My 3 Favorite Unplugged Vacations
While there are certainly times you need to be online and accessible, it shouldn’t be while you are on vacation. Everyone needs, and deserves, to unplug from the stresses of everyday life to recharge their human batteries. You will hardly be “getting away from it all” if you constantly feel the buzz of your phone in your pocket. The office can wait.
And we all know friends and family love seeing how great your vacation is in real-time, but while you are constantly busy snapping and sharing photos you’ll end up missing the best moments of your trip. Stop doing it for the Gram and do this for yourself.
So go on and resist the urge to pack your electronic gadgets on your next trip. Or better yet, try one of these suggestions where getting online will be difficult and force you to be unplugged.
Maine Windjammer Cruise
A Maine Windjammer Cruise is the ultimate way to get away from it all. There is no Wi-Fi, no TV and no cell service on board so it forces you to be on an off-the-grid getaway.
There are several Windjammer Cruises that set sail each summer off the coast of Maine. I recently had the opportunity to cruise on the J. & E. Riggin, a family-owned historic schooner that was built in 1927. With no formal itinerary in place, each day Captain Jon charts a course, based on the winds and the tide. Days on board are spent taking in the beautiful scenery as you sail along the rugged coast of Maine.
There is plenty of time to relax, read, or play a game of Scrabble on deck. You may also have the opportunity to explore a small coastal town or go swimming off the boat in the ocean. In the evenings you can expect to dine on gourmet meals underneath the stars while the crew has an impromptu sing-a-long.
Eleuthera, Bahamas
Eleuthera is known for its pink sand beaches, turquoise ocean, and secluded snorkeling spots. This small outer island of the Bahamas is just a short flight from Nassau. If you are truly looking for a place to get away from it all, this is the perfect spot for a digital detox.
You won’t find any large resorts, only a handful of small boutique hotels. There is no shopping to speak of, not a lot of restaurants, and definitely no wild nightlife scene.
For these reasons, both of the times I vacationed on Eleuthera I have rented a house from VRBO. While you can find free Wi-Fi at the one coffee shop in the main town of Governor’s Harbor, you’ll find you’d rather spend your days unwinding on the uninhabited beaches. More often than not, you might find you have an entire sandy stretch of shoreline all to yourself.
Vermont
I have been living in Vermont for almost twenty years and, while the entire state isn’t technically off the grid, there are plenty of places you won’t be able to get cell service, much less be able to connect to the internet so you will definitely be unplugged.
Vermont is a four-season recreational state with year-round round opportunities to get outside and disconnect. In the warmer months, adventure enthusiasts can bike, hike, fish, sail, or kayak. During the winter, vacationers spend their days downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or cross country skiing on hundreds of miles of snowy terrain.
The Green Mountain State also has plenty of off-the-grid places to stay like Knight Island State Park or rental homes that will force you to be tech-free on your next vacation.
A good tech-free trip can do wonders. It will leave you feeling completely transformed and rejuvenated before you have to come back to your real life.
Have you gone on a digital detox vacation?