Travel can greatly benefit your life! Why not travel close to home and reap the benefits of short-distance travel. It can be very affordable and rewarding. Go see a live music show, visit a local museum and reward yourself.

Last Friday, my daughter and three grandsons took the train into downtown Chicago for the day. Everyone was excited as we boarded the train and rode through the suburbs. I watched as our grandson Nick began seeing the skyscrapers and asking which one was which. Is that the Sears Tower, Mimi? Then a discussion ensued on the name change to Willis Tower. We took taxi cabs to Michigan Avenue and enroute we passed by the Chicago Water Tower. What an education as we discussed the Great Chicago Fire and the story about Mrs O’Leary’s cow and how the fire was supposedly started.

We had some time before our 10 am play, School House Rock-The Musical, so we went to the best doughnut shop in Chicago, Glazed and Infused, maker of local handcrafted gourmet doughnuts. It truly was the very best and each of us relished the experience. Off to the theater which was loaded with kids. The play is about Tom, a nerve-wracked school teacher nervous about his first day of teaching. Various characters show him how to win his students over with imagination and music. So I am watching this and I hear singing along coming from my group and who is it? My daughter, and she reminded me that this was on TV when she was a kid. What fun!

Next stop Navy Pier. Little did we know that Navy Pier was celebrating their 100th anniversary. There was singing, music and FREE Cheesecake from Ely’s to celebrate a milestone birthday. We love it as we waited for our ride on the speedboat Seadog. We all were strapped into our seats as we drove through the locks of Lake Michigan and onto the open waters. Off we went…fast! Of course, the boys loved it and I thought this is grand as we were ‘flying’ along the shore. There was commentary on the skyline and for a minute I thought I was in the New York City harbor.

For just this day, we escaped everyday life, and created memories. So, if this summer you are unable to travel on your dream vacation, why not travel close to home?