much and we need some space from our difficulties to process our emotions and events that have happened. We also need time for rest and restoration, and often when we return from our travels we do so with a renewed sense of perspective. This can help us to know which actions to take in our situation. I wrote more about this in my previous article travel and our appetite for life

The key thing here is that we have additional strategies and we don’t use escapism as our only way of coping. We also take action when we need to, particularly if we have been unhappy with our situation for some time and it is unlikely to change. We also talk to our friends or family and have healthy emotion focused coping strategies that work for us.

So how do I know if I’m travelling to escape in a helpful or unhelpful way?

There are some indicators that can help you to make this distinction:

Indicators of using travel to escape in an unhelpful way

• If you tend to book trips when you are overwhelmed
• If you are someone who tends to avoid dealing with problems and emotions
• Finding that you don’t reach any new insights or perspectives on your situation when you return from your trip
• Behaviours on your travels that might suggest that you are trying to disconnect from your feelings or your situation. These might include drinking alcohol to excess, behaving in ways which are out of character or not in line with your values, making unwise decisions and excessive spending beyond your budget.
• Feelings of dread when coming home at the end of your trip
• You are in a cycle where you feel stuck in your situation and you use travel to cope and are not proactive in changing your situation in other ways
• No amount of travel ever feels ‘enough’

Indicators of using travel to escape in a healthy way

• You use travel as a way to temporarily gain some distance from stresses and problems, and feel more able to deal with these when you return home
• You tend to be proactive in dealing with problems in your everyday life
• You have emotion focused coping strategies including good social support, regular exercise and/or relaxation or meditation techniques
• There is a sense of connection when you travel; you are able to feel connected to your surroundings and your feelings
• You feel satisfied after a trip and you do not dread coming home
• Travel helps with your well-being but it is not your only way of coping; it is one tool in your toolbox
• You use travel experiences to fuel your curiosity and for restoration, rather than to distract or avoid
• You feel comfortable having chilled time on holiday rather than needing to fill every moment

In summary, travelling to escape can be unhelpful when it is our only coping strategy and when used persistently and/or in excess. In contrast, if we have a range of coping strategies and occasionally use travel to temporarily escape the stresses of life, this is likely to be helpful. Travelling in this way can help us gain the distance and perspective we need to manage and cope with life’s day to day challenges.

If you liked this article check out our previous post What are the psychological benefits of travel?

Carr, A. (2022).  Positive psychology: The science of wellbeing and human strengths (3 rd Ed) . Routledge.

Greenglass, E. R., & Fiksenbaum, L. (2009). Proactive coping, positive affect, and well-being: Testing for mediation using path analysis.  European psychologist ,  14 (1), 29-39.

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Are You Using Travel to Escape From Your Own Life?

By: Author Taylor Lorenz

Posted on Last updated: 11/04/2021

If you had asked me in early 2019 if I was using travel to escape from my own life, I would have laughed in your face and told you no. The fact that anyone could even think that travel was used solely to escape was to me, at that time, completely wrong.

Travel, I believed, is what you grew from. Travelling is was taught you so much about the world, it allowed you to meet new people, mingle in cultures you would never get the chance to at home. Travel was all the things the cliche quotes wrote about.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. ” – Saint Augustine

“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert

“Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

I could go on, but you get the gist. You’ve seen all the quotes, plastered on coffee mugs, on doormats, as posters and so on.

Travel is painted as this extraordinary event that will change you, which I do believe it can help do, but I also believe that a lot of people are using travel for the wrong reason and that is to escape.

I’m not here to say that everyone uses travel as a form of escapism, but I strongly believe the majority of people do. Even I, a full-time travel blogger, was using travel to escape.

I ran away from so much, I used travel as my identity and I used it as an excuse to not get to know myself, to not settle down, to not deal with real-life issues.

It wasn’t until I had my spiritual awakening, hired a coach and dived into personal development that I realized I was using travel to escape from my own life, a life I was creating. It wasn’t until I was deeply unhappy, despite having it all , that I realized I was running away.

Truthfully, all of 2019 I felt like a complete fraud for sharing my beautiful travel pictures when really I was waking up in beautiful Italian cities to only want to go back to sleep so I could pass the day quicker.

I felt guilty for sharing beautiful pictures of Morocco, glamorizing the country when really it’s my least favourite in the world.

I felt like I had to continue snapping pictures in Granada because that’s what people knew me for, even though I struggled with loneliness every single day.

I was burnt out, unfulfilled, struggling with an identity crisis and couldn’t tell you what was wrong other than I had it all (mostly) but was somehow deeply unhappy.

I got really good at smiling on cue, looking as if I was having the time of my life in every Instagram picture you see and could pull myself together enough to nail 10 second Instagram story clips to detail my days visiting palaces, exploring deserts and eating local delicacies.

My Instagram was a place where I felt like I had to keep up my image despite not even knowing what my image was anymore.

It was a place where people thought they knew me but in reality, they knew nothing because I spent all of 2019 having no idea who I even was.

Now I’m able to look back and realize how much I was using travel as a form of escapism.

I was running from figuring out who I truly was, attempting to run away from loneliness, running away from social norms that I had no desire to follow, running away from committing time to myself or anyone else.

I never realized that I was running from anything until I stopped long enough to breathe, long enough to listen to myself, long enough to recognize that catching flights instead of feelings (my own feelings) was actually hurting me more than it was helping me.

I know that a lot of you are travel lovers and know that I so appreciate you continuing to follow my journey despite its sharp turn but what I hope for all of you is that you are able to look past what’s on the surface, the beautiful destinations, and get curious about your own journeys.

I encourage you to ask yourself if you’re using travel for escapism or expansion?

Are you following travel influencers to be inspired by their personal, inner journey or for the footprints they’re making on paths that are typically very well beaten?

I really struggled and still sometimes do to share what 2019 was for me as I came to terms with what travel really is for me (and what I believe it is for a lot of people, most travel bloggers included), a form of escapism.

