This map gets big enough that every detour starts costing real time. Some places are easy to fold into the same night because they sit near the farm or town, while others only feel worth it when you already know what you are going there for. The difference between a good trip and a wasted one usually comes down to whether that stop actually fixes something you need now.
The best location is the one that gives you something worth the trip before the night disappears on the road. In Moonlight Peaks, running far only feels good when that area gives you a fish, quest step, or point of interest you cannot solve closer to home.
The next stop should be the place that actually solves tonight's problem. Town feels better when you can stack errands there, and the longer trips only start paying off when the marsh, lake, temple, or another spot gives you something specific you still need.
Distance starts hurting the second you realize how much of the night it eats. A far region only feels worth it when the reward is good enough to justify everything you could have done closer to home instead.
Each area feels different once you start using it for the thing it is actually good at. Some spots are the ones you remember for gathering, some for social progress, and some because a story beat or named place keeps sending you back there.
A place can matter later and still be the wrong stop tonight. If you still need a better tool or the quest has not opened up yet, it usually feels better to come back after the map is working with you instead of against you.
Start with the places that clear whatever is blocking you right now. The farm, town, and nearby resource spots usually feel better than a long detour until a specific fish, quest, or event finally makes that trip worth it.
No. Some places only start feeling worth the walk once the right tool, quest state, or collection target is finally active.
Ask whether that area gives you something the closer route cannot. If it does not, the walk usually costs more than the stop is worth.
Yes. Some places are better for gathering, some for social progress, and some matter more because a story step or named point of interest pulls you there.