Instead of booking a room in a chain hotel, I'm staying in a small local motel, keeping all the money I spend on my room in state. I plan on stopping by a few breweries along the way and picking up a couple growlers. I plan on eating in local restaurants. These are all things I do when I travel. It supports the local economy in places that generally have a poor economy to begin with and depend on tourist dollars.

So for those of you making the trek up to Essex... skip the chain restaurants and hotels. You'll probably find better service and a more unique experience in the locally owned places.

I don't know if I'll have time to stop by a Home Depot or not, but if I do, I will.