The great thing about living in the MidAtlantic region is the flexibility it gives you to just pick up and go whenever you please and have a fantastic vacation. There aren’t many places south and west of the MidAtlantic where you can do that. The cities in those areas are just too far apart. The major cities of the MidAtlantic, though, are each just an hour apart, just a short, inexpensive ride along Interstate 95.

Even visitors to Philadelphia on an extended stay can make a quick shopping trip to New York while on vacation. Or, even better, they can shop tax-free in Delaware just 30 minutes away. Or take a dip in the ocean after a drive to the coast, which is slightly farther to travel to than Wilmington or Dover, but not any less convenient.

Can I tell you how many times I’ve gotten up early on a Saturday morning, looked outside, and decided to take a last-minute road trip? It’s been many more times than I should probably admit. But planning for a day trip to one of the nearby cities in the MidAtlantic takes only a few minutes. I’ll show you how.

First, you’ve got to do a bit of research. This is easy. Because you’ve met up with me here at BellaOnline, you should probably have access to the Internet. What you want to do here is not in-depth research, but just enough to give you what you need to get your trip going. It usually helps if you already know a little about the city you’ll be traveling to.

On my very first trip to Philadelphia I did a search for the Liberty Bell and Philadelphia cheesesteaks. Those were the only two things I knew about Philadelphia at the time. So I got the address for the Liberty Bell and one of the more famous Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurants near downtown, got directions online, and then took off.

A good rule to remember is that in most major cities, where there is one famous attraction, there will probably be two or three others nearby. That’s exactly what I found out when I arrived in Philadelphia. I got to the Liberty Bell and asked a few questions of the locals about other places to visit and I found that not only were Constitution Hall and the Betsy Ross House just blocks away, but the visitors center was just across the street also. I wound up seeing three or four great sites just by doing a search for one place.

Next you need to remember to take cash. There are two very good reasons for this. First, you don’t want to rely solely on your credit cards because not every place takes them. Let’s say in your travels you’ve found a wonderful off-the-wall store where you can buy interesting, non-touristy knickknacks and bric-a-bracs for your home. If they don’t take credit cards, you’d be out of luck, and you’d miss the great opportunity to buy unique wares.

Taking cash is also great because it allows you flexibility. If you’re going to a city whose metro system stops running before you can make it back to your car, train, or bus, you might need to take a cab. Cab drivers in most cities these days do not accept credit cards for fares.

That’s all you need! It really is possible to travel on a whim, without definite plans or reservations, and still end up having a great time. Try it for yourself.