9.15.2009

Journal Entries From My Mom - Saugatuck

We go to Saugatuck at least once a summer season and have been for at least the last 10 years. Our first trip to Oval Beach and then shopping and eating in the village was a highlight in our family memorabilia. The beach house reminded me of something from the late 40s with its cinder-block construction and post WW II plumbing. A few spiders in the john – so what. That added to the mystique. The sand in the hamburgers made them the "best we'd ever eaten." A hamburger at the beach becomes a "family custom." This was an extravagance as in those days we packed our picnics as money was very tight. Admission to the beach was free, and that also helped the budget. We had a large pizza in a mom and pop Italian restaurant and that too has become a family custom. One of the charms for all of us for Saugatuck is the absence of fast food chains and shopping mall franchises. What a delight and surprise each year as we go back to see which of the favorite shops is still open. We grieve over the disappointment of a shop that is closed or replaced.

The atmosphere has always been from a by-gone generation. Value is given to hand crafted items and foods "made from scratch." What a gem of Americana. May it thrive and flourish as a contrast to Westfield Mall.