I'm using an alternative to trench/dirt-wall warfare - from Swamp era on my home base is elevated a bit over 8 meters above everything else nearby. Don't have to build a plateau, just an earthen pillar. The choice of whether to engage a raid or not is pretty much all mine.

That's just one example, there a ways to reduce the 'grind' or, better yet, make it enjoyable. A big part of making it enjoyable is all in the player's mind. Also decentralizing your facilities to some degree as @Vivan, Lady of Dawn and Dusk noted above helps reduce 'unnecessary' trips.

I think it is very easy to get too focused on the task at hand and end up making things a grind that don't have to be. Have to make a sea voyage? Scout a bit and serpent/leviathan hunt along the way. The passage of time in the game is pretty meaningless really, so what if your voyage takes an extra couple game days because of a fun and/or profitable side venture?