The Best Labor Day Road Trips
The long, lingering days of summer are starting to come to a close, and lazy weekends and warm-weather getaways will soon be nothing more than memories. Before you know it, you’ll be back running shuttles to soccer practice and shoveling the driveway. Unless, of course, you plan one last summer fling.
Make the most of Labor Day this year by packing up the car and escaping for the weekend. With a map and a bit of wanderlust, you can manage to make summer linger for a few more days. That is, if you plan it right.
National travel advocacy group AAA has seen an uptick in car travel this summer over last year, with a 5% increase in trips taken over Memorial Day weekend, and a 17% jump in car travel over the Fourth of July. During this year’s Labor Day weekend, AAA predicts 31 million people will hit the road, a nearly 10% increase from last year. Most of those travelers will get behind the wheel: 91% of travelers intend to drive, while only 5% will fly.
It makes sense, since driving is often less stressful then flying.
“We can’t ignore the fact that the air travel experience has become less attractive,” says Geoff Freeman, executive Vice President of the U.S. Travel Association.
“The hassles of flying–security delays and cancellations–are a contributing factor to finding alternative ways of travel.”
With gas prices stable and consumers keeping a tight grip on their wallets, road trips are an attractive option for those looking for an inexpensive getaway.
“For a larger family there’s a definite cost savings over flying,” says AAA spokeswoman Heather Hunter.
“Our travel agents are reporting double-digit growth [in services provided] over last year.”
Once you’ve decided to get behind the wheel, you’ve got to figure out where to go–no easy decision when you’ve got the wide-open American road in front of you.
By: Janelle Nanos
