There’s no reason to lament an empty nest. Get outta there and have some fun.

And you don’t have to go far. My hubby decided we needed a ride up to Chautauqua. It’s closed for the season, but it’s impressive any time of year.

The communities all around the region also impress.  We stopped at Dick’s Harbor House in Mayville, N.Y., for a lumberjack brunch cheaper than I could have made it at home. We sat in a booth by the window with a full view of the lake.

We toured the antique stores in Westfield. Saraf’s gives you a glimpse into old elegance with incredible furniture that looks like it came out of castles. We marveled at the old homes and made a final stop at Meeder’s Restaurant in Ripley, N.Y. The sign says it has world-famous pies, and we agree it was some of the best pie we’ve ever eaten. I was tempted by the lemon meringue but had coconut cream. My husband had warm blackberry pie with ice cream.

Quaint little towns, family diners and a calm, quiet Sunday with my hubby. Yeah baby, that’s what empty nesting’s all about. And then my son came home from Gannon University to watch the football game last night, so the empty nesting never lasts too long. But that’s what makes it sweeter.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.

No these are not miniature homes — they are tiny, but people live in them. Read the story in House to Home right here.

The Small House Movement is gaining in popularity in many age groups. The 20 somethings don’t need a lot of space to call home, and they need cheap space. Empty nesters want to downsize and travel but still have a place to call home. Other folks just want some a little space to call their own.

In Erie and everywhere, we are finding folks who buy traveling homes and even sheds that they can convert into small living spaces, offices or playrooms for the kids. Little spaces are finding big fans, and it’s a trend to watch.

Wikipedia credits Sarah Susanka and her book The Not So Big House in 1997 for some of the popularity. Visit the website here — it is impressive. Hurricane Katrina was the mother of necessity for small homes when Marianne Cusato designed the 300+ square-foot Katrina Cottages that offered private shelters much homier than the FEMA trailers.

Small homes, apartments and mobile homes are finding buyers in a tough economy. It’s something to see, and we’re seeing more of it.

Pam Parker has been writing about real estate for more than 20 years. She is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.