<a rel="attachment wp-att-778" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/about/3958218147_8775b9b533_o/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-778" title="TDT Profile Photo" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/3958218147_8775b9b533_o.jpg" alt="TDT Profile Photo" width="400" height="600" /></a>

In case you had to miss out on <a href="http://ignitetulsa.org/">Ignite Tulsa 3</a> in downtown Tulsa at the Blue Dome Diner last night, and until videos of the presentations make the Ignite Tulsa website, I wanted to share with you my notes from my 5- minute, 20-slide talk last night.

<!--more-->Yeah, some of this stuff is going to seem elementary. But as long as people are dining at Applebee's when they're in exciting, new cities and complaining that there's nothing to do in Tulsa, each of these points bear repeating, me thinks.
<ol>
	<li><strong>Swear off highways</strong>. Highways were dreamed up for one reason and one reason only: To get motorists from one area of a city to another as quickly as possible. They're not for sightseeing. It'll take a bit longer, but to really get to know what's going on in city, you're going to have to hit the city streets.</li>
	<li><strong>Don't reserve a hotel</strong>. I have a couple of friends who, when they travel to Europe, they leave this aspect of trip planning by the wayside. They get a feel for a city as they explore the streets looking for a place to sleep.</li>
	<li><strong>Eat at scary restaurants</strong>. This is one of the things I have the hardest time convincing people to do, but it's the best way to get to know the culinary traditions of a particular city or region. A trip to Starbucks, Applebee's or Outback Steakhouse just can't compare.</li>
	<li><strong>Shoot it</strong>. This is something fun to do with the kids: Give them cameras and let them take photos of what looks interesting to them. Then, tell them to take more photos. Before you know it you've walked a mile down the sidewalk, you have a stack of photos to show for it and you've explored a city in a way that a tour bus couldn't touch.</li>
	<li><strong>Launch a search for the city's best ______</strong>. My four-year-long search for Tulsa's best chile relleno (and no, I'm not ready to call it a game and declare a winner just yet) has led me into corners of this city that I might have never explored otherwise. If you're looking for a fun and interesting framework through which to explore a city, this is it.</li>
	<li><strong>Get on the bike</strong>. Riding bikes is fun, right? Right. It's also a quick, easy way to get around in a city, and it removes all barriers between you and the city you want to explore.</li>
	<li><strong>Take the bus</strong>. We're talking 100-percent, looking-out-the-window time, baby. There's no traffic to negotiate, and if you've ever ridden a bus before, you know that it's also great people watching.</li>
	<li><strong>Walk</strong>. Duh, right? I thought so, too. Except, you'd be surprised how many people return from vacations talking like they never set foot outside their rental car. Folks, you just can't get to know a city unless you pound the pavement with the soles of your shoes.</li>
	<li><strong>Hang around in bars</strong>. Unless you're in a top hotel in a major city, your concierge doesn't know jack about cool stuff to do in town that night. You're better off walking to the nearest bar and asking the bartender – these guys and gals know what's up. The bonus is that, if you stick around long enough, you'll probably get to hear some live, local music, too.</li>
	<li><strong>Hunt public art</strong>. When you visit a new city and you're looking for art, you have two options: You can pay $12 to get into the local museum where you won't be able to speak above a whisper for the duration of your visit, or you can hit the streets of the city for free and get a taste of local, public art that's unique to the city and unlike any other that you'll find anywhere in the world.</li>
	<li><strong>Go shopping</strong>. Yes, I'm giving you a license to go shopping – don't hear that very often these days, do you? But I don't want you going to The Gap, Eddie Bauer or American Eagle. Seek out the locally owned shops and boutiques to get the city's one-of-a-kind sense of style.</li>
	<li><strong>Be cheap</strong>. Bargain hunting has taken me into some really places, places I probably wouldn't have bothered to check out if I hadn't been hot on the trail of a good deal. Don't be afraid to check out a city's locally owned thrift shops and flea markets to gain a different kind of vantage point into life in a new city.</li>
	<li><strong>Join the club</strong>. There's nothing to get you off your couch and out and about like knowing that a bunch of people are waiting around somewhere for you to show up, right? That's why you should join a dodgeball team. Or a band. Or a competitive underwater basketweaving team. Whatever it takes to get you out and about town.</li>
	<li><strong>Pick a cause</strong>. My dad holds down more volunteer work than just about anyone I know, and I don't think it's any coincidence that he also knows more people than just about anyone I know. Serving a community not only shows you around a new city, but it also introduces you to its people. Forget about pretty buildings and landmarks – a city's people are what make it unique.</li>
	<li><strong>Go to church</strong>. No, really. I get asked all the time how I find out about all the things going on in Tulsa. Truth be told, I learn something new about what's going on around here every time I go to church. Church-goers tend to be more plugged in to the community, so getcha some.</li>
	<li><strong>Do old people stuff</strong>. No one had to tell our grandparents that shopping, buying and eating local was cool. They've been doing that stuff since they were kids – they are the original locavores and champions of locally owned businesses. When you're in an unfamiliar place or when you find yourself at a loss for what to do in your town, do as the seniors do.</li>
	<li><strong>Use Foursquare</strong>. I'm probably preaching to the choir, telling an Ignite crowd (and now, you bloggers) to use Foursquare. But, it's a really interesting way to explore a city. Check out who's checked in at your location, check out where that person has checked in and explore accordingly.</li>
	<li><strong>Have a baby</strong>. One of the reasons I started TashaDoesTulsa.com was because of how often I heard people my age complaining how they thought there's nothing to do in Tulsa. My No. 1 recommendation to these folks is to have a baby, because there's nothing else to spur your exploration into what there is to do in your town like having a kid to entertain all day.</li>
	<li><strong>Read local blogs</strong>. I wouldn't have found one of the best little bars to which I've ever been or the library within walking distance of my hotel on a recent trip to St. Louis if I hadn't contacted local bloggers as soon as the wheels of my plane touched the tarmac. Local bloggers are the best, most honest tour guides. Except for bartenders, of course.</li>
</ol>
I ended my talk with this quote: “The best way to find yourself is to discover where you are.” (Thanks to <a href="http://globaltableadventure.com/">Sasha at Global Table</a> for sending this Terri Trespicio quote my way.) As a hyper-local blogger, I can't attest to how true this is. Knowing your city adds a richness to you life that 25 hours a week planted in front of a television set just can't touch.

The credo is this: Get off your couch, explore your city and rediscover yourself.

What are your favorite ways to explore a new city? What gets you moving in your town?