Another Memorial Day is here – another tourism season, too

We have finally made it through those seven pesky winters this region associates with the arrival of spring/summer weather, with perhaps a slight jump of the gun a week ago in calling that Stump Winter had come and gone (it has now – I promise).

So with that, and the arrival of Memorial Day holiday this weekend, let the games begin.

Everyone enjoys the warm weather and outdoor activities that will occupy our spare and recreational time for the next several months, but as I have done in this space for several years now, let’s take a few minutes to be reminded of some of the things a new summer season means to those of us living in Clinton County.

It means of course that we get to spend some extra time on the water – fishing, skiing, boating or just enjoying the glare of an evening sunset on Dale Hollow or Lake Cumberland.

Just as we enjoy those activities, we need to remember that there are literally thousands and thousands of other people who enjoy visiting with us each summer – some on return visits and many more on first-time visits – known as tourists.

Yes, it would be nice to be able to keep these beautiful lakes and surroundings all to ourselves, but it ain’t going to happen and we do have to share with these tourists – at least until Labor Day.

That means crowded roads and streets and crowded waterways. Most of these visitors come from the northern areas of this region, and they bring a lot of things with them when they come to visit.

They bring funny accents. They bring funny driving habits. Those two things are pretty easy to deal with. For the first one, just look them in the eye, and with your best southern drawl, ask them “Whut did you say again?” They’ll repeat it, hopefully a little slower, and before you know it, you can easily begin to understand and even speak “northern twang”.

For the second one, that’s easy too – slow down a little and give yourself a little extra space. These drivers are used to fast paced driving, darting in and out of traffic and speeding up for the caution light instead of slowing down and getting ready for the red light. Couple those habits with the fact that many of them are lost and looking for a particular road they drove past a mile or so back, and it can spell trouble on the highways – but nothing that a little slower pace and more distance won’t cure.

Why? That’s a simple one. We need them. More specifically, we need the pockets full of money they bring to our area that allows them to enjoy their vacation to it’s fullest.

We need the boost to our economy that it gives when they fill up their cars, trucks and boats at our gas stations, and the jobs they give to those establishments.

While they do spend most of their time on the water, they stop on their way in and out to eat at our restaurants. Sometimes, they take a break and drive in to town to enjoy a meal or two.

We need the boat rentals – houseboats, runabouts and PWC’s – that keep our marinas operating and hiring local labor.

We need those stops at our grocery stores and markets they make to fill their coolers and refrigerators for the weekends or week they are staying. We need their broken vehicles and boats that keep our mechanics and tow vehicles picking up extra business in the summer months.

We need all of that, and they in turn, need us for all of the above reasons.

So, bottom line, we live here, and they are going to visit. We might as well do the best we can to co-exists for the next four or five months and make it enjoyable for everyone.

If you see them in the stores – stop and speak in your best Clinton County way – “Hey – y’all, how ya doing” will always bring a smile to the faces of our visitors

If you spot a car load on the side of the road or in a parking lot, studying a GPS or staring at a road sign, lend a hand. (I happen to live near the most confusing intersections the Kentucky Department of Transportation created in this state – I have found giving directions and assistance to be kinda enjoyable several times a week).

But most importantly, for everyone’s safety and hopes for an enjoyable and safe summer – slow down a little, and give everyone a little more distance. Pay attention, and before you know it – or want it to be – Labor Day will be upon us and we’ll be talking about cooler weather again.

Finally, in the words of Sgt. Phil Esterhaus from one of my all-time favorite old TV shows:

“Hey, let’s be careful out there.”