"Going Mobile" is a song written by Pete Townshend and initially released by the Who on their 1971 album Who's Next. The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey, did not take part in the recording of the song, leaving the rest of the band to record it as a power trio; Townshend handles the lead vocals, guitars, and synthesizers, with John Entwistle on bass guitar and Keith Moon on drums.
Source: YouTube & Wikipedia
Townshend described the song as follows: "Because of the vagaries of the modern world, because of pollution being caused mainly by people's need to travel, to be somewhere else. (People) had been told, ‘You can't do that anymore. You have to stay where you are.’ But people have got this lust for life, and adventure, and a bit of color." It celebrates the joys of having a mobile home and being able to travel the highways at will – Townshend himself had acquired a mobile home about a year before the song was recorded. This theme is illustrated in the lyrics:
I don't care about pollution
I'm an air-conditioned gypsy
That's my solution
Watch the police and the taxman miss me
I'm mobile
For those of you who are not familiar with this song, which was originally released as the B side of the single Behind Blue Eyes, a YouTube link to the song is included below.
It seems that Americans resonate with the message of “Going Mobile.” Let's start by examining the traditional start of summer travel during the Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA, 45.1 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home over the long holiday weekend. That's the highest number ever recorded. In fact, it breaks the all-time record that has stood since 2005.
Despite the media's continued focus on economic uncertainty and inflation pressures, Americans are still prioritizing their summer vacations and leisure travel. A recent survey from Allianz found that US households are projected to spend a record $226.6 billion on their summer travels, as shown in the chart below. The average household expects to spend just under $3000 for their summer getaway.
As you will note in our second chart below, a recent survey by Deloitte found that more than half of all Americans plan to take leisure travel over the summer months, with a higher proportion of families planning to take multiple trips. While consumers may be feeling the pinch of rising prices, they are still prioritizing spending money on creating shared memories and experiences over buying things.
In part, this may be driven by lower gasoline prices. Recent data from GasBuddy and Bloomberg showed that the average cost of a gallon of gas over the Memorial Day weekend was $3.08, the lowest since 2003, on an inflation-adjusted basis. With the current administration's narrative of “drill, baby, drill” and Saudi Arabia agreeing to pump more oil, we could see the price of gasoline drop below $3 a gallon this summer. This would certainly help those planning road trips to visit family or travel to domestic locations, such as national parks or beaches.
We also know that international travel, especially to Europe, remains strong, and cruise lines are seeing passenger volumes surge. In 2023, cruise lines carried 31.7 million passengers. That number jumped to 34.6 million in 2024. Forecasts from the Cruise Lines International Association suggest a 9% increase in 2025, with volume reaching 37.7 million passengers.
As those of you who are clients of Impel Wealth Management know, we strongly agree with those who prioritize creating shared memories and shared experiences with your loved ones. We have seen that the value of these experiences increases over time, while the value of material possessions inevitably decreases over time.
We wanted to provide some economic background and context for you as you consider “Going Mobile” this summer. Our team of CFPs will be excited to hear about your travels and experiences in our future meetings as we continue “Moving Life Forward.”
© 2025 Jesse Hurst
Senior Wealth Manager
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