More than a few folks have asked me the same question – if you live on Maui where do YOU go on vacation?!

Legit inquiry. My response has always trended toward “being creative” and “remembering that it’s a five-hour flight over nothing but water from OGG to mainland LAX so make the most of it.”

This past winter I got creative a la Rick Steves and planned an East Coast driving tour that featured these Bucket-List stops for a lifelong sports fan:

Pittsburgh, PA (starting point) to Niagara Falls, NY

Niagara Falls to Cooperstown, NY

Cooperstown to Williamsport, PA

Williamsport to Penn State University to Pittsburgh

Enterprise Rent-a-Car provided the wheels (a Toyota Highlander that was way too spacious for my needs) and I drove that boxy hybrid just under 1,000 miles in six days.  Limited traffic. Ideal weather. Small late May/early June crowds. Memorable start to 15 days away from the Valley Isle.

Niagara Falls, NY

Absolutely loved it all – the drive north breezed by Lake Erie and Buffalo and then came rivers and bridges and the non-theatrical version of beauty and the beast. Mother Nature’s waterworks were all power and fury and downhill aggression. Gorgeous setting. American Falls. Canadian Falls. Water water everywhere but nary a drop to drink.

But wait – taking the Maid of the Mist e-boat tour steered us to the base of the pounding Falls and we got so drenchingly (not a word!) close that kids were screaming and our blue slickers got soaked. Liquid violence. Deafening roar. Epic visuals. What a rush! Kept my slicker as a forget-me-not souvenir.

Right around dark the Falls on both sides were lit up with glossy colors and then at 10 PM fireworks boomed. A++ tourist experience.

Cooperstown, NY

Absolutely loved it all – the final 45 minutes of the drive from NF to the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum on 25 Main Street was like a Rockwell-esque trip back to Mayberry. Curvy roads, rustic farms and pastures, quiet tree-lined streets. I half expected to see Barney Fife and Opie at the local ice cream emporium.

As a lifelong baseball fan I was overwhelmed and truly impressed with everything the Museum had to offer. The displays and plaques were vibrant and well-designed and not clogged with “sponsored by” messaging. Just pure baseball and grand-slam history. Kudos to those in charge for managing and maintaining this small-town treasure.

After dinner I went back for another viewing hour because Babe Ruth and friends deserved more of my time. A++ tourist experience.

Williamsport, PA

Absolutely loved it all – the drive from Cooperstown to the home of the Little League World Series was punctuated with rolling hills and lush greenery and very little commerce. My hotel was located almost right across the street from the LLWS Museum and while touring it I asked one of the patrons “where is the LL main field” and the woman said “behind us.”

Oh boy. Right there. Down the hill was Howard J. Lamade Stadium where the final televised games of the LLWS are played. Gorgeous ballpark with thick green grass and shaded bleachers. Play ball, indeed. Walking on the field was a no-no so I stood behind home plate and imagined my Little League self taking a few swings with cameras rolling.

What I didn’t know was what that players, coaches and managers live, eat and sleep in dorm-like rooms in a fancy brick complex called the International Grove. These sweet digs allow the participants to mingle and are a five-minute walk from the main fields. Brilliant kids-first amenity that adds to the September pageantry and folklore. Let’s play two. A++ tourist experience.

Penn State University

Absolutely loved it all – the drive from Williamsport to State College, PA was a rolling-hills masterpiece with a gazillion trees. I knew I was getting close when I saw the colossal football stadium standing gladiator-like beneath the blue skies.

The campus was humming with incoming-student registrations and parking was a nightmare. I showed a security guard my 50th State driver’s license and he let me park (wink wink) in the stadium lot and from there I toured the HUB-Robeson Center and baseball stadium. It never dawned on me that the Big 10 powerhouse would have an on-campus hockey rink (Pegula Ice Arena) but there it shined a couple slap shots away from the football complex.

Big TV money on display in the middle of nowhere. A++ tourist experience.

Truth be Toll-ed

I mapped out the entire trip on MapQuest and the site let me know that I would be traveling on toll roads in both NY and PA. Correct – my license plate was tagged by eyes-in-the-sky and I got dinged for $33 in fees. Gotta pay to play.