Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer.  The kids are out of school. The swimming pools open up, and most people start thinking of their vacation trips.  Where will you go this year?  Will you travel by plane, train, bus or car?  Will you stay in motels or with friends?  So many choices; who can decide?

With the airfare prices going crazy and being charged for everything from carry on bags to pillows and blankets on the plane, perhaps flying isn’t the best option.  This is especially true if you have a large family or even a large body.  Can you believe some airlines actually charge you for 2 seats if you are too big to comfortably sit in one, with the arms down? I can remember when you could get cheaper tickets if you went stand-by.  Now they over sell most flights so there are no left over seats.

Of course driving isn’t a great choice with the price of gas so unpredictable.  If you are going very far, there is also the cost of overnight stays.  If you can find family or friends to visit along the way, that would be good, but not everyone can do that.  When you drive you do get to see a lot of scenery, but it takes days to drive across the country.

I guess we could just stay home and make day trips to attractions close by, but we have done that for the last 3 years.  There are only so many tourist stops in any given area.  We have lots of them near us; Put-in-Bay, Cedar point, the site of Fort Stephenson, Fort Meigs, the  Perry’s Monument, the Toledo Zoo, The Hollywood Casino in Toledo, art museums, Thomas Edison’s home, The Rutherford B. Hayes Home and Museum, Lyme Village, and many more.  We also have Lake Erie, Kelley’s Island, Johnson’d Island

Well, maybe I still have some places to check out nearby.  How about you?