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.

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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Have you heard the news? The economy stinks. I know, you're shocked (shocked!). But despite what some reports would have you believe, people are still traveling. Maybe not at the same rates or with the same budget as in past years, but they're still going. After all, what would summer be without vacation? Like a day without sunshine? Or like a gnome without a garden?

Travelocity has just released a list of ten summer hotspots for 2009. Think of it as a "most improved," rather than a "most popular" list. These ten domestic destinations are seeing a rise in popularity despite one-third of travelers cutting back on their summer vacation budgets. Good news in tourism alert! The local economies of these destinations should benefit from their improved rankings.

Susie Fujikawa, Travelocity’s market manager for Oahu, was born and raised there. Her love for Hawaii stems from the hospitality and affection from the people. “Hawaiians know how to welcome everyone and make you feel like you’re at home and I love it,” says Susie.

Right now, travelers are watching their vacation spending. What are some things travelers can do to stretch their dollar?

There’s a lot of value with certain hotels in Oahu. Right now there are two for the price of one luau ticket vouchers with your hotel stay, kids-eat-free specials, and complementary breakfast-on-the-beach perks.

In Waikiki, there are beach centers and parks where you can take your family on a self-guided walking tour--just grab a map and walk along the trails that are very easy to follow.

You can ride a car up to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. It’s not just pineapples there, but also garden tours that explore native plants like the beautiful lei flowers, tropical fruits, chocolate, and coffee plants ($4 adults/$3.25 children).

Over at the semicircular Hanauma Bay are amazing snorkeling lessons, diving, and scuba tours. It’s just so special because you’re learning on the beach and have the opportunity to see sea turtles and saltwater fish swim close by (snorkeling: $59/person; $5/entry fee). You can also rent snorkeling gear for a good rate and what’s even better is the transportation. The tour will send out transportation to pick you up from your hotel and bring you back, but you have to call to make arrangements.

Also, while in Waikiki, you can take the kids to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It’s an amazing venue that captures and showcases the different ethnic groups of Hawaii. There are canoe rides along the river, walking tours where you can get close and explore different Polynesian villages, including Tongan and Fiji villages, and, at the end of the tour, you’re treated to a luau and fantastic show.