Looking for a holiday weekend that's off-the-Instagram-grid and far from tourists? Keep these 4 travel secrets in mind. Wildsam-approved. 

Use Yelp. Last thing you expected me to say, right? And for good reason. The digital beast of tourist reviews has more than 127 million entries and traffic touching 100 million tourists per month. Here's the silver lining: Yelp makes avoiding tourist traps easier than ever. When you're traveling, simply go on the site/app and search that tiny burrito spot in the Mission that your co-worker suggested. If the joint ranks high, then steer clear of it. But if the Yelpers have yet to descend, chances are it remains blissfully undiscovered. 

Get outta Williamsburg. You've heard me say before that the right neighborhood is more important than the coolest hotel. The question is, how do you find the next amazing pocket of town? Here's one trick: Just keep walking. By that I mean, explore the neighborhood next-door to the one where everyone seems to be going. Try Greenpoint over Williamsburg, Los Feliz over Silver Lake, or the Bywater over the French Quarter. 

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Smalls towns are the new black. If Charleston gets overrun, drive down to Beaufort. Getting itchy in NYC, sneak out to Sag Harbor. Need an escape from L.A., venture over to Joshua Tree. These small town gems rarely lose their charm. And if the WiFi is spotty, even better. 

Clock in, clock out. This is a new one. I was in Seaside, Florida, last week, and I realized that around 5pm, the crowds pack up and leave the beach. Leaving behind a dreamy deserted island vibe for us beach bums. (The cold bottle of rosè helped, too.) The point: On trips when you can't avoid a touristy kinda spot, play with time. Early AM run, late night dinner res, etc. Makes the place feel all your own. 

Photo credits, top image of Hotel San Jose in Austin: Allison V. Smith; last image of Long Island Bar in Brooklyn: Chris Ozer.