Lynn and I have shared great benefits from traveling out of the normal season to spots around the World. In 1998 we traveled from Tampa to Zurich for a 9 day trip that began on October 16th, officially the day following the tourist season. We bought a First Class Swiss Pass which entitled us to travel by train to virtually every part of Switzerland without additional charges. In addition to enjoying the country without seeing throngs of tourists we had a rewarding trip, literally.

We were flying to Switzerland for free on British Air Frequent Flier points which we had earned earlier. We returned from Zurich and had a 6 hour layover in London’s Gatwick Airport. During the layover we took the express train to Victoria Station and enjoyed the streets of London as well as fish and chips and a pint of local beer. Upon returning to Gatwick we stopped at the ticket counter to check on our connection. A customer service agent said that she had been looking for us. She said she had “good news and bad news”. I asked, first, what is the “bad news.” She informed me that our connecting plane had been delayed in Jamaica due to a hurricane and that our non-stop flight from London to Tampa had been cancelled. Concerned, I asked, well then, what is the “good news?” She said, “Well Mr. Hutchinson we have booked you on another flight through Philadelphia which will get you into Tampa by Midnight. And…(this was the best part) we are going to give you each 250 British Pounds for your trouble!”.

One of our favorite trips is to Breckenridge in the Colorado Rockies. For the past three years we have traveled to Breckenridge during the last week of September. This is a generally slow time for the ski resorts there. However, it is a tremendous time for the off- season-traveler. Breckenridge has a collection of fine restaurants. During this week only almost all of these restaurants offer two-for-one meals. Additionally, lodging is readily available and much more reasonable than in the summer or ski season. For the photographer this is one of the best times of the year to enjoy nature as the leaves change and traffic is light. We have regularly enjoyed the first snow in September in the Rockies. First snowfall offers many great photographic opportunities.

We visited Las Vegas this past January for our first time. The town was so quiet that you could shoot a canon down Las Vegas Blvd. and not hit anything. We are not big gamblers but we did enjoy throwing $20 in the slots. We wanted to see the shows, We were told that if we were to see anything worthwhile we must book the better shows months in advance. We booked “O” and “The Blue Man Show” early. But we were able to book four other shows after our arrival including “Siegfried and Roy” and “Mystere”. I was able to leisurely take my photos of the colorfully lit buildings along the new Strip without worrying about tourists knocking over my monopod or filling the frame. Some of my pictures from Vegas are favorites.

Recently we took a short 4 day after the season trip to Cape Cod. Many shops were closed, but there was enough happening to whet our appetite to go back. It was an easy drive from the airport in Providence, Rhode Island, to our hotel, The Radisson, in Hyannis, MA (bargain rates, of course!). We ate lobster three times on the savings. Gone are the days, however, when you could order twin lobsters for less than $15! We had been to Cape Cod many years before.

We took the high speed ferry to Nantucket (one hour) where we spent a day. We met a couple of businessmen who were going to the island for the day. They were kind enough to arrange a tour of the island for us with one of the local guides whom they knew. We saw the homes of many famous people. We also enjoyed the wonderful New England “salt box” construction that Nantucket is known for and took pictures of lobster boats in the fog. We were lucky to have made the acquaintance of the businessmen since most of the tour guides did not work out-of-season.

On this same trip we drove to Provincetown at the end of Cape Cod. It was fun photographing boats beached for the winter and the desolate streets of this picturesque village that had been bustling with activity just weeks before.

Out-of-season travel has its rewards as well as it’s disadvantages. There is always the possibility of inclement weather. Bitter cold, sleet and snow greeted us during a trip to Paris in 1995. Some times it is not possible to dine in that favorite restaurant that was recommended by Zagat which is closed until the next season. But, we are hearty travelers. We make an effort to enjoy whatever we get. We always make wonderful, long lasting friendships on our trips. And we always come home with many memories and lots of rolls of film.

You can visit photos from many of our trips at www.CrazyAboutTravel.com

Submitted by Dave Hutchinson

Editor's Note: Dave has pictures of his trips to the following European Destinations on his site: Germany, Greece, Ireland, London, Netherlands, and Paris.

Want to submit an article? It's easy; just go to our submission page and fill out the form.

Keep Abreast of What's New In Europe Travel

Want to know when this page is updated, or when new articles will appear on the site, or interesting new posts show up in our forum? Sign up for our weekly newsletter: