ESL Podcast 666 - Traveling to Less Popular Sites

guidebook - a small book that describes interesting things to do, places to visit, restaurants to eat in, and other activities for a particular city, region, or country, written for tourists

This guidebook has more than 20 pages of restaurant recommendations for Manhattan alone!

unique - unlike anything else; different

Kaitlin likes to give handmade gifts because they're unique.

cookie cutter - with everything being the same; with many identical copies of something

I'd hate to live in one of those new housing developments, where all the homes are cookie cutter.

site - a place or location, especially a place to visit as a tourist

This was the site of the first store in this town.

to explore - to learn about a place by going there and walking around it and through it, experiencing it instead of reading about it in a book

Lauren dreams of becoming an astronaut so that she can explore outer space.

off the beaten path - places, sights, and activities that are unusual or uncommon and that most visitors are unaware of

This city has a lot of museums that are off the beaten path, but really interesting for the people who visit.

to make (one's) way around - to be able to navigate an unfamiliar place, area, or region; to be able to move in an area without getting lost

We moved to Pittsburgh more than two months ago, but I still can't make my way around without a map.

to plan out - to have a plan for what one will do and when

Do you plan out your family's meals, or do you just decide what to cook each evening based on what you want to eat that day?

to fly by the seat of (one's) pants - to be spontaneous; to do things without planning or worrying about them ahead of time, often when one doesn't have all the necessary information or skills

The previous head of the committee didn't leave any papers or instructions for Noemi, so she had to fly by the seat of her pants for the first few months.

sensible - practical; reasonable and rational; logical

Spending all our money on a trip to Las Vegas wasn't very sensible, but it was a lot of fun.

to lose sleep over (something) - to spend a lot of time worrying about something so that it interferes with one's ability to sleep well

Yes, there are a few errors in the report, but don't lose sleep over it. We can make those corrections in the next version.

local - a local resident; a person who is from a particular place or has lived there for a long time; not a tourist or visitor

If you want to try authentic regional foods, eat where the locals eat.

hidden - secret; not seen or known by many people, often because someone does not want it to be obvious or well-known

People say this house is connected to the church by a hidden underground tunnel.

secluded - away from other people, very quiet and private; without many people

They watched the sunset on a secluded, romantic beach.

offbeat - unusual, quirky and interesting

Pierre has an offbeat sense of humor, and sometimes people don't understand his jokes.

insurance - a guarantee; something one does or has to protect oneself from problems and risks

Carrie thinks having an umbrella in her purse is good insurance against rain.

embassy - a country's official presence in another country, usually a large building with an ambassador and other staff members

If you want to apply for a resident visa, you first need to go to the embassy.

to get lost - to become confused or disoriented and not know where one is, usually because one has moved into an area one is unfamiliar with

When we hike in the woods, we should always take a whistle and a cell phone, just in case we get lost.