Any travel pictures I share in the future will be just that, pictures, but I swear to never ask whether you prefer cities or nature or mountains or the ocean ever again.

I’m so over how shallow the travel industry is. Let’s dive a little deeper, shall we?

But what’s the difference between escapism and expansion? Escapism is using travel to “get away from it all.” It’s to believe that just taking a break from your life will solve any of your issues. It’s the belief that travel is some magical thing that makes life easier or worth living for.

Expansion, on the other hand, is growing as you travel. It’s using travel to truly connect, to Mother Earth, to yourself, to others. And I don’t mean just sharing drinks with people you met in a hostel.

It’s learning to understand yourself and other people together, as a whole. It’s learning to just be, to be present in the moment, to not run and constantly see the next cool thing, but to really, truly, give yourself the time to understand and feel where you are in the moment.

Travelling these days is all about country counting, seeing as much as possible in a short timeframe, holidays just to get away and ticking off bucket lists. And while I don’t see there is much harm in doing so sometimes, I encourage you to not get trapped in it.

I encourage you to constantly ask yourself if you’re travelling for escapism or expansion. Which one feels better to you? Which one will allow you to grow the most? Which one will truly give you a sense of freedom and add to your life?

It’s up to you to decide how you want to see the world, but don’t do it at the expense of not seeing yourself for who you truly are because that is the greatest gift and your most powerful tool of all.

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What Happens When Travel Becomes Escapism?

Updated December 2020

What happens when travel becomes escapism? Travel escapism is a very real thing, let me tell you my experience. I’m not sure where this is headed, but I feel very much compelled to share with you all what’s been going on and what’ been going on in my mind for the past couple of weeks.

The last time I posted something was last July, a practical post on how to be a good house guest , which I hope you all enjoyed and found some value in that. Since then, coming back from an amazing trip in Ireland visiting my friend and discovering Dublin, Galway and the Cliffs of Moher, left me with many lasting impressions that went beyond the amazing memories. I had a list of ideas to write about travel related to Dublin and the places I had visited based on my experience, but I realized that there were certain blocks coming up making it hard to sit down and write the ideas down in post format.

So, what’s been going on?

When I arrived back from Ireland, I realized the similar sensation of coming back to the States after a trip; wishing my time abroad could have been extended, no surprise there. However, it was still a little bit different from other times. It wasn’t quite reverse culture shock, as I was not in Ireland for a substantial amount of time that would have allowed for reverse culture shock to occur. It was a feeling of regret of putting myself through this again. Going away for a trip, feeling liberated, like anything good could happen, at my happiest walking foreign streets and meeting new people. Then upon coming back to the States, I realized I couldn’t keep doing this.

Specifically, I realized I couldn’t keep kidding myself that I was happy in my current work/life routine.

I thought deeply about this, and came to the realization and that I was now using travel as a way to escape from this reality.

Travel escapism. I found out that more people had experienced travel escapism based on this video by one of my favorite YouTubers.

Here she explained that she realized how travel was a form of escapism from the real things that needed the most attention in her life.

Through this, I became aware that we have areas in our lives that need adequate attention and work to get to the root of why we feel unhappy, and that it was happening to me.

In my case, rather than dealing with my unhappy view of my work/life situation, I escaped it by going somewhere temporarily.

I saw that I wasn’t truly happy in my current job.

I wasn’t feeling fulfilled by the 9-5 work style.

I didn’t have time to work on passion projects enough to make them into passion careers, and that was not ok with me.

It felt like everyday was groundhog day, and I was repeating the same routine, commute, conversations, and frustration for feeling like I had no time left after 5pm to do what I wanted to do.

Life became predictable.

With these feelings about my current life situation, I became aware of certain habits that came out when I felt this way.

My immediate reaction was to look up flights because travel makes me happy (as we may not be surprised around here).

However, I noticed after being more aware of my actions one big aha moment: If I really loved to travel, and I kept admiring people online that made their dream lives happen by creating their dream jobs, why would I just settle and watch them if that was what I wanted for me as well?

Well, because of the fear of not being able to achieve this lifestyle that others had. There was an irony to all of this.

The more I stayed in this current work/life situation, the more I felt myself “settling” and therefore I felt like I wanted to travel to temporarily fix this real issue.

But that’s not what travel should be; an escape, at least, from the current physical reality of life. It’s like running away, but I didn’t want to continue that.

I didn’t realize that I had created the limited belief in my head that If I remained at this job, I could afford travel.

It had become a cycle of belief that in order to travel, I had to stay at this job, and that the more I stayed at this job, the more I traveled because I wanted to escape it, because I could.

And I masked this all with ” I just love to travel!”

This was a moment I decided that I didn’t want travel to become this for me.

In addition, I had created another limited belief that If I left to start my own business or own career ventures, travel opportunities wouldn’t come by as often, financially anyways.

I completely disregarded my dream life and dream job and with this, the potential that these opportunities could create for me to get to a point of traveling and working anywhere on my laptop.

I didn’t do anything about it because I was afraid to actually make that happen.

Instead of rewriting that limiting belief I had created, I was setting and therefore escaping (literally) through travel in my mini paid but short vacations that my job allowed me to go on.

And just to be clear, this is more of the travel I did when I was in the 9-5 life, not the other travels previous to this.

Read More: Transformative Travel

So, what did i do.

Though I was and am grateful for the professional development I had at my job, the amazing coworkers I got to see day in and day out, I decided to quit my 9-5 job.

It has taken me some work to get to this realization, and figuring out the root of this feeling of regret that I mentioned earlier.

I kept putting myself in a position of having a taste of the “what could be” but then taking it away from myself when I had to come back to the States.

My trip to Ireland was kind of the final straw and along with some amazing coaching, I was able to get some clarity.

Clarity with other areas of my life, but this was one that came up in the work I was doing.

