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The Dog Days Of Summer
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AAA Expects Increase In Holiday Weekend Travel
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Many people in Maryland are not letting tough economic times stop them from heading out this long holiday weekend.
AAA estimates more people will be traveling this year compared to last year.
Mary Bubala reports this time last year gas prices were near $4 a gallon and people were staying home. However, this year it's a little different. It's the unofficial start to summer and for many it signals the first chance to get away.
"The economy couldn't impact me with this trip, but it might if we were to go a couple more times during the year," said Jill McGauvarn, driving from Long Island to Richmond.
"Unemployment is still very much a problem; Still a depressant to consumer spending. But I think people are going to take advantage of the beautiful weather and hit the road," said Morris Segall, SPG Trend Advisors.
"We packed up our car with our kids and our friends and we decided to road trip it instead of taking airfare. We split the cost on the gas. And we're taking a nice long trip to Disney," said Michelle Chivers, New Jersey.
"I've always been frugal, so I would be driving anyway," said Jerry Abrams, traveler.
While driving does save money on these weekend trips, once travelers get to their destination they'll probably find some good deals. That's from businesses who are anxious to get consumer dollars.
"You can negotiate for travel on hotels, rental cars, on airfare, everything is being discounted in order to entice the consumer to spend some money. And now that we've got a holiday weekend, I think everything is for sure going to be put on a bargain," Segall.
Right now, unleaded is 2.34 per gallon in Maryland. That's up 11 cents from last week, but significantly down from the 3.80 per gallon we paid last Memorial Day weekend.
"I knew I was going to come down so I said, oh I better start putting a little aside," said Irma Smith, driver.
More travelers also will board airplanes this year, though AAA is predicting that rail and bus travel will drop by 10 percent.
Nationwide, Memorial Day weekend travel is expected to be up slightly over last year but still well below 2007 levels.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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