“There’s nothing to do.”

This is the single most annoying thing you can say to me about living in Lansing.

Maybe it’s because I moved to the area as an adult and didn’t endure years of teenage boredom. Maybe it’s because I hop on Lansing.org on a regular basis to find things to do. There are SO MANY things to do!

Be A Tourist In Your Own Town passport.

The Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with many, many volunteers, holds Be A Tourist In Your Own Town every summer to remind the local folks about all those things to do. It’s easy to overlook or forget about the attractions in your own community when you drive past them every day.

For just $1, you can buy a “passport” that gets you free entry into more than 50 local attractions. Many of the attractions will stamp your passport (get it?). Collect 10 passport stamps to enter a drawing for prizes. (You can continue to collect stamps throughout the month of June if you don’t get 10 during BATYOT.) Plus, you can spend 50 cents and ride the bus all day to most of the attractions.

Chalk of the Town submission by Corey Marie.

Contrary to popular belief, this event is not just for kids. For adults, the Board of Water & Light John Dye Plant and REO Town Depot, Burgdorf’s Winery, Coffee Barrel, General Motors ride & drive, and Van Atta’s Greenhouse make a pretty full day.

If you do have kids and you’d like free admission to attractions that normally charge, you’ll want to add Impression 5 Science Center, Potter Park Zoo, and Abrams Planetarium to the top of your list.

These are just the tip of the iceberg — there are many, many more potential stops. Happily, you can buy your passport any time in May and plan ahead. The Greater Lansing BUZZ Blog is full of helpful tips.

“Why don’t ‘they’ have this event more often?”

This is the second most annoying thing you can say to me. With a handful of exceptions, nearly every one of the attractions on the BATYOT list are open year-round! Be A Tourist In Your Own Town takes place once a year. But you can be a “tourist” whenever the mood strikes you.

Free perennials for passport holders at Van Atta’s Greenhouse.

Chalk of the Town submission on the Robert Busby Bridge in Old Town.

Face painting and art activities for the kids at Preuss Pets.