It's not that I can't think of lots of lovely places to visit, it's just that with the price of gasoline and the related problems, it's just hard to justify so much travel.  I live in a small town and I walk whenever I can.  If  I'm just headed to the post office or to my little studio, I walk.  And I'm passed by a lot of cars.  A LOT.

I read somewhere that "they" say that gas will have to get to $5 a gallon before Americans change their driving habits.  At $4.55, I can't see any change at all.  I know that so much of the traffic is unnecessary, but part of it is the result of what has happened to our commerce centers, otherwise known as downtowns.  Most of the small to medium sized towns that I visit are all but dried up.  All the shopping and business places are outside of town, and one HAS to drive to get to them.  People really have no choice but to drive in order to conduct almost any kind of business.

My little town is not much more than a village, with really just one square block of downtown.  But in that block, there is a lot of potential.  There are almost 20 storefronts.  Unfortunately, these are not the necessary types of business that bring in shoppers.  There are three "beauty shops" but no barber.  There are two places to buy flower arrangements, but nowhere to buy a pair of socks.  We have two convienience stores with groceries, but they are across a busy 4 lane highway.  And I won't even get started on the lack of sidewalks.

Seems to me that part of the solution to the gas crunch is to reduce our usage by walking.  My mother would tell about how she and my father were living in Asheville in the early 1950s without a car.  He walked or took the bus to work, and she was able to do all her business by walking.  Today, it would be very hard to live in most American cities or towns without access to a car.  Ironically, Ashevelle is one of them.  The downside to that fact is that it is very expensive to live there, as the available housing is very upscale.  But it is a promising start.

So, I'll continue to walk when I can, combine trips, and cut it to the bare essentials.  And with the money I'll save, maybe I'll plan a trip on Air France!