SHOW US: Where Did You Go This Summer?

Dreams of summer vacations sometimes take hold and become reality. But with the economic realities many people in Granby, East Granby, the state and the country are facing, those vacations too often turn into sitting in front of the AC and eating a pint of ice cream, for lack of more funds.

Turns out non-travelers are in the minority, because the AAA travel club reports that the number of Americans traveling has been on a slow and steady increase for the last two years. AAA's travel data from July 4 of 2012 showed a 4.9 increase from last year for people trekking more than 50 miles from home to celebrate.

"Americans are still in love with their vacations and they are finding ways to finance those vacations despite the slow-growing economy," said Cynthia Brough, director of public relations for AAA's national office. Brough said that travelers these days are looking for value and economy, however they personally define it.

You may not be able to top that pint of ice cream in front of the air conditioner experience, but on the off chance that you actually traveled outside your kitchen this summer, we'd love to see the photos and live vicariously through them. Maybe you went to the beach, or the mountains, or our personal fave, a cross-country tour of our finest frozen dessert factories.

No matter where you went, inside or outside The Granbys Patch, share your photos here so we can get inspired for next year.