Beech Tree News Network

This year Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 28^th. This holiday weekend has become the unofficial beginning of the summer vacation season. It’s also a popular family time. So, while some people stay home, others choose to travel.

Memorial Day weekend travel may require some patience. USA TODAY’s Bart Jansen wrote an article earlier this month, “AAA: 41.5M Travelers for Memorial Day Weekend, a 5% Hike Despite Higher Gas Prices” (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2018/05/14/aaa-travel-memorial-day...). Jansen explained that, according to AAA travel club, more than 41.5 million people will have weekend plans, and the majority of those people plan to drive. Jansen’s article included advice to avoid peak commute times in major cities altogether. Though current gas prices are elevated, many still want to get away.

Sarah Berger’s article “These Are the Most Popular Travel Destinations for Memorial Day Weekend 2018, According to Priceline” (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/11/priceline-top-travel-destinations-for-me...) listed the top ten travel destinations for Memorial Day weekend. Priceline.com, the source of the data, is an American company and a commercial website for finding discount rates for airline tickets and hotel stays. Berger’s article reported that the number one destination will be Chicago, number two will be Las Vegas and number three will be Atlanta. The remaining seven destinations – all large cities – are also listed in the article. For this long weekend, city getaways seem more popular than the beach or the mountains.

Personally, any traveling I do during Memorial Day weekend will be within our geographic region. Checking on travel plans others may have, I asked friends and family the following question: “If you plan to travel during Memorial Day weekend, where or to what event(s) will you go?” Their responses included:

·       Horse show.

·       To my sister’s for her grandson’s graduation party.

·       Camping.

·       I’m going to graduation parties for my nephews and my cousin. Mom is going to her sister’s in Hammond.

·       We won’t be traveling. We are looking forward to having our family and friends at our house for a cookout and pool party.

·       Have friends over and swim!

·       No plans for Memorial Day.

·       Indy 500! It may be hot, but we always have a good time.

·       No traveling for us. Just cooking and going to the cookout at my friend’s house.

·       See my family. Enjoy being at home with time to ponder my life and slow down.

·       No plans. Staying home.

·       Visit family.

·       I won’t be traveling for Memorial Day, but I will spend it with friends at their annual Memorial Day party. It’s always nice to be with great friends to kick off the summer!

·       I am traveling to Motown to celebrate Will’s graduation.

Whether at home or away, Memorial Day is a meaningful holiday. Jeff Miller said, “The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude,” and Robert Reich said, “True patriotism isn't cheap. It's about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/memorialday). Let’s take a moment to remember and be grateful for our freedom – wherever we are.