Let me tell you about the summer travel plan that started with a graduation, a 15-year-old black lab, and my complete inability to not brand everything and give it a name.
This summer, my family has a stretch of time together based out of our Rochester area home. And instead of letting it slip by, we decided to make it an adventure. Not a big vacation, no flights, no hotels, no lost luggage. Just day trips. A 90-mile radius. Our own beds at the end of every night.
We call it Day Trip Palooza.
The Rule
One rule. Keep everything within 90 miles of home base. That’s it.
It sounds simple, and it is. But within that radius, there is so much we’ve been meaning to explore and never quite gotten around to. Places that always felt like “someday.” Well, someday is this summer.
And the best part? Our sweet 15-year-old black lab gets to stay home with us rather than going to boarding. She would like us to stop going places without her. So we made her a deal to come home every night to feed her dinner and love on her. She’s holding us to it.
Why Day Trips
You don’t need a week off and a plane ticket to feel like you’ve actually gone somewhere. Day trips deliver the mental reset, the unexpected discoveries, the stories you come home with. All the adventure. All the snacks. None of the airport.
I actually talked about this almost two years ago in a series I called Adult Field Trips, because that’s exactly what day trips are. Remember those school field trips? The excitement of going somewhere new, breaking from the routine, the permission to just explore? Day trips are exactly that. Just with better snacks and no permission slip required.
Day Trip Palooza is that same spirit all grown up. This time with a home base, a radius, and a whole summer to work with.
How I Find the Good Stuff
Planning a day trip doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s my actual process.
I always start with my own site, QuirkyAndCool.com, which is basically my personal database of offbeat destinations around the country. If I’ve heard of it or stumbled across it, it’s in there. It’s free and open to everyone.
Then I go to Google with very specific searches. I’m not searching “things to do in Buffalo.” I’m looking for nostalgic spots, roadside attractions, filming locations, regional food, great coffee shops, and breweries. Whatever is interesting to us and would bring us joy. And here’s a tip: go to the second and third pages of results. That’s where the good stuff lives, the places that aren’t SEO optimized but have the real information.
Also, always follow the Reddit links. Local people share genuinely interesting gems in there that you won’t find anywhere else.
Google Maps is your friend for figuring out what towns are even within your radius. You’d be surprised how far 90 miles actually goes. I use it to zoom into main streets, find clusters of stops close together, and map out the most efficient routes.
And then honestly? I go down rabbit holes that most people wouldn’t bother with. One thing leads to another leads to something completely unexpected. That’s usually where the best stuff lives.
Where We’re Going
So here’s the summer lineup, or at least the current plan, subject to the beautiful chaos of actual life.
Buffalo — wings are obviously on the agenda. But I’m also on the hunt for sponge candy, which, if you don’t know what that is, you need to. Buffalo has layers, and we’re going to find them.
East Aurora — close to Buffalo but deserving its own full day. Charming main street energy with some genuinely unexpected stops on the list.
Corning — we’ve been meaning to get here for years. The Glass Museum is the anchor, and I haven’t been since I was a little kid. I have a feeling a lot has changed.
Skaneateles — a Finger Lakes gem that looks like it belongs in a Hallmark movie. Sometimes you just need to roam a pretty downtown and see what you find. That’s the whole plan, and I’m at peace with it.
Plus, whatever side quests present themselves along the way. Because the best trips always leave room for a detour — the good kind.
Your Challenge
Day Trip Palooza isn’t just something we’re doing this summer. It’s a mindset.
What’s within 90 miles of your home base that you haven’t explored yet? The museum you keep meaning to visit. The small town main street you’ve driven past a hundred times. The regional food you’ve heard about but never tried.
Get out the map. Pick a direction. Go.
And if you do, tell me about it. Let’s make it a Palooza.
