A piece of pumpkin pie has about 350 calories. A three-and-a-half-mile walk can burn around that many calories. You could burn those calories walking around the mall, or you could spend them outdoors for free. While “Black Friday” draws shoppers to the stores and online, to the tune of over $435 billion last year, some people have a different idea as to how to spend the day. The State of Michigan has waived the Recreation Passport entrance fee for all the State Parks in the state on Friday, November 29, 2019. So, you can have that extra piece of pie and burn it off while hiking or snowshoeing in a state park. We have two State Parks in the Blue Water area, Algonac and Lakeport. Algonac State Park has numerous trails, and for the adventurous, winter camping is possible, with camping fees applying. In cooperation with the St. Clair County Parks Department, Friends of the St. Clair River will be leading a “Woodsy and Wild” Nature Hike from 10 a.m. to noon on Black Friday at Columbus County Park. The walk is free and will happen rain or shine. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources invites you to use the hashtag #optoutside when posting your outdoor Black Friday pictures on social media. The #optoutside movement was started in 2015 by outdoor outfitter REI, which closes its stores on Black Friday.
