Oasis

 That's what it is, an oasis in the sky, an island of serenity high above a world gone mad, where the Old Man of the Mountain sits in regal splendor with his two cats, contemplating the true meaning of existence. All kidding aside, it's a fine garden Uncle Ken.

The more I think about it, Uncle Ken is right about the Mackinac Bridge, except for the part about going to Canada.  The Mackinac Bridge joins the Upper and the Lower Peninsulas of Michigan.  The bridge that goes to Canada is some 50 miles north of there.

MDOT - International Bridge (michigan.gov)

Early in the pandemic, there was some talk about businesses not accepting cash, but I don't think anything ever came of it.  In fact, it was about that time that our local Chinese restaurant started offering a one dollar discount per meal if you paid with cash.  They never had accepted personal checks, just cash and cards. 

Speaking of cards, there was a thing in our local paper the other day that said, if you put your restaurant server's tip on your card,  the boss often withholds about three percent and keeps it for himself.  Also, if your bill lists a service charge, it doesn't necessarily mean that it goes to your server.  They recommend tipping with cash if you want to know that your server is getting the full amount of your tip.

I seem to remember reading the "Val" story before, but that's okay, it's still a good story.