We know, summer is a great time to take a vacation. But we also know that money is tight, and while you'd love to take a brand new netbook, hop on a plane and get the heck out of town, it's even harder than ever to make a trip for two happen.

But we feel your pain, and we'd like to help. That's why OnMilwaukee.com and AirTran Airways have teamed up to present six "Free Recession Buster Getaways" this summer and fall. We're giving you a chance to win a pair of roundtrip tickets to six great destinations, as well as a tiny netbook to use AirTran's inflight wi-fi that'll keep you connected while you're gone. If you play your cards right, your boss won't even know you've left town -- assuming you don't mind checking your e-mail from the beach or the National Mall.

All you have to do is write a great Readers Blog about why you deserve a trip to one of the free cities we're featuring:

• St. Louis
• San Diego
• Los Angeles
• Washington, D.C.
• Boston
• Orlando

Here's how it works: Starting Monday, July 20, we'll preview one of the cities (beginning with St. Louis). We'll share with you our picks for great places to eat, unique attractions to see and nightlife you just must check out. Then, we'll open up the Readers Blog contest for the following two weeks until we preview the next city on our list.

What should you write about? It's up to you, but to impress our judges (a.k.a. our editorial board), you might blog about why you've always wanted to visit the featured city, why you deserve a free vacation, about how you'd love to visit family or friends, etc. You get the point; it's open-ended but a perfect opportunity to get creative.

Each winner will receive a pair of roundtrip tickets from AirTran, a wi-fi enabled netbook and a little cash to buy wireless access inflight (or to use as you see fit). You can blog as much as you want; in fact, we encourage it, since a series of great travel blogs might just garner more attention from our judges than a single, great American novel. And of course, you can only win once.

Why are AirTran and OnMilwaukee.com teaming up for this great contest? You already know how active OnMilwaukee.com is in the community, and we're excited to be working with AirTran, which has stepped up its community giving in Milwaukee, too. Even in this economy, it continues to offer more and more flights out of Milwaukee, and just like us, AirTran would like to give you a break this summer. It's the least we can do to thank you for reading OnMilwaukee.com and for flying an airline that's serviced Milwaukee since 2002.

So, start thinking about those Readers Blogs. If you already have an OnMilwaukee.com Member ID (which you need to post Talkbacks or receive our e-mail newsletters), you're good to go. If not, you can create one now, or go through the quick and painless process when you post your first blog.

We look forward to reading and judging your travel blogs. Have a great summer and good luck winning a Free Recession Buster Getaway. We can't wait to hear all about your trip!