In 2009, America celebrates its 75th anniversary of hostelling, which has provided low-cost opportunities for travelers to see the world, meet new people, and experience other cultures. But even without a passport or plane ticket, people in Northwest Ohio can still experience the benefits of hostelling in their own backyard.

Since 1964, the Toledo Area Council of Hostelling International has worked toward one mission: to help all people, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people. Extending past Toledo boundaries to Sandusky and almost Lima, the organization keeps its 300 members busy with year-round social, educational, and cultural activities.

Scott Carpenter, the Vice President of HI-Toledo, says the organization is perfect for "world travelers and world travelers at heart." With members that span from youths under 18 to senior citizens, Carpenter says, "it really is a multicultural and multigenerational group. That's what really makes it fun for me as a member."

HI-Toledo organizes a variety of programs throughout the year, many of which are open to nonmembers. Cultural Kitchens encourage people to gather in a member's home to sample different ethnic foods, while group walks allow people to see the beauty of Toledo-area parks and historic churches. In the winter, HI-Toledo partners with the Toledo Metroparks to present Travel Circles, where a walk or ski is followed by a show-and-tell slideshow of someone's travels around the world.

The most recognizable events of HI-Toledo include the four bicycle tours hosted every year: Portage River Tour (Sunday, June 22), Metroparks Tour (Saturday, July 12), Irish Hills Tour (Sunday, September 21), Tombstone Tour (Sunday, October 19). Each of these tours offers scenic routes of various distances for riders of all ages and levels. They also include rest stops where snacks and drinks are provided.

Although there are currently no hostels in the Toledo area, HI-Toledo works to increase the awareness and use of Ohio's two only hostels, the Malabar Farm Hostel, nestled at the Malabar Farm State Park, and the Stanford house in Peninsula.

Traveling is one of the main focuses of the organization, but many of its mission-based programs use the values and benefits of hostelling to enhance the local community. "Our goal is to introduce people from opposite sides of the world, or even of town," says Carpenter. Partnering with Girl Scouts, HI-Toledo hosts a program called Community Walls, where kids from different areas of Northwest Ohio decorate tiles that represent where they live and then exchange them. "It was an eye-opener for me," Carpenter explains. "They were very different even though they lived 20 minutes apart. That's the kind of understanding that we're trying to promote."

Hostelling International members get international perks like special access and discounted rates at hostels around the world, as well as local benefits like the HI-Toledo newsletter to keep you connected with community events and people who share your interests. For more information about HI-Toledo, its events and membership, visit www.hitoledo.org.