SHOW US: Where Did You Go This Summer?

The beginning of the summer may have been full of big plans for exciting adventures: road trips, far away vacations, long days spent relaxing on the beach.

But with August now over, many people are likely wondering where the time went — and what ever happened to those vacation ideas?

If you're one of those people, it turns out you're in the minority: 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 this year 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.

There are a lot of places in the Milwaukee area where residents can enjoy a staycation, and Patch has profiled many in its Gas Tank Getaway series:

• Waukesha:
• Caledonia: 
• Shorewood:
• Muskego:
• Wauwatosa: Check out
• Greendale:
• Greenfield: ;
• North Shore:
• Port Washington:
• Oak Creek:
• Sussex:
• Menomonee Falls:

If you hit up any of these places this summer, or — on the off-chance you got out of state — 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 your Patch, share your photos here so we can get inspired for next year.