Although gas prices are at an all-time high, and the weather wasn't too inspiring, many local residents opted to stay home instead of traveling north or south, to experience what mid-Michigan had to offer this Memorial Day weekend.
In Lansing, there was music, cheering and clapping on Saturday at the city's annual parade. While in East Lansing, children didn't care that the skies were overcast, as they splashed and played in the sand box and water slides at the opening day of the Family Aquatic Center.
The city's police force, divisions of the military and four local high school bands honored veterans at Lansing's annual Memorial Day parade.
The parade was dedicated to Michigan's Pfc. Richard H. Rosas, 21, who was killed on Tuesday when an explosive device hit his patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. Rosas was from St. Louis, Mich.
Chaplain Bill Renfrew, of the Lansing Police Department, said the parade draws large crowds.
"This is one of the oldest parades in town - it's been around since World War II," Renfrew said, adding 500 to 600 people have been known to show up, depending on how nice the weather is.
"This year I expect more people are here because gas has been so high, so people stay in town."
Marching in time, high schoolers played music, as Lansing fire trucks rode by sounding their horns. At one point, the Lansing chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart drove by in a caravan, while the crowd cheered in support.
After the parade, children jumped in excitement as parents tried to calm them.
"The fire trucks and army men were my favorite part," said Trevor Sims, 7.
Just miles away, in East Lansing, more children squealed in delight as they rang in the holiday weekend with splashing, diving and fun at the Family Aquatic Center's opening day.
"People just love the drop slides," said Tina Jablonowski, the center's aquatic specialist. "They come here to relax and have fun."
The Aquatic Center, which first opened in 2001, offers residents three water slides, one frog-shaped slide and a large pool. The center hosts about 25,000 patrons per season and is the only water park in the Mid-Michigan area.
"Most people don't know about it, because it's tucked back," Jablonowski said about the center, which is located on Abbott Road, just north of Lake Lansing Road.
"With the developments around the area, like new apartments, we see some college students now, in addition to the families we normally see."
As Laingsburg resident Derek Bigelow, 11, jumped out of the pool and hurriedly made his way toward a water slide, he said he loves to come to the center every Memorial Day weekend.
"I've been coming since it opened," Bigelow said. "The slides are the best because they go the fastest. It's fun to come here and go down them with my friends."
Old friends met Friday morning.
The Lansing Post Office unveiled the country's new World War II stamp.
Lansing's main post office, 4800 Collins Road, presented the 37-cent stamp, which featured the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars were on-hand to raise the U.S. flag.
"Today we should remember and think of those that paid the ultimate price for our country," Lansing Postmaster Tim Holmes said.