I felt the fear of truly going against what I’ve been conditioned to think: work for a company or organization, and take a couple vacations occasionally; basically build your life around a 9-5 desk job with the works.

What does this mean going forward?

So, with all this being said, it’s not to say that I don’t like travel anymore as I used to. If anything, I understand myself more and my relationship with travel.

I see travel not as escapism, but as a way of life.

A pure enjoyment of life in motion and constant learning.

I absolutely love it ❤️ – and I am not saying that I still didn’t enjoy all those trips that I did while I was working my 9-5 job.

More so I see one of the big reasons why I made the action to leave.

I wanted to continue to see the world and learn from other cultures, but I also really wanted to leave my current work life situation and not do anything deeper to fix that.

A big reason why I took a small break and made the decisions that I have made, have been because I want to seriously pursue this lifestyle: Something of a Digital Nomad meets world expat. I’ll figure out the actual name for this later ?

I have left my 9-5 job with the mindset of simply closing this income source to make way for other bigger, and more creative income sources that allow me more flexibility.

Doing the mindset shifts, rewriting my limiting beliefs, and taking inspired action; educating myself, sharpening and crafting my skillset, reaching out to other like minded people, coaching, and the big one; feeling confident in myself, I have already been able to attract clients and work opportunities.

I am so grateful, and I know that this is what I am meant to do at this point in my life.

So, today on my birthday, I am gifting myself with being more open about these kinds of things on my blog.

My blog is dedicated to inspiring fellow Latinas to travel to their dream destinations, as well as to the personal growth that happens when we step outside our comfort zones.

It’s not the easiest thing for me to open up about my life and challenges, especially because I don’t know who reads this and i’m an overall private person.

However, I know that there’s some value in this, and that there are others who are going through similar situations.

A lot of good can come out of this, it may resonate with one of you, and it may be what you need to hear. If that’s the case, it’s worth it for me.

Please let me know in the comments below what you think and if this is relatable to you.

December 2020 Update:

It has been officially a little over a year since I posted this, sharing with you a side very real that I was experiencing, and a change I felt so needed to do for myself, as well as share with others who may come across this post.

If you’re still reading this, thank you. I hope that you will take something from this, and that at the very least, you find the realization of the importance of putting yourself first in doing the things you want to do in life.

It’s your life, you have the power to make it the very best! Whatever that means for you.

Since writing this, I haven’t been traveling as much because of the pandemic, however, this year has been nothing short of expansion in both personal and professional ways, one of those being this very blog that you’re reading.

Exercising my creativity this way, allowing ideas to come through, and trying new things. My intention remains the same as day 1…

To have a space online where other travel lovers can come to explore and share with others the transformative effects of travel, and to see how travel is such a liberating experience for the long run. This has been my main message and one that I will remain by.

Since then, I have launched my first program The Travel Transformation which is a 6-week program designed to help travelers unleash true, free, and inspired versions of them that they uncovered while abroad, utilizing the truths they discovered through travel experiences, to finally understand what they’ve been trying to tell them going forward in life (you can read more about here !) and I’m currently in the works of revamping it – so stay tuned!

I have also been interviewed on one of my favorite podcasts, The Aligned Entrepreneur (which you can catch here if you’d like!) where I talk about taking the leap of faith in my blogging ventures.

The reason why I mention all of these things is not to show off or brag, but to inspire and show you (using myself as an example) what happens when you let go of the mold (the same one we want to leave when we travel) to do something different.

Something that lights your soul up on fire and gives you butterflies knowing that you get to do what you love. I absolutely love what I do, and how much the community has expanded since I first posted this.

The blog is still relatively “small” in comparison to others, but I choose to look at its own growth throughout the years, and this year of 2020, in true fashion, has been one of growth in more ways than one as you can imagine.

I’ve also been doing a lot of healing, working on myself in various ways, something that I definitely don’t think I could have done if 2020 would have been “normal.”

Maybe I could have fallen into travel escapism again, in a slightly different way. Nothing is certain, if there is anything this year has taught us, and I’ve learned that this very fact can be a very empowering one to take ahold of in your favor.

The main message here is that can also be possible for you .

I know this to be certain.

Working on yourself, believing in yourself to do the damn thing (whatever it is for you), and doing it whether you feel like you’re ready or not, that’s the prerequisite needed to go on to accomplish what it is you want.

I know, super cliche, and repetitive, but it’s for a reason.

I have a long way to go only because I know life is always going to be about learning and expanding, which I am excited about.

I will continue to update this space with more to come.

To more travel moments of expansion and doing things you love ✨

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Hi! I'm the founder and writer behind Travel Notes and Things. I write posts about travel destinations, share travel tips and resources, as well as talk about transformative travel to help inspire Latinas to travel to their dream destinations!

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Absolutely love this and I applaud your vulnerability. Opening up and letting us see a glimpse into your being is one of the most beautiful things anyone can share with the world. Just stumbled across your blog today and I love it. I too am into travel, coaching and self-development (especially blending all three together to create something magical) so I am very grateful to you for sharing your gifts! Tash xx

Tash, seeing your comment this morning has truly made my day! Thank you for leaving such kindness and understanding. It makes me feel that I’m not alone in experiencing these feelings, and that there are individuals out there that care. Also I love being able to meet other like-minded thinkers!! Would love to connect with you 🙂

I am so glad to hear that! I too find comfort in stumbling across something that highlights that I am not alone in what I am feeling. The funny thing is that when you wrote this blog post in September, I too was going through a big shift – having been retrenched (laid-off) in early Sept, I jetted off to Turkey to use the trip to intentionally decide what I wanted to be doing, what lifestyle I wanted. I knew deep down what I loved and I knew I had strayed from this path. So reading your post brought back some warm memories from my time in Turkey and how it made me feel so alive! The feelings of gratitude from what a difficult time taught me to where I find myself now – putting one foot in front of another to pursue that dream. Would LOVE to connect with you, there are so many things that resonate from reading your posts. I love it 😀

Wow, I love the part where you said that deep down you knew what you loved and knew you had strayed from that path. This is basically the essence of that post I wrote, and the feelings I also felt. So amazing to be hearing your story ? so thank you for sharing. Are you on Instagram by any chance?

