#MicroblogMondays 141: Mystery Hikes
Not sure what #MicroblogMondays is? Read the inaugural post which explains the idea and how you can participate too.
*******
Atlas Obscura had a post on mystery hikes in the 1930s. The opening says it all:
On March, 23, 1932, crowds descended upon Paddington Station, London after paying expressly for the privilege of being kept in the dark. They enthusiastically waited for a train with no known destination. Even the conductors had no idea where they would go. They were going to be passengers on London’s very first Hiker’s Mystery Train Express.
They boarded a train with no clue where they would end up. This activity became very popular in several countries, and it was viewed with the same regard as today’s glampers. It’s hiking, but it’s not really hiking. The point is not knowing where you’ll end up.
I peeked at the current travel companies that do this sort of thing, though the first involved flights and the second involved places I didn’t really want to go. I think I would love this if it was low-commitment, like the mystery hike. A single day, ending up who knows where, with a bunch of other people who are all in the same situation. Not so much if it’s a trip for multiple days.
Would you go on a mystery hike? A longer mystery trip?
*******
Are you also doing #MicroblogMondays? Add your link below. The list will be open until Tuesday morning. Link to the post itself, not your blog URL. (Don’t know what that means? Please read the three rules on this post to understand the difference between a permalink to a post and a blog’s main URL.) Only personal blogs can be added to the list. I will remove any posts that are connected to businesses or are sponsored post.
| 1. | Why are women paid less? | 9. | Journeywoman | 17. | Vinitha |
| 2. | Traci York, Writer | 10. | Counting Pink Lines | 18. | Turia |
| 3. | A Separate Life (Mali) | 11. | Dubliner in Deutschland | 19. | Middle Girl |
| 4. | No Kidding in NZ (Mali) | 12. | Inconceivable! | 20. | Corinne Rodrigues |
| 5. | Loribeth (The Road Less Travelled) | 13. | Shail | 21. | Stephanie (Travelcraft Journal) |
| 6. | Isabelle | 14. | A. | 22. | Empty Arms, Broken Heart |
| 7. | Delenn | 15. | Chandra Lynn (Pics and Posts) | ||
| 8. | torth�il | 16. | Jess |
24 comments
Ahh..don’t know. Maybe I would but only if it’s for a day…
I agree – I’d love to do some kind of mystery day trip, but not sure I’d want to commit for a longer time. I can definitely see the appeal though.
Agree with Traci — a day trip might be fun, but to commit the time & money for a longer trip that I’m not sure I’ll enjoy — that’s probably more than I’m willing to undertake. (Now I’ve got the Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour” playing in my head…!) 😉
I would totally do the day trip or the multi-day mystery trip! It sounds like so much fun and really, the mystery is probably more fun than where you actually end up! Definitely a enjoy-the-journey kind of trip! I’m down, sign me up!
No. No way. I don’t like surprises and I don’t like the lack of control. The whole idea brings out the grumpy old lady in me. Life has too many surprises and changes as is. Like trying to figure out the secret combination to getting the gas tank open on a rental car. Buying a new laptop. Buying a new toaster, for heaven’s sake! Don’t get me started on how to use a new phone. Far as I’m concerned, life has enough mysteries already! 😀
I’d go if it was a day trip. Probably wouldn’t if it involved flying and additional expenses.
I think I’d do a mystery hike. In fact, my husband and I sometimes do a variation on this, or we did before we had a child: it’s a bit more difficult now. I would say “I want to go out of town: you decide where!” and he would start driving and I wouldn’t know where we were going (sometimes he didn’t either, but that’s another issue). It was fun because not worrying about the details was relaxing for me. It felt like a special treat that I didn’t have to plan (as a teacher, I’m always scheduling and planning so I don’t necessarily find this fun in my down time). I think for a longer trip though, I’d want to go somewhere I wanted to go. I’m OK with someone else taking care of details, but part of the fun of a longer trip for me is anticipating, so I would be sorry to miss that piece.
Um. How to put this.
Hell No.
Half of the fun of my trip is planning what we’ll do. My husband says that I’d plan our bathroom visits if I could. I don’t think I could relinquish that much control.
Hah – no way! I’m way too much of a planner and a control freak to be ok with someone else planning the unknown.
Like you I’d be more likely to just do a one day mystery tour. I think it would be an adventure!
I would definitely do a day trip as long as the cost was fairly low. I’ve had a few times where I’ve been dragged along to do something I did not expect to like and wound up having fun. However, the cost would need to be low and I don’t think I could do anything that involved an overnight – too much time and expense for something I might not enjoy much.
I am with you on this, not a long one, a day trip is okay. I rather know where I am going.
I think I’d do it…if my hubby went along too…and no trains or planes. Like you, a day trip. Since I wouldn’t know where I’d be going, I’d want to sleep in my own bed. 😀
I think I’m too much of a control freak for this. A friend posted on facebook about the mystery trips, that you don’t open your envelope until you get to the airport and you just get clues about what to pack, and I feel like that would cause me so much stress. Maybe a road trip one I could do, though. Start small? I love the idea, maybe it’s one of those “do something that scares you” things that could be a great experience in the end.
I think I would enjoy a mystery day trip, if I felt like I had enough spare time that I didn’t mind giving up a day for something I might not end up enjoying, if that makes sense. If someone could tell me the mystery day trip would be something I’d really enjoy then I’d be all for it.
I’m really allergic to poison oak, so no. I can barely hike locally.
I would give it a try for sure! What a great idea.
Kind of intriguing. Kind of terrifying.
I’d be much more into it if I knew the organizer/s. Might be a fun thing for spouses or a friend group to take turns surprising each other!
In my heart I can be this carefree. In my head, no. I have been on road trips that I didn’t plan and I didn’t know where we were going. I didn’t like that and couldn’t relax enough to tey. I was younger thwn but I don’t think I have changed much in that arena.
😉
My parents get a yearly invitation of a Professor who will do a tour for a week somewhere in Italy (we are in Europe already). They always sign up without looking where he is going, they enjoy his tours that much. And anywhere Italy is good for them I suppose. Not quite the same, but I thought I would share.
I would go on a day mystery hike…
When I was growing up there was a travel club in my town (Ports of Call) that offered mystery trips. They’d give you an idea of what to pack, but no idea where you were going. I always thought that sounded fun. I’d do it, but I’d have an idea if I were going to a warm place or a cold place (I’d be much more likely to choose the former).
No, mystery trip is not for me. I like knowing where I’m going. It’s kind of like a blind date right? Never been in one. ?
I am new to blogging and want to follow the #MicroblogMondays movement. It didn’t let me add the link on your post. Apologies but can you let me know what I am doing wrong?
Thanks!
To confirm this is my blog entry for today, in case you will be able to add it: https://mettle.blog/2017/05/22/microblogmonday-qi-energy/
thanks for the inspiration!