Just a drive away..

I like to take day trips. Nothing to pack for, you get to sleep in your own bed that night. But during the day you're off to see something new. I live in New York. Not the city of New York, New York. I live at the other side. Niagara Falls are a short drive, we have history, the Erie Canal, museums for toys, steam engines, Canal History, and other fun things like Jello. A drive away can be reenactments, outdoor theater, concerts, horse races, and there's always a festival somewhere. Any given weekend I can visit a castle, cross a covered bridge, hike a glen, tour a cemetery, or ride in a hot air balloon.

For me, a day trip is the best way to go. Don't have to have anyone keep the pets company, Sometimes the wee doggy goes with us. He's a hiker of amazing endurance. He thinks he's five foot tall when he struts along Lake Ontario or Geneva. He's been to Buttermilk Park, Niagara Falls park, Olcott, and Canandagua. He loves Letchworth, Ithaca, and even Lake Erie. He out walks us humans but sure sleeps good on the way home.

Given a choice, I'd visit every small town's cemetery. I am fascinated with the history and the beauty of the stones. new life comes up in a cemetery every Spring. Newborn flowers burst into patches of color. Trees bud and bloom. The contrast is beautiful and a little bit sad.

I start a list every year. Just about now, when Winter is leaving and Spring is patiently waiting to move in. A list of day trips. Howe Caverns, a boat ride on the canal. Last year was Cooperstown, this year NJ. A day out to Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the gardens. A train trip to NYC in the Fall. A drive to Maine for the leaves. A popover the border into foreign territory to visit Toronto Island and stroll in China Town on the way home.

When I was a child I hated these trips. It's just not cool to have to go to museums with your parents. No one wants to be see walking with them. So you'd sulk and pout and make sure that everyone around you knew how miserable you thought you were.
If only I could get those tours back. Some people want to see giant mice when they travel, others prefer boats with everything you could need. Some people need daring adventures, others want pampering. I like to see life. I like my day trips. Reader's Digest Condensed Travels. Always changing, none too long. Just enough in bite sized pieces, leaving me to see other wonders or learn other stories.

I'm making up for lost time and seeing everything I can. I'm one of those people who loves where they live. And when I finish up on my trips here I'll start branching out until I run out of things on my list. Since that will never happen I feel pretty safe continuing the way that I am. Waiting for Springtime, making my list and taking my day trips one by one.


What are your top three day trips?