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On Travel and Escapism

The impulse to travel can be cryptic; sometimes it seems to be a kind of knee-jerk escapist tendency, while other times it is based more on a wish for expansion – for broader and more novel experiences. Actually deciphering the impulse can be tricky, though, as it’s not always clear if it – and the fulfilment of it – is based on escapism or not.

I’ve written before about travelling as a form of escapism and the Stoic perspective on the urge to travel – with both articles delving into why escaping doesn’t always work. Taking a ‘holiday from the self’ often fails. But even if successful, the relief is temporary; familiar problems and emotional distress that one attempts to escape through travel will tend to return once back home. 

I was reading an article about the rise and fall of the so-called ‘hippie trail’ – the overland route from Europe to the Middle East and Asia taken by many young travellers in the 60s and 70s – and I was struck by this statement from Rama Tiwari, quoted in Rory MacLean’s book Magic Bus: On the Hippie Trail From Istanbul to India (2006) :

But hippies made one mistake, and it broke them. They imagined peace of mind was not with their families or in their home countries. They didn’t see we can only live in happiness if we conquer the restless dream that paradise is in a world other than our own.

This applies to many travellers today as well, of course, and it encapsulates the false promise of going somewhere far away for a long time: the idea that this kind of travel will be a magic bullet for our problems. 

On the other hand, one’s environment (including social, cultural, and political factors ) can be a root cause of emotional distress. Escapism stemming from these issues is completely understandable, and the solutions require environmental change. Sometimes, the habits and lifestyle typical of one’s culture, including the normalisation of unfriendliness and busyness, can encourage one to seek out alternative ways of living and relating to others. The Stoics, who warned against relying on travel to deal with mental unease and unrest, did not believe that acceptance should make us passive, apathetic, and apolitical . What they advocated for was the rationality of accepting what we cannot change and concentrating only on what is truly in our control. For example, Seneca – one of the great Stoic philosophers – said the following in Letter 28 to Lucilius:

Could there be a scene of greater turmoil than the City? Yet even there, if need be, you are free to lead a life of peace. Given a choice of posting, though, I should flee a long way from the vicinity, let alone the sight of the City. For in the same way as there are unpleasant climates which are trying even to the most robust constitutions, there are others which are none too wholesome for the mind, even though it be a sound one, when it is still in an imperfect state and building up its strength. I do not agree with those who recommend a stormy life and plunge straight into the breakers, waging a spirited struggle against worldly obstacles every day of their lives. The wise man will put up with these things, not go out of his way to meet them; he will prefer a state of peace to a state of war. It does not profit a man much to have managed to discard his own failings if he must ever be at loggerheads with other people’s.

There are many occasions, nonetheless, when projecting dissatisfaction onto one’s environment can be a way of avoiding the true causes of that distress, which are manifold. These causes may include existential crises, major losses, feelings of loneliness or disconnection, unfulfilling work, or chronic stress. Restlessness may require changes to the internal environment, not the external one, or perhaps different life choices at home (which ultimately result in the psychological changes that matter).

It’s important, then, to try to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy impulses to travel. Does one need a change of mind – internal feelings of rest and peace – or a change of scenery? However, the situation is not that black and white, I believe, since even if travel is used as escapism, as a coping mechanism in that respect, it is still better than many other forms of escapism – abuse of or addiction to alcohol, substances, TV, or social media – since these don’t leave you with the rich and valuable memories that travel offers. In terms of travel, the need to escape can also work in tandem with other needs and desires.

The psychological perspective on using travel to escape is worth exploring, as this can help illuminate whether an obsession with travel comes from a place of dissatisfaction (and, in turn, avoidance) or if it is a natural passion based on personal traits like openness to experience and risk-taking or the healthy desire for novelty, challenges, connection to nature, feelings of awe, and direct experience of different cultures. Food, for instance, can be a major reason why people travel, which has nothing to do with avoiding personal problems back home.

For many people, travel can be a positive form of escape, in that it acts as a break from routine, work, and responsibilities. Karen Stein, a sociologist who studies culture and travel, writes :

Travel and vacations are a means to reshift and reorganize identities. We can use travel as a way to reexamine our priorities and devote our time and attention to identities and commitments that we, unwillingly, have to put in the background in our daily lives.

But what about if you are always thinking about getting away? Is the identity of being a ‘traveller’ – and constantly chasing new destinations – just a glorified form of escapism? If escapism is defined as a desire or behaviour to ignore, evade, or avoid reality, then there will be many instances when travelling is a way to run away from underlying problems one doesn’t want to address. And this is common because travel is, for the most part, a way to be free of the burdens of life. 

Like other escapist behaviours, when something stressful occurs, a habitual pattern sets in. This might be immediately looking up flights and planning trips. The travel-to-escape feeling is like a fight-or-flight reaction (“I need to get out of here”). It is a completely normal message that is triggered when dealing with difficult emotions, situations, and experiences. Creating a physical distance between sources of discomfort can create a feeling of safety. Moreover, the challenges of travel – language and cultural barriers, navigating new surroundings, dealing with the stresses of travel – can all serve as distractions from the issues one is escaping. Yet, to reiterate, these distractions do offer tangible benefits that other forms of distraction don’t. Dr Michael Brein, a psychologist who specialises in travel, states:

Travel escapism that invites you to increase your feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence…tends to ground you in the present and requires you to deal with virtually everything that is normally mindless back home. The net result is that you are, in effect, a problem-solver, dealing successfully with virtually everything you normally take for granted.

