Recently I discovered How I Met Your Mother, which means I was the second-to-last person on Earth to get obsessed with it. This show nails what it's like to be a young adult in the city. And so far my favorite episode has been "Murtaugh." In it, Ted says he has a list of things he is now too old to do, like pull an all-nighter or drink from a beer bong. The list is named after the main character in Lethal Weapon, Roger Murtaugh, who famously says, "I'm gettin' too old for this sh*t." But the item on Ted's Murtaugh List that resonated the most with me was: Crash on a friend's futon for the night instead of getting a hotel room.

This week's question comes from Lindsey in Florida, the world’s second-largest orange-growing area (after Brazil):

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

--Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty's tablet

Lately, everywhere I turn, I hear a new horror story about how people are treated entering our country. Meanwhile today our new president won the Nobel Peace Prize. How can it be that a country that prides itself on being a safe haven for refugees from war and famine can treat the average tourist with such contempt? It feels so completely out of step with our national values.

Jim: Dwight, if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Dwight: I can travel anywhere, except Cuba, and I will travel to New Zealand and walk the Lord of the Rings trail to Mordor and I will hike Mount Doom.

Even though Dwight may dream of traveling down under to bond with his Hobbit friends, there are plenty of sights to see right in his own backyard. In honor of The Office being back, I thought I'd do a round-up of the must-see (cough, cough) sights of the greater Scranton area.

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Missoula, Mi-zoo-lah: It’s a name that trips off the tongue singingly. And I’m hearing it sung through the travel grapevine that it’s where in Montana you want to be the last weekend of this month and the first weekend of September, for two very different reasons.

First, on the weekend of August 29 and 30, it’ll be time to put down your fishing pole, hang up your hiking shoes, get off your high horse (or llama), and come on down to Missoula for the fourth annual River City Roots Festival, which is absolutely free for all who attend!

Over the past several months, we've talked a lot about the silver lining in this gray recession cloud. That is, all the great travel deals that are out there. For the summer, we're seeing airfare that has dropped more than 17 percent over last year and hotel rates that have declined a good 13 percent.

But, there's more to the silver lining than just deals. Travelers are getting back to the basics, seeking to experience the world on a budget and taking the time to explore their own backyards. For many, that means hitting the road.

Take a look at the map below for road trip inspiration from your hometown. We've highlighted the cities that have the best average hotel rates on the continent and found some local-recommended festivals that are worth checking out and will help to keep you on budget.

Life is stressful -- your vacation shouldn't be. After all, most of us go on vacation to escape the stress of daily life. But given the economy, rising unemployment and seemingly constant changes in the airline industry, it almost seems like we'd be better off throwing in the beach towel and staying home.

Almost, maybe. But not quite. Followers of The Window Seat know if there is one thing I really can't stand it is a certain word that begins with a "s" and ends with a "taycation." Especially now, when the deals are so good and it's unclear how long they'll last.

We'd love to hear from you -- what stresses you out on vacation and what do you do to solve it? Discuss.

This week's question comes from Neal in Greensboro, NC, home of the oldest standing Tuscan-style villa in America:

Recently, the Roaming Gnome and I had the opportunity to visit Universal Orlando. Oh the fun we had -- I faced my fear and rode The Incredible Hulk Coaster and R.Gnome got down and sang "All the Small Things" at the Rising Star karaoke bar.

But it was not all fun and games! There was work to be done as well. At the top of the list was spreading the word about Universal Orlando's sweet summer offer. There were lots of interviews on that deal and others, but just in case you missed it, you can watch this video for details on the deal, our Traveler Confidence Report and Universal Orlando's soon-to-open Rip Ride Rockit!

Hitting the road when you have a baby changes everything. Travel just ain't what it used to be.  Even me, a travel expert, was daunted by the idea of traveling with my daughter by plane for the first time.  As with everything there is a learning curve and you get better with experience. I'll save you some of the trouble and share some of my learninngs from our very first family vacation.