The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, sounds like a great deal until you actually get there and you're surrounded by a sea of crazed shoppers. But here's a novel idea that will be embraced by millions of Americans on that day. Instead of going to a mall, go to a park.
In fact, nearly a dozen state parks are offering free admission that day. (Check any deals for your local, state or national parks).
This alternative destination for the most popular (or infamous) shopping day of the year is starting to catch on across the nation.
One entity behind this movement is the outdoor store REI, which is actually closing their stores on Black Friday, and suggesting instead that their customers spend the day outdoors.
Last year, more than one million people took REI's advice and signed a pledge "to #OptOutside and choose trails over sales," said Alex Thompson, REI's vice president of public affairs.
If you go to their website, right now that number has tripled to 3.4 million people who have signed the pledge.
Some of the states pledging to provide free admission include California, Oregon, Arizona, Minnesota, Colorado, Delaware, Missouri, Tennessee, Washington and South Carolina (more may follow suit so check your state. Plus in some areas there is a limit on free passes).
Black Friday is a crazy day. Everybody has seen the videos. The lines crammed outside waiting for the doors to open.
Why not take a different path? Walk a trail instead of a parking lot. View an awesome landscape instead of yet another rack of clothing. Listen to birds chirping instead of canned music blasting. Sit on a park bench instead of a mall bench. Feel the soft ground underneath your feet instead of the hard tile.
As REI says, choose "outside over inside."
The malls and the stores will be there on Saturday and every other day before the holidays. Many with extended hours.
Many people have Black Friday off from work. Shopping can certainly seem like work sometimes. But hiking? Well, not a chance.
P.S. Speaking of gifts. Remember the National Park Service also has a bunch of free days. For 2017, they announced the 10 days where admission fees are waived.
Those days are:
- Jan. 16 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Feb. 20 - President's Day
- April 15-16 & April 22-23 - National Park Week (weekends)
- Aug. 25 - National Park Service Birthday
- Sept. 30 - National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11-12 - Veterans Day Weekend
In a press release, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said, "National parks are known for their priceless beauty. On these ten days in 2017, they really will be priceless. We want everyone to visit their national parks and the fee-free days provide extra incentive to experience these amazing places."
The staff at The Park Catalog wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.