Nevertheless, the advantages of travel escapism – and even the mental health benefits – may still come at a cost, which is leaving certain issues unaddressed. There may also come a point where one is travelling solely or mostly in order to escape. For some travellers, however, this motivation exists during those first trips, and those travel experiences may motivate them to create a more authentic and fulfilling life back home, with subsequent trips then being less about escapism and more focused on personal interests.

Speaking personally, I sometimes find myself becoming focused on new countries to visit and making itineraries for those trips. I might be unsure whether this motivation comes from escapism or healthy novelty-seeking . But often, if my mental state improves at home, then I feel less of an intense urge to get away from it all. The desire to travel is still there, but it’s not obsessive or standing out as the answer to feelings of discontent. 

It’s not just the obsessiveness of travel planning that I think indicates escapism, but also the knee-jerkiness of the impulse to travel. The same instant kind of reaction can occur with other forms of escape, including substance abuse and binge eating. I agree with the Stoic idea of working on problems when rooted at home and abandoning the fantasy that exploring other countries will solve those problems. As Seneca puts it in Letter 104, “…when a person’s spirit is wrenched or broken at so many points, do you imagine that it can be put right by a change of scenery, that that sort of trouble isn’t so serious that it can’t be cured by an outing?” 

But at the same time, travel can be pursued precisely as a way to cultivate virtues (it can be a great way to learn how to accept what you cannot change, for instance, given how many things can go wrong while travelling). This view, however, does conflict with Seneca’s. As he remarks in Letter 104, “What good has travel of itself ever been able to do anyone?” It has never “rid the personality of a fault,” he says, adding, “All it has ever done is distract us for a little while, through the novelty of our surroundings, like children fascinated by something they haven’t come across before”. He insists that “travel won’t make a better or saner man of you” – it is no route to wisdom, in other words.

Yet while Seneca’s outlook here is true in many cases, I don’t think it is universally true that travel cannot be genuinely character-building or remedial, perhaps even in a Stoic sense. For example, one aspect of wisdom, for Seneca, is understanding what is essential and what is superfluous, and for many people, travelling (especially backpacking) really helps to bring that into focus.

Also, people can travel purely for enjoyment, and that enjoyment doesn’t have to depend on running away from personal troubles. Indeed, as Seneca writes in Letter 28:

Once you have rid yourself of the affliction…every change of scene will become a pleasure. You may be banished to the ends of the earth, and yet in whatever outlandish corner of the world you find yourself stationed, you will find that place, whatever it may be like, a hospitable home. Where you arrive does not matter so much as what sort of person you are when you arrive there.

The human desire to escape is perennial; sometimes we escape through mental fantasies, while other times we escape to physical places that we’ve fantasised about. ‘Escape’ doesn’t have to carry negative connotations, especially since nomadism characterised 99% of human history, with genetic variants still predisposing some people to nomadic lifestyles today. Nevertheless, if no new place seems to settle the agitation or claustrophobia one feels, either there or when returning home, then there may be deeper issues at play.

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Travel as Escapism | Are you Traveling to Run Away from Problems?

Do you want to avoid getting a “real” job? Are you running away from a bad breakup? A fight with your parents? Life in general? Are you using travel as a way to escape your problems at home?

On this episode of the podcast, we talk about travel as a form of escapism. We share our personal experiences using travel to escape, our opinions on travel as a form of escapism, and much more. We explore the idea that travel is a better way to escape from the problems of life because it can help you to change your perspective and even your situation.

Show Notes from this Episode….

• What is escapism?
• The different things that people use as escapism
• Using travel as a way to run away from your problems
• How we used travel as a way to escape
• “You can’t just spend your whole life traveling”
• There are different ways to escape through travel
• Escapism at home vs. escapism while traveling
• Different levels of escapism
• Why travel is a better form of escapism
• Finding yourself through travel
• And much more… Here’s the episode!

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Escape, tourism

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The concept that individuals on holiday are motivated by a desire to escape is a central factor in a suite of motivational explanations for tourism. It appears in a number of forms and disciplinary formats. The sociologists Cohen and Taylor ( 1976 ) locate escape for holidays in a broader set of what they label “escape attempts,” which they define as purposeful pathways individuals choose to free themselves from everyday roles and the pressures of life. In formulating notions of stressful cores and desirable peripheries, both the early geographers and sociologists implicitly built the idea of escape into their models of tourist movements (Christaller 1963 ).

Moreover, the anthropologists have considered escape attempts with an approach to travel , involving the symbolic crossing of thresholds and moving into liminoid spaces (Turner and Turner 1978 ). In these spaces, there is some escape from the rules and social regulations and the opportunity, to some extent, to be not only somewhere...

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Bowen, D., and J. Clarke 2009 Contemporary Tourist Behavior: Yourself and Others as Tourists. Wallingford: CABI.

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Christaller, W. 1963 Some Considerations of Tourism Location in Europe: The Peripheral Regions. Regional Science Association Papers 12:95-105.

Cohen, S., and L. Taylor 1976 Escape Attempts. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Molz, J. 2012 Travel Connections. London: Routledge.

Pearce, P. 2011 Tourist Behavior and the Contemporary World. Bristol: Channel View.

Pearce, P., and U. Gretzel 2012 Dead Zone Tourism. International Journal of Tourism Studies 12(2):1-20.

Turner, U., and E. Turner 1978 Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture. New York: Columbia University Press.

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Pearce, P.L. (2014). Escape, tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_517-1

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What Does Travel Mean to You?

A few years ago, I went around the world and asked people what travel meant to them. As I travel the country on my current book tour and hear everyone’s reasons for travel, I’m reminded of that experience.

Travel means something different to every single person in the world.

There are a million and one reasons to travel. Many people travel the world to get the bug out of their system, or to check things off a list to say they’ve been there and done that. Some run to escape their problems. Some people travel simply to get drunk around the world.

