Prime getaways to Jersey shore, Lake Erie battle & Indy kids museum

Kathie receives her boarding pass from the gate agent/flight attendant.The August 11 News-Herald Travel will inspire end-of-summer getaway dreams and equip you to realize them.

Stories are gathered in one place here so when you click on their links, you will go there.

A promise to take us in three hours from home to a posh Atlantic City casino was put to the test when a pair of girlfriends joined me on Fly Borgata.  Passing up TSA and the need for lots more time, passengers discover flights with old-time amenities like blankets and free drinks, transfer and an early resort check in. Everything helped to stretch our getaway weekend with plenty of leisure for hanging-out time.

Its been 200 years since the Battle of Lake Erie, important turning point in the War of 1812. Island communities and ports on Ohio, Michigan and Ontario mainlands are hosting the Tall Ship participants in the days leading up to Labor Day Weekend. Then a well-planned re-enactment of the Battle will take place in the lake 16 miles northeast of Put-in-Bay among ships with crews costumed in the era. Black powder exploding from well-aimed cannons will contribute to the din and drama. Go and discover events and places that helped open the Great Lakes to westward expansion and determine the boundary for our Canadian neighbors.

Then head west 5 or so hours to Indianapolis, making the acclaimed children’s museum there the perfect swan song to summer for kids. Join staffer Betsy Scott and her three children when they meet her sister and their four cousins for a weekend packed with fun, friendship, animals and creative play.

We hope you enjoy reading these stories and will pass them along to your friends.  All these trips would be a delight to enjoy with others in the weeks before our all-too-short summer begins to wind down.

Get the paper on your newsstand and you’ll find lots more, including a new Museum of the Bison, a food festival in Traverse City, a Kentucky cave tour,  some wonderful new shore excursions and ways to bring the expense of a Tokyo visit into line.