Travelers hitting the road for Memorial Day weekend despite high gas prices – Eyewitness News 3

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) – Gas prices have hit record-setting highs, but that’s not stopping people from traveling this Memorial Day weekend.

AAA said we’re back to pre-pandemic levels of travel.

Experts are forecasting more than 1.8 million people will be hitting New England roads this weekend.

This comes at a time when we’re seeing so much pain at the pump.

Experts say people just need to get out.

Nate Olson and his family got their Memorial Day weekend started early Friday morning.

“So far, so good, we left really early, tried to get out the door by 5 a.m.,” said Olson, of Arlington, Virginia.

Their destination is more than eight hours away in the woods of New Hampshire.

“Married ten years, but I haven’t met this side of the family so we’re heading up for a family reunion,” Olson said.

This is a trip that’s been a long time in the making and gas prices aren’t stopping them.

“Gas prices were and are a big challenge, but we figured we’re not sure when we’ll be on this side of the country again,” said Olson.

“Last year we probably didn’t travel much at all,” said Edward Desciora of Manhasset, New York.

But Friday, Desciora got his wife, his dog Abby, and they’re taking their first Memorial Day weekend trip since pre-pandemic times.

Desciora

“We’re going to visit our daughter in Beverly, Massachusetts,” said Desciora. “I filled this car up and it was $5.40 a gallon,” said Desciora, who filled up in New York.

“Even though gas prices are higher, we drive less, but now we feel like we’d like to see her this weekend. It’s a long weekend so the drive is doable,” said Desciora.

AAA spokesperson Amy Parmenter said that’s the mindset of millions this year.

“People just really want to get away. There’s that pent up demand and they are just not going to be staying home,” said Parmenter.

“People have pent up travel energy, and they’re going to take that road trip this weekend,” said Tracy Noble, Spokesperson for AAA.

Noble says it’s not really stopping anyone this holiday weekend.

“90% of holiday travelers are going to be driving to their holiday destination,” said Noble.

With gas prices at record highs, getting to your destination will likely cost more than ever before.

Friday’s gas price is $4.67 a gallon in Connecticut and likely higher in bordering states.

That’s $1.60 higher than last Memorial Day weekend, meaning filling up a 15-gallon tank will be nearly $25 more expensive this year.

Experts say that’s leading travelers to get creative on other ways to save.

“They may take shorter trips, they may look to save money by reducing the amount of overnight stays or possible cooking at their destination as opposed to eating out,” said Noble.

But at the end of the day, people are hitting the road.

State environmental officials released the results of their first water quality report of the 2022 season for state swimming areas.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on Friday listed only one swimming area being closed for the Memorial Day weekend.

DEEP said the beach at Mashamoquet Brook State Park is closed for maintenance. It will remain that way for the whole season.

The rest of the state park swimming areas, including Hammonasset Beach in Madison, Rocky Neck in Niantic, Sherwood Island in Westport, and Silver Sands in Milford, are open.

The state park lakes and ponds are also good to go, according to DEEP.

DEEP routinely tests the swimming areas at state parks. Weekly samples are collected by staff and analyzed at the Department of Public Health lab for the presence of certain indicator bacteria.

Indicator bacteria are not disease-causing pathogens, but are one of the tools used by public health and environmental protection authorities to evaluate the potential for contamination of waterbodies.

Local health departments are responsible for sampling municipal beaches and swimming areas, DEEP said. For information on closures of local swimming areas, contact the local public health agency.

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