Forced Digital Detox: The Cold-Turkey Option for Tech-Obsessed Travelers Mary Zakheim September 14, 2016 Trending Stories Well, folks, it’s gotten so bad that we are now resorting to signing a pact to stay off our digital devices. While it might sound wild, it kind of makes sense. Travelers nowadays (we’re guilty, too!) seem to see the spots on their itineraries through the eye of a lens rather than through their actual, you know, eyes. And while we’re huge fans of the selfie, we also totally recognize the need to take a moment (or a week) to put down our phones and begin to travel again for the sake of the feeling that travel gives us, not just the cool Instagram shot. With that said, check out the Instagram accounts (ha ha, such irony) of these digital detox options for adventurers looking to unplug and reboot on their next vacation. Intrepid Travel As a local, sustainable, small group travel company, Intrepid Travel has its participants sign a digital detox agreement before the trip, swapping cell phones for notebooks. Check out their trips to Ecuador, Thailand, India and Morocco for a mobile-free taste of travel. A local tip from @pravin_tamang, our man on the ground in #India… The best way to enjoy #sunrise at the #Taj is by boat. #LiveIntrepid A photo posted by Intrepid Travel (@intrepidtravel) on Jul 10, 2016 at 1:47am PDT Via Yoga Fancy a trip to Mexico, Costa Rica or Washington State? Say Om with Via Yoga’s retreats where cell phones aren’t allowed! Let’s get fit and check out some monkeys! Join us April 9th-15th for our first ever Yoga and Fitness Retreat in Costa Rica! Mike of mikefitness shows us a different take on staying healthy while on vacation. In this picture, the place in the middle of the trees is where YOU will stay. The sandy spot in the lower right corner is your gym!!! Click our bio link to register! #fitness #yoga #costarica #sun #travel #strength #workout #outside A photo posted by Via Yoga (@viayogavacations) on Feb 15, 2016 at 12:59pm PST DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. Put down your phone and pick up a bike when you sign up to cycle anywhere in the world with DuVine! Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations #rideon #challengeyourself #mountains A photo posted by DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. (@duvine) on Aug 23, 2016 at 1:55pm PDT Discover Outdoors Finding nature in New York City was once considered a difficult feat — not anymore with Discover Outdoors, who offer trips to city-bound New Yorkers that range from a day to a week! The best views are the ones you have to work for. Happy Thursday, DOers, let’s get ready to weekend! (Photo Cred: @ceze) #domore #discoveroutdoors #hiking #travel #adirondacks #mountains #beactive #climbing A photo posted by Discover Outdoors (@discover.outdoors) on Jun 23, 2016 at 10:41am PDT Paragon Guides Offering outdoors activities ranging from llama trekking to their more mainstream climbing adventures, Paragon Guides showcase the finest that their local Vail, Colorado landscape has to offer. Llama supported ski missions…. we would never. Except we did. Who’s in spring 2017? ———————————————————— #bucketlist #llama #skimountaineering #backcountryskiing #lifegoals #outsidelife #blackcrows #jealous #vaillive #colorado #vail #dreamsdocometrue A photo posted by Paragon Guides (@paragonguides) on Jun 26, 2016 at 11:43am PDT Looking for something more DIY? Here are some options where you can choose to leave your phone at home by your own dang willpower #sobrave. Take a hike in a national park You know we <3 our national parks… And you will, too! Check out their site to find the park nearest to you and start planning your mobile-free vacation! When daisies pied and violets blue And lady-smocks all silver-white And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue Do paint the meadows with delight” Love’s Labour’s Lost We think the Bard would’ve found our parks inspiring. How do they inspire you? 📖✒🎭 #Shakespeare400 #FindYourPark #nationalpark #Shakespeare A photo posted by National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) on Apr 23, 2016 at 7:20pm PDT Take a moment to stargaze Okay, so maybe you can’t take off for a week (or even a night) sans-phone. Take a couple minutes to appreciate the bit of nature that’s always accessible: that beautiful night sky. Even if you can’t see the stars, you sure can see that beautiful hazy moon. #DeathValley National Park in #California harbors some of the darkest night skies in the United States. It’s a place to gaze in awe at the expanse of the #MilkyWay, follow a lunar eclipse or track a meteor shower. Sriram Murali (@sriram_murali) captured this amazing shot at @deathvalleynps’s Zabriskie Point as the sky cleared about an hour before sunrise. “The sky is so full of stars that there’s more white than black. It makes you realize how big the Universe is and makes us feel tiny.” Photo courtesy of Sriram Murali (@sriram_murali). #findyourpark #usinterior A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Aug 17, 2016 at 4:16pm PDT Read a book (somewhere inspiring, if you can) Escape through the pages of a fantastic book. Set your mobile aside for half an hour and let yourself be swept away by the magic of reading. Meet me in the woods. I’ll be right here. ☺️ A photo posted by J E S S (@jess.wandering) on Jul 19, 2016 at 8:54pm PDT [perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Are you ready to take a digital detox? Let us know how you plan on unplugging in the comments![/perfectpullquote]