For me, travel means many things. Travel is freedom . It’s about being able to do what I want and fill my day with excitement. Travel was an escape. Travel was “elsewhere”. That place where exciting things and people resided. It was escaping the Matrix to learn about the world, why people do what they do, and how they act. It’s about pushing myself to the limit and getting more comfortable in my own skin.

But I wondered what motivates other people to do the same.

I have my theories of course.

But I wanted to hear it from people directly.

So, during an extended trip, I asked people I met on the road one question:

“What does travel mean to you?”

And here is what they said:

I loved hearing everyone’s answers because it so accurately describes all the various reasons that push us to travel the world, learn about the people in it, and ourselves.

Now, tell me in the comments below:

What does travel mean to you?

Share what drives you.  

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Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
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• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

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Escaping Reality to Heal

Many people are feeling overwhelmed. sometimes a little escape can be healing..

Posted October 25, 2018 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

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Sometimes the stressors of the modern world make us just want to scream. The constant bombardment of negative news and our continual connection to our technological devices can make us feel trapped, with a strong desire to escape.

Perhaps we just need some time alone to heal and nurture ourselves. When we have this feeling, it might be that our minds and souls are sending us messages. We’re being reminded that it’s time to step away and indulge in some self-care.

In her article “ Looking for an Escape? ” Julie Exline (2013) says that when she feels as if she has to escape, she typically needs to do so from people, tasks, “shoulds,” and negative thoughts.

At one time or another, just about everyone has had a profound desire to escape reality for a certain amount of time. It might be that we crave either a physical or an emotional escape.

For example, I’ve had the same spiritual guide for more than 10 years, and for as long as I can remember, she’s rarely taken any time off for herself. But just yesterday, she called to tell me that she’ll be off the radar for two weeks and won’t be taking any calls. While I was surprised to receive this call, I was delighted that she was taking the time to care for herself, because in this way, she can better care for her clients. Interestingly enough, her call came on the eve of a full moon. Probably not a coincidence.

There are both healthy and unhealthy forms of escape. The latter include mind-altering substances such as alcohol and cannabis. The healthy forms of escape are a better choice, and below are some ways to tap into them when times get tough and challenging and you just want to run.

Clear your mind: When considering this type of escape, you probably just want to clear your mind of all the daily clutter. One effective way to do so is to engage in meditation —find some quiet time for yourself, and focus on your breath.

Listen to music. Music is a great form of escape. Research has shown that it can help you relax and increase self-awareness.

Practice yoga . Yoga has many health benefits, but mainly it fosters relaxation, encouraging you to slow your breath, focus on the present, and balance the sympathetic nervous system . Overall, it is very restorative.

Chant. Chanting is also a good way to escape from reality; plus, it decreases stress and encourages a relaxation response. The most common chant is reciting the sound or mantra “Om,” which sends vibrations through your lips and palate and into the back of your throat. Regular chanting can encourage peace and serenity.

Daydream : Allow yourself to daydream, which is the perfect mental escape. Drift to another place or another land. A good time to daydream is when you’re working out or following your exercise routine, whether it’s at the gym or during a walk. Studies have shown that we daydream less as we get older, so it should be a habit that we maintain for as long as possible. As a child, I was accused of daydreaming, and while it came in handy during my life as a writer, it wasn’t something that was encouraged back then.

Visit a new place. Travel is a great escape and an excellent way to change your perspective. Often, when you return home from a trip, you have a new outlook on your daily life.

Take a virtual escape . Another form of escape can be a virtual one. For example, there’s a website called “A Second Life,” which allows you to totally immerse yourself in another life that is completely different from the one you’re living. For example, if you’re a senior citizen who used to be an avid hiker, this site can allow you to relive those experiences.

You might ask, what is behind the desire to escape? Well, it can be a result of the aging process, but it can also be a temporary way to withdraw from life’s stressors and challenges, whether it’s looking after a family or navigating health challenges. The escape method you choose will depend on the reason you wish to escape, what you’re escaping from, and the results you’d like to achieve. Consider trying one or all of the escape methods mentioned above.

Exline, J. J. (2013). “Looking for an Escape? The Impulse to Run Away from it All.” Psychology Today. J une 1.

Diana Raab, Ph.D., is an expert in helping others transform and become empowered through creativity, especially writing.

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This Is What Travel Means To Me

• https://thoughtcatalog.com/?p=710815

A lot of people say they want to travel, but only very few get to actually experience the wonders of the world. Travel has a different meaning to everyone – some do it to escape their everyday life, some do it to take the kids on vacation, some do it to find themselves, but not me. I live to travel – I want to make a life of travel.

I’ve never wanted a conventional life, a life that I feel a need to escape, filled with discontent and comfort. I’ve never wanted to be stuck in an office building all day, never able to wander away when it’s time to leave. I’ve always wanted more than that, and it’s possible.

Travel means freedom, it means finding yourself lost in the most amazing ways.

Travel to me means waking up at 4 AM to get to the best spot to watch the sunrise. It means getting lost in a different country without Google maps and turning it into a whole new adventure. It means trying to communicate in broken English and being thankful that the other person is willing to try to understand you. It means learning patience and taking acceptance to a whole new level.

Travel to me means making friends with the locals and respecting their culture. It means spending time in dive bars and local restaurants because someone in passing recommended it to you. It means going places to truly explore, not just going places to say you’ve been there. It’s recognizing it’s better to stay in one country for a month than try to jam in three.

Travel to me means building relationships with people you never would have met otherwise and treating them like family. It’s trusting people you barely know and putting your faith in the world that things will all work out. It’s having a burning urge to see as much as possible and really live in the moment. It’s helping out when you see someone you don’t know struggling and sharing pieces of your heart with them.

Travel to me means getting lost in little bookstores and cafes. Striking up conversation with those around you and appreciating the tiny treasures in the area you discover. It’s experiencing as many new things as you can. It’s not getting upset when the bus is late and learning how to laugh at the situations you get into.

