Ah, Memorial Day weekend. That time when it feels as if Summer officially starts, up north goes to Up North (or UP North), and fishing poles, boats, and coolers get pulled out of closets and basements. Cabins, cottages, and car top carriers all get opened up and swept out. Normally I'd say that 75, 96, 127, and 131 approach creep-and-beep status, but that's changing.
This is one of the first years that I'm not heading anywhere this weekend, and many of my friends and family find themselves in similar situations. Newsweek reports that as many as 60% of Americans are planning on cutting back on vacation plans because of rising gas prices. While AAA of Michigan estimates 1.3 million of us will still travel, to some like me, it seems like the only thing going up is the price of gas.
Instead, I'm enjoying what's being coined a 'Staycation' and I'm taking it easy on a local level. While it's nice to rest, relax, and save money, I'm still feeling pretty guilty.
It's definitely not the same as heading north, breathing in the heady scent of fresh pine, seeing giant expanses of forests and fields, and eyeing the endless coastline of the Lakes. I tell myself it's okay I'm not spending twice or three times as much money for gas simply to get from here or there, but it's a small consolation. Because it still feels like nothing more than robbing Peter to pay Paul.
There's a lot of things to complain about in Michigan: the budget, the trampling of the First Amendment by Mike Bishop, the wildfire in the U.P., and yet more Republicans behaving (very) badly, and it's easy to see why some people get down about Michigan.
But thanks to the good folks over at Michigan.org and a little help from native son Tim Allen, there's some great reminders why at the end of the day none of it outweighs all of the truly great things about our wonderful state.
I've been featuring the Pure Michigan series all week, but I thought I should bring a little over here for a savory treat on a Saturday afternoon.
What are you doing with one of your 25,000 sunrises this weekend?
