Well, you're a little funny, but just so you have some answers, here they are for you:
1) Ohio has more great places to see than just a half hour would take. It isn't the prettiest state in the country, but it has lots to offer if you search around a bit (Hocking Hills, Lake Erie, several areas along the Ohio River, tons of great state parks here, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and on and on). I don't live here for the beauty of the state but rather the closeness to family and very good cost of living along with lots of job opportunities in Columbus.
2) Last year's summer trip to Sanibel Island was just the most expensive SINGLE trip we made. During the calendar year we also hit Oregon, Washington DC, and Tennessee, and Lakeside, OH up by Lake Erie. Sanibel Island in the summer is just hot...big deal it's hot here in Ohio too in the summer. We were in the ocean or the pool most of the time anyway, and yep it's cheaper (which is nice) but it's also WAY less crowded, and that's what I'm after more than anything. You can go to Florida in the winter and not necessarily have
3) Not sure what you've got against sleepy towns in Michigan, but if you read the great responses here, and do some research on your own, you'll realize that the Sleeping Bear Dunes and surrounding area are beautiful -- great lakes and rivers, amazing dunes. My kids will LOVE it and we'll get to see some things we haven't before; you don't have to spend a ton of money to have a great family trip brother. We have other trips on the docket too -- Gulf Shores, AL at spring break, a weekend trip to Oglebay in West Virginia with other family members, and a trip to North Carolina planned, and we'll probably fit in another trip in there somewhere too. I'd rather do several smaller (cheaper) trips than one big expensive one -- though we will do the big expensive one one of these days -- either Hawaii or California or Europe or something. Harder later on as the kids are more involved in stuff to take as many trips, so a bigger one will be the order of the day.
4) I will go to Florida in the winter when the kids are no longer living at home and in school -- who the hell wants to go down there during a winter break when everyone and their brother goes? Not me. The Lovely Mrs. Flagpole and I will go down there in January or February.
5) I make no apologies for not being made of money. I'm the sole income provider right now, we put 20% away for retirement, give a lot of money to our church, and with the rest we spend prudently. If you can take a trip around the world or spend your summers in the south of France, then more power to you brother -- that's beyond my means currently.
Here's hoping you are able to find joy in your life.
- Flagpole