Moving into April, one may have a touch of spring fever, or a bout of depression over the direction things are moving.
Many Americans have that frazzled feeling that their lives may be getting worse, not the “golden age” we were promised mere months ago. Consumer confidence is down.
Prices, excluding food and energy, rose at a higher-than-expected annual rate of 2.8% in February, the Federal Reserve reported on Friday. Market indexes have fallen sharply as inflationary trends rise.
Tariffs being slapped on our once-friendly trading partners by the administration of President Donald Trump are estimated to cost the average U.S. household $2,000 a year or more in inflation-accounted disposable income. Layoffs and buyouts among federal employees are increasing.
Economic bad news will continue with the impact of 25% tariffs on all imported vehicles and parts coming into the country starting in April. Cars and trucks will undoubtedly cost a lot more for the American middle class.
The strain is starting to show. It could be a cruel, cruel summer.
Therefore, it’s time to plan for a staycation- and not the kind we encountered during the coronavirus pandemic. These are more attuned to those during the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 where sitting on the front stoop took minds off the worst economy in the U.S. since the Great Depression.
With rising gasoline prices also fueling uncertainty, staying close to home and enjoying what Lake County has to offer in fun times is making sense in these perilous times. After all, if you could afford to travel abroad, who wants to be labeled an “ugly American?”
Canadians used to like us. No more since President Trump started his trade war.
We’re becoming a lonely outpost, persona non grata across the globe as other world citizens scorn us for Trump’s increasingly volatile actions. Or they sympathize with us during their protests at Tesla dealerships. Canadians and Europeans are eschewing traveling to the U.S. during their usual lengthy vacations.
So where to spend one’s staycation dollars and sense? In that regard, the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau has updated calendar listings of tourist events at its website: www.visitlakecounty.org.
One can also look no further than the Lake County Forest Preserves for things to do; many are free, like biking or hiking the county’s wide network of trails. The preserves’ web page, at lcfpd.org, offers a broad range of activities.
If you don’t have a Lake Michigan-worthy boat, you can still head to the state’s North Point Marina, the largest on the Great Lakes, which has hiking and biking paths, beaches and picnic areas. The same goes for Illinois Beach State Park near Zion, which additionally has campgrounds and a six-mile beach.
Your local library can introduce you to events, book clubs, tech classes, crafts and more. Libraries also have links to area museums and cultural sites via the exploremoreillinois website. Gardening programs abound, including Lake County master gardeners classes, in this once-agricultural county.
How about town-hopping on Metra trains in Lake County? Metra weekend passes are $10; three kids 11 and under ride free with each adult.
With Metra, one can visit local parks in different towns on respective lines. Bring a picnic lunch. One example along the Milwaukee North Line: Round Lake to Libertyville’s Cook Park which is about three blocks south from the village’s downtown station. Another, Libertyville to Fox Lake’s Lake Front Park, a six-minute walk from the Fox Lake train station.
Waukegan has its free monthly ArtWauk every third Saturday along Genesee Street in the city’s downtown. There’s also free admission to the Mother Rudd House and Museum in Gurnee, one of Lake County’s oldest solid structures built in 1841, which was a haven for the Underground Railroad.
The College of Lake County’s James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at the Grayslake Campus has various events and pricing, including some free offerings. Visit Lambs Farm on Route 176 and the Tri-State Tollway in Green Oaks, where admission is $5, a miniature train ride is $3 and the farm’s carousel at $2.
One of my favorite local day-trip spots is the Volo Auto Museum, off Route 120, just west of Route 12. There are more than displays of collector cars from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s at the venue, which is marking its 65th anniversary this year.
Tickets begin at $13.95, with additional charges for other attractions, such as the Titanic Exhibit and Jurassic Gardens. One can spend a full day just bouncing from building to building to view the various exhibits.
Nothing like gazing at powerful muscle cars to bring back what truly was a golden age in America.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
sellenews@gmail.com
X: @sellenews
