The holidays typically mean plenty of time with loved ones, an abundance of delicious meals, and time off from school and/or work. Many people also travel to exotic destinations and enjoy making memories outside of their homes.
2020 has placed restraints on our ability to tour different spots, so the Another Zelda Podcast team began daydreaming of safer locales and thought, “What if we could travel to different locations in the Zelda universe?”
Here are our top areas in the Zelda series we would like to visit. Let us know yours! You can read the first vacation blog post here.
Ryan
We all know the main spots out there to vacation in the world of Hyrule and beyond, but I wanted to find the diamond in the rock that you find when you smash it with a Cobble Crusher. When I go on vacation, I hate crowds and prefer quiet, but I still want to relax and enjoy everything that the busier places have. So, I have chosen Rito Village.
Now I know there is that couple who is on their honeymoon, and one of them is not happy to be there--but that is a honeymoon, not a normal vacation. On a normal vacation, you want a little more to do and places to visit, and there is a wide range of things to do at Rito Village.
First up are the views around the village. I mean, sit there on one of the landing pads for the Rito and watch the sun set or rise because you can see both very easily from the village. You also have the views of the snow-covered mountains to the north, Cuho Mountain to the south, and the forest at the entrance to the village. For those with a Sheikah Slate and who can see further, you will see the giant waterfall, Hebra Plunge, to the northwest.
But don’t limit yourself to just the village: go for an adventure near the village. Go north to the Hebra Mountains where you can ski, snowboard, or pull out your trusted shield and surf down the mountain side.
You can find the tourist attraction the Flight Range, where Revali himself trained (please bring your own paraglider to participate) and then have a hot cocoa at the Hebra Trailhead Lodge.
If you are tired and just want to relax, the Sturnida Hot Springs are nearby (shh, don’t tell too many people, as this is a secret). If you love to hike and adventure, Cuho Mountain is a slightly warmer peak that gives a great view of not just the village but of Strock Lake, too. You can also take a closer look at Hebra Plunge and the other waterfalls near that area.
Don’t feel like adventuring on mountains due to possible attacks from Moblins and Bokoblins? Well, then you can then stay within the village and explore the lake beneath the spire where Rito Village is and be safe within the confines of the Ritos’ protection. If you're that tourist-y person who loves to shop in town, there are plenty of shops where you can find unique gifts.
And, because I am who I am, I would think that there are at least a few good distilleries in the area since you have to stay warm whenever you go up to the top of the mountain. Somewhere, there are Rito Spirits where the “Revadka” that was first made by Revali over 100 years ago and “Whiskey of a Feather” can be found and enjoyed responsibly. They are made with freshly grown ingredients you can find only near Rito Village (needs to be confirmed).
Although this might be a colder place to visit, put on your ruby circlet that you picked up while visiting Gerudo Town and hang out with the Rito.
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M.J.
Let me start out this post by saying there are a number of video games I have played that I would definitely not want to vacation in. The worlds of Mass Effect or Gears of War, for instance, would not exactly make relaxing holiday destinations. That’s one of the great things about The Legend of Zelda, though! It has a ton of drama and a sense of danger, sure, but it also has some straight-up charming locations that many players would look at and say “Yep, I could settle down here.”
For anyone who is a little rusty on their Wind Waker knowledge, Windfall Island is the place the King of Red Lions takes you after you are defeated by Ganon at the Forsaken Fortress the first time. Here you need to purchase a sail before heading on your merry way to save the world--but that’s not all that happens on Windfall! There are also a ton of side missions you can do here, and, let me tell you, the first time I played through this game as a kid, I think I did all of them.
The reason for my pick is simple: Windfall Island is always safe. As the game progresses, things get darker and scarier (bear in mind I was just a kiddo the first time I played this game, so, yes, even some toon-style things were scary to me!), but Windfall Island is always a bustling place filled with normal people with vaguely monotonous missions for you to carry out for them. So, basically, during my first play-through of this game, I did take Link on some mini vacations to Windfall Island whenever things got too stressful!
What are some of the sights a traveler can see at Windfall Island? Well, for starters, it’s an island. Of course, every place in Wind Waker is an island, so that’s really not that special, but Windfall definitely does have a prettier, brighter color scheme than most of the other islands in the game. There is a big, sandy beach along one side of the island, leading to a nice private cove where the King of Red Lions is known to hang out.
If sandy beaches aren’t your thing, there are also a number of shops and restaurants. There is a Chu Chu Jelly juice shop, Zunari’s shop, which sells all kinds of interesting things from around the world (supposedly), and, of course, the Café Bar, which appears to be a combination coffee shop and bar (um, yes, please!). There are also some locations for more niche travelers, like the bomb shop…. But don’t cause too much trouble, or you might end up in the island’s jail!
There is also an Auction House if you want to purchase some fine art and, of course, the famous windmill that is part of what gives Windfall Island its name! You can go to all these locations or just wander around the charming streets, but watch out for the pesky school kids--they can be trouble.
Basically, traveling to Windfall Island feels a lot to me like traveling to a little tourist town along the lakeshore in my home state of Michigan. It has sun and open water, little shops and cute restaurants, and also the homey feeling of knowing there is a whole community of people who actually lives, works, and goes to school there. Between those childhood-family-vacation vibes and my early Zelda memories of camping out here between scary missions, Windfall Island is just a bundle of nostalgia wrapped up in sunshine.
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