Travel to me means learning to live with the bare minimum and realizing that’s all you really need in life. It’s realizing that possessions do nothing but suffocate you and that happiness comes from freedom. It’s living simply and sleeping soundly in places you’ve never heard of with a hostel packed with eager strangers, like yourself.

Travel means being happy with a little bit of everything. It’s thrilling and heartbreak, it’s exciting and scary, it’s every emotion wrapped up into a sea of memories and experiences that you wouldn’t trade for the world.

All I want from travel is to bask in the bliss I feel and learn to appreciate every moment life brings me. I want to form relationships that are going to leave me in tears when I’m forced to say goodbye. I want to learn as much as I can from everyone I cross paths with about their culture and lifestyles. I want to breathe in unfamiliar air and exhale fear and uncertainty.

I want to trust that where I am is exactly where I’m supposed to be. I want to look past what’s right in front of me and learn to love the world harder for all it truly is.

About the author

Becca Martin

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Definition of escape

 (Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

transitive verb

Definition of escape  (Entry 2 of 3)

Definition of escape  (Entry 3 of 3)

Did you know?

If you were being held captive by someone gripping the coat or cloak you were wearing, you might be able to get away by slipping out of it. This is the idea on which the word escape is based. Escape is made up of the Latin prefix ex-, which means “out of,” and the Latin word cappa, which means “head covering” or “cloak.”

• break out (of)
• bunk [ British ]

escape , avoid , evade , elude , shun , eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.

escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

Examples of escape in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'escape.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Anglo-French escaper, eschaper , from Vulgar Latin *excappare , from Latin ex- + Late Latin cappa head covering, cloak

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing escape

escape artist

• escape clause
• escape death
• escape detection
• escape hatch
• escape mechanism
• escape one's attention
• escape room
• escape someone's notice
• escape the ax
• escape valve
• escape velocity
• escape with one's life
• fire escape
• make good one's escape
• make one's escape
• slip / escape someone's mind

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Cite this entry.

“Escape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escape. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of escape.

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Kids Definition of escape  (Entry 2 of 2)

early French escaper "to escape," from assumed Latin excappare (same meaning), from Latin ex- "out, out of" and cappa "head covering, cloak" — related to cape entry 2

Medical Definition

Medical definition of escape.

Medical Definition of escape  (Entry 2 of 3)

Medical Definition of escape  (Entry 3 of 3)

Legal Definition

Legal definition of escape.

Legal Definition of escape  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on escape

Nglish: Translation of escape for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of escape for Arabic Speakers

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A cyclist pedals near Bolinas Ridge in Mount Tamalpais State Park, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California.

Top 10 Urban Escapes

Some American cities are lucky enough to have units of the National Park System right on their doorsteps, offering recreation and natural beauty within easy reach of millions.

From the National Geographic book The 10 Best of Everything—National Parks

Most people, even dedicated urbanites, need a break now and then from concrete jungle, round-the-clock noise, and exhaust fumes. Some American cities are lucky enough to have units of the National Park System right on their doorsteps, offering recreation and natural beauty within easy reach of millions.

Gateway National Recreation Area New York Harbor, New York and New Jersey With three units located around New York Harbor in New York and New Jersey, Gateway is just a subway or bus ride away for residents of America’s largest metropolis. Some come to swim or sun on beaches, others to bike or jog miles of trails, to fish or kayak, to visit historic sites, or to go on a wildflower walk. And these activities are just the beginning of the year-round offerings at Gateway, a getaway perfect for everything from chilling out to learning a new skill at one of dozens of ranger-led programs. Camping areas allow city folk to sample life in the wild, while buildings at Fort Tilden in Queens have been converted into an arts center. Fort Tilden is just one of six decommissioned forts or military air fields open to the public within Gateway; the Sandy Hook Proving Ground was the first U.S. Army weapons testing grounds, established in 1874. Brooklyn’s Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, the only wildlife refuge in the park system, ranks among the most popular bird-watching sites in the region, with marsh, fields, woods, and ponds. Other sites within the park offer golf and even places for flying model airplanes. If you can’t find something to do at Gateway, you’re just not looking closely enough.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area San Francisco Bay Area, California Want to hike through one of the world’s most beautiful forests? Want to visit the legendary prison where Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly were locked up? Want to go hang gliding, enjoy a quiet picnic, admire an art collection, or visit a Cold War-era missile site? All of this and a lot more is possible at Golden Gate, a collection of some three dozen separate units stretching for 70 miles on or near the Pacific Coast, both north and south of San Francisco. A short list of attractions here would include Marin Headlands, a natural area at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge; Alcatraz Island, former home of an infamous federal prison; Crissy Field, a restored tidal marsh and renowned windsurfing center; Ocean Beach, the longest beach in the Bay Area and a mecca for serious surfers; Point Bonita Lighthouse, a still active beacon; the reconstructed Cliff House and the Sutro Baths, the latter now in ruins; and Muir Woods National Monument, a grove of magnificent coast redwood trees. Bay Area residents treasure these and other park sites, all contributing to making one of the nation’s most attractive cities even more appealing.

Rock Creek Park Washington, D.C. Stretching for ten miles along the waterway for which it’s named, this green space in northwestern Washington, D.C., is beloved by residents of the nation’s capital. Jogging, biking, skating, golf, soccer, horseback riding, and tennis are among the more popular activities, while picnicking and bird-watching offer more contemplative pursuits. The park closes some streets to auto traffic on weekends and holidays, creating peaceful paths even more removed from the busy world of government and business just beyond its boundaries. With a nature center, a planetarium, historical exhibits, and a concert venue, Rock Creek more than fulfills its 1890 mandate to be “a public park or pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the United States.”

