CLEVELAND - Forget about 5-star hotels with lofty bills. Thrifty travelers are turning to hostels for their dream vacations.  It's a growing trend for travelers, and now the trend has spread to Cleveland.

Mark Raymond has stayed in hostels all over the world and he is using those experiences to open the new Cleveland Hostel in Ohio City.

“Over my travels around the world, I’ve stayed in numerous hostels and I’ve always liked the experience. Just because it’s not expensive or posh, it doesn’t mean it’s bad,” Raymond said. 

There are private rooms at the new Hostel, but some guests say they prefer the shared rooms and bathrooms, because “you get to meet people, you’re not so isolated." Guests also say that traveling by hostels means you can focus on experiencing more of the city. The shared space and stripped amenities definitely equal big savings, as rooms start at $25. 

Right now, the number of hostels in the U.S. is about 400, and it's growing. For a list of them, visit: http://www.hostels.com/usa

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Ohio state senators are taking to the streets to get the word out about voting.

Several Democratic senators are spending the night outside local boards of election offices Monday night. But while city camping is quite different than camping in the woods, Rep. Nina Turner says she is prepared.

"It will be a new experience for me.  I'm sure lots of people are going to be watching to see if I actually sleep out all night.  I can guarantee you I will be sleeping out all night because this is how important this election is," Turner said.