Falcia Harvey considers herself quite well-traveled. The 27-year-old left New York City, New Orleans and crossed Mardi Gras, Barcelona and Madrid off her travel bucket list. But one of her favorite trips was to Cincinnati for her birthday in 2024.
“A trip to Cincinnati is always on my mind,” Harvey told CNBC Make It, adding that she wanted somewhere not too far from her home in Nashville at the time, but it wasn’t a staycation either. “It was one of my best birthday memories and one that me and my friends still talk about.”
Some of her highlights were going to Somerset’s outdoor bars, Brown Bear Bakery, the riverfront boardwalk, and the free streetcar downtown. It’s a simpler, slower-paced luxury that big cities can’t offer.
Last summer, her social media posts promoting Cincinnati and other lesser-known cities went viral with more than 1 million views on Instagram and TikTok, sparking thousands of comments exclaiming that other secondary cities are worth visiting, too.
Harvey’s love of secret and glamorous travel is part of a larger trend of travelers seeking slower, more fulfilling trips away from the hustle and bustle of big city destinations.
“A lot of people really believe that to enjoy travel, you have to see Europe and Africa and all the other places,” Harvey says. That’s true for some, but not all, she says. “You can have a great time even in the middle of nowhere.”
Despite traveling to major cities around the world, Farcia Harvey said her birthday road trip from Nashville to Cincinnati was the most memorable vacation she’s ever taken.
Caitlin Fitzpatrick
A slow journey meets a farm
Farm stay vacations in particular are booming, with 84% of travelers saying they’re interested in staying on or near a farm, according to a recent report from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. Over the past two years, interest in rural escapes has skyrocketed among Gen Z travelers, with guest reviews mentioning farms on Vrbo up 300% year-over-year.
Even celebrating life’s milestones is getting the slow travel treatment. Last spring, 28-year-old Aricca Giglia gathered 10 of her best girlfriends for singles at her farm outside Dallas.
The LA resident wanted bachelorettes to feel like a wellness retreat rather than a typical weekend party. However, finding a suitable venue was difficult.
L.A.’s Aricca Giglia hosted singles at her farm outside Dallas last spring.
Provided by Arika Guilia
She ultimately booked a three-night stay at Lavender Hill Farmhouse, drawn to features such as a chicken coop, fields with cows and horses, a pond with a paddle boat, an outdoor grill where she hosted hibachi dinners, and a large kitchen where she could bring in a personal chef to prepare different dishes.
“I don’t think any of us have intentionally traveled to be with nature,” Gilia says. “Nature may be tropical, but it’s definitely not a farm.”
“This is the slow travel movement. People just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life,” says Melanie Fish, a travel expert at Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. “In particular, they are looking for access to nature walks and hiking, but also specifically for farm stays and the opportunity to interact with livestock.”
Giglia says the unconventional stay was also affordable. It is estimated that guests paid about $250 per person for the weekend. That’s a steal compared to her husband’s bachelor party in Los Cabos, Mexico, which cost about $800 per person.
Be proactive about reading retreats
Mackenzie Newcombe, who runs the Bad Bitch Book Club in New York City, relies heavily on group trips to lesser-known cities.
Launched in 2018, the club launched an annual summer camp trip for readers in person in July 2021. About 28 people gathered at Northern Outdoors Campground in Forks, Maine.
It was such a hit that the club now hosts monthly reading trips across the United States. Prices range from $900 to $1,500 for a basic lodging package and weekend meals and activities. Last year, BBBC hosted a three-week summer camp. Newcombe, 32, said 400 people applied for 200 spots.
The Bad Bitch Book Club’s annual summer vacation draws hundreds of people for a weekend of reading and socializing.
Courtesy of Mackenzie Newcombe
Demand is likely to continue to grow, with Expedia’s Travel Trends Report showing that 91% of travelers say they’re interested in traveling around reading, relaxation, and quality time. Mentions of reading-related terms in guest reviews on Vrbo are up 285% year-over-year, and searches for “book camp” and “book club camp ideas” are on the rise on Pinterest.
“I think Booktok is responsible for the dramatic increase in what Vrbo calls ‘reading material,’” says travel expert Fish. “Groups are headed to these tranquil destinations, coastal homes, country retreats, or cozy multi-bedroom getaways with porch swings. They’re itching to curl up, and their purpose is reading.”
It has to have a strong relaxation element and a great view.
mackenzie newcombe
CEO and Founder of Bad Bitch Book Club
When choosing the best place to read, Newcombe says flashy cities aren’t always the best choice.
Newcombe’s least favorite retreats are Nashville and New Orleans, which are great cities in their own right, but “are not great for book trips because they’re about exploring and not relaxing at all,” she says. “There has to be a strong relaxation element and a great view. When I look for a home, I often look for places where people would be just as happy living in that rental all weekend and reading as they would going out and exploring the area.”
To that end, some of her favorite lighting trips took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Savannah, Georgia. Door County, Wisconsin. Holland, Michigan. Berkshire, Massachusetts. and Mount Snow in Vermont.
Hocking Hills, Ohio, about an hour south of Columbus, is a “strong candidate for a future destination,” Newcomb said, adding that members have “very strongly vouched for” book club retreats there for years. “Of course I’m like, ‘I don’t want to go to Ohio State,’ but they insist that’s the place to go.”
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