Tips on Location Scouting

My recent job change has given me the opportunity to travel to places that I have always dreamed of visiting. Sometimes it’s major cities, but other times it’s small rural towns that are just waiting to be explored. I often get asked how I find such epic locations, so I thought I would share with you my best practices. 

1.  #Hashtags & geotags 

I spend a lot of time on Instagram searching under hashtags and geotags to see where locals or other nomads are posting images from! Often, most people don’t geotag their locations so I typically start with searching hashtags first. If I’m not having any luck there, I will look under geotags of the city and then DM the person to ask the name of the location. I suggest looking up the names of the surrounding cities to see if they hold any treasures just a short drive away. This trick works great not only for beautiful nature spots but also for local restaurants and boutiques, too! 

I will usually search under the city name first if it’s a small town #grandprairie . When looking for spots in bigger cities, I will search more narrowed down tags, for example #grandprairiephotographer is a great one to look under. Don’t get frustrated if you are swiping up for a long time, when you find that gem it’s worth the wait. 

2.  Google Search 

If you're feeling like having a more classic tourist moment, a quick google search will often direct you to many travel websites that allow people to review the places they've visited. This is a great way to make sure you're investing your time into seeing the right places. 

My tip when using search engines (as often what shows up are ads that are being paid for) is to click on the images tab on google and look that way! I am a visual person and when an image catches my eye then I can click on the website through the image. 

3. Email or call hotels. 

Locals know best! If I’m having a hard time finding things, I will typically email or call the local hotels and ask the front desk what their suggestions are! Often they will know about more unique places that sometimes don’t show up on a google search or #.  

When I am in new cities, I will always ask any server, taxi driver or basically any local their suggestions on restaurants and attractions. Don’t be afraid, generally people are very helpful and excited to talk about their cities! 

All images are from my recent trip to Grand Prairie, Alberta. Using all my suggestions I discovered Alberta’s northernmost badlands that were OG stomping grounds in the age of the dinosaurs. 

Layers of sandstone and coal are exposed between the a rare variety of wild flowers and cacti. If you ever find your way there, make sure to take exit 41 off of highway 43, as most GPS directions will take you to a field full of Bison!