AceHyflyer wrote:

From everything you have said it really looks like a fixed-gear, single
engine plane will be the way to go. Unfortunately, I've got a 5 person
family and I'll need to be able to carry a fairly large amount of
baggage, so I'm going to have to look into something a little bigger
than a Skyhawk.

I've been thinking that something along the lines of a Cessna 205/206
or Beechcraft S-35 would be appropriate for my needs.

Many people anticipate that they will be flying all over the country with their
entire families, and once they start flying, they find that most of the time
they are solo or carrying a single passenger. Often spouses and families are not
as enthusiastic about flying as the new pilot anticipates. YMMV.

DGB