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Los Angeles Into Ventura County, California The world’s largest urban national park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area spans almost 40 miles from Los Angeles westward into Ventura County, its many separate units covering nearly 240 square miles. Within the designated area are state and local parks, ranging from historic sites to wild areas offering solitude in a region of freeways, shopping malls, and near-endless suburbs. The 65-mile-long Backbone Trail System traverses the rugged Santa Monica Mountains, its entire length open to hikers, while some segments are available for mountain biking and horseback riding. Located in the land of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, the park has inevitable movie and television connections: Many movies and TV shows were filmed at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, now home to fine hiking trails; Peter Strauss Ranch, along Mulholland Highway, was donated to the park by actor Strauss, who wanted to preserve its natural beauty; Will Rogers State Historic Park, just off Sunset Boulevard, preserves the estate of the famed humorist and actor who died in 1935. One of the park’s most fascinating historical attractions is Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park, where the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center interprets the heritage of the Chumash and Tongva-Gabrielino people who once lived here. In the northern part of the national recreation area, Cheeseboro Canyon boasts extensive hiking trails and woodlands of the imposing valley oak, a tree species found only in California.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Cleveland and Akron, Ohio Connecting the Ohio cities of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley boasts a combination of attractions that can justifiably be called unique in the National Park System. Consider that visitors can ride a restored railroad train, attend a summer concert by the famed Cleveland Orchestra, go cross-country skiing, drive a scenic byway, jog or bike alongside the historic Ohio & Erie Canal, attend a theater performance, play golf, go horseback riding, or admire some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the eastern United States—all within the boundaries of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Running for 22 miles through the heart of the park, the Cuyahoga River once served as a poster child for pollution (it actually caught fire several times when massive oil slicks ignited). Though still no model of purity, the river has recovered enough that fish, birds, and other wildlife now abound along its tree-shaded length. Several villages within the park provide amenities such as dining, shopping, and bike rental. In the southwestern part of the park, Hale Farm and Village (Memorial Day–October) is a living history attraction that re-creates 19th-century farm life in the Cuyahoga Valley.

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Boston Harbor, Massachusetts In a world where open space is hard to find near cities, the National Park Service finds innovative ways to bring nature and recreational activities to urban residents. One good example is Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, a collection of 34 islands and peninsulas close to the historic Massachusetts capital, administered through a partnership among federal, state, and local government agencies and private businesses. “Minutes away, worlds apart” is the park’s slogan, and a visitor sea kayaking around Grape Island or hiking a trail at World's End, a 244-acre peninsula overlooking Hingham Harbor, would agree that the congestion of downtown Boston seems far removed. For great views of the Boston skyline, head to Spectacle Island, which has the highest point in the park, 157 feet above sea level, as well as 5 miles of hiking trails. History is represented at places such as Little Brewster Island, home to the country’s oldest light station, and 19th-century Army post Fort Warren on Georges Island.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Gary and Michigan City, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois A very high percentage of the nearly two million annual visitors to Indiana Dunes come simply to sunbathe or swim along 15 miles of sandy Lake Michigan shore. In itself, that resource makes the park a treasured getaway for residents of Chicago and nearby cities such as Gary and Michigan City, Indiana. Beyond the beach, though, trails wind through natural habitats of surprising biodiversity, with rare plants and butterflies living among the dunes, savannas, marshes, prairies, and woodlands. Miller Woods, Cowles Bog, Heron Rookery, and Lyco-ki-we are among the best trails for nature lovers, while the Mount Baldy Trail ascends a 126-foot dune for a panoramic view of Lake Michigan. Mount Baldy is a “moving” dune, pushed about four feet a year by prevailing winds. For a glimpse into the area’s past, visit restored Chellberg Farm, where three generations of a family of Swedish farmers lived.

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Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Atlanta, Georgia Residents of Atlanta benefit today from planning decisions made in the 1970s, when public officials began working to protect 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River on the edge of the city. As Atlanta has grown, the various units of the national recreation area endure as green spaces for picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and nature enjoyment. The river itself is extremely popular for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and rafting, as well as fishing for trout, bass, and catfish. (Because river water comes from the dam on Lake Sidney Lanier, it’s mostly too cold for comfortable swimming even in summer.) Of the many separate units within the park, the Cochran Shoals area may be the most popular, with a three-mile trail and a wetlands boardwalk. Concessionaires rent kayaks, canoes, and inner tubes at several locations along the Chattahoochee.

Mississippi River National River and Recreation Area Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota With various units spanning 72 miles of the Mississippi River in the vicinity of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, this park is actually a consortium of state, regional, county, and municipal areas, ranging from city parks to museums and from wildlife refuges to historic sites. The Park Service owns only 35 of the recreation area’s 54,000 acres, but coordinates activities and assists travelers from its visitor center in downtown St. Paul. Other visitor centers are located in various units including Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, home of 53-foot-tall Minnehaha Falls, mentioned in Longfellow’s poem “Song of Hiawatha.” Citizens of the Twin Cities happily avail themselves of the area’s opportunities for hiking, cross-country skiing (Fort Snelling State Park is a favorite), and canoeing. The 12.7-mile stretch of the Mississippi between the Crow River boat ramp and the Coon Rapids Dam offers excellent scenery and wildlife far different from the commercial waterway downstream.

Biscayne National Park Miami, Florida Ninety-five percent of the 172,000 acres of this Florida Atlantic coast park is water—but that only makes it more of an attraction for residents of Miami, where boating is a way of life for many people. Within sight of downtown skyscrapers, Biscayne National Park offers diving, snorkeling, canoeing, and kayaking, as well as islands to visit for those with their own power boats. Exploring Biscayne Bay, one can see part of the world’s third largest coral reef, as well as more than 500 species of fish, sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, and occasionally American crocodiles. Some of the larger keys (coral islets) in the national park offer camping and hiking (winter is best for avoiding mosquitoes). Tropical hardwood forests host rare and endangered birds and butterflies. One oddly historic hiking path is the infamous “Spite Highway,” a road bulldozed in the 1960s by developers trying to ruin the environment and prevent the creation of a national park here. The seven-mile route on Elliott Key has slowly recovered from the intentional destruction, with native vegetation masking the scar.

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