Gas prices will not stop anybody
A third straight summer of run-away gas prices isn't expected to keep Delawareans home once vacation season hits.
Nearly 100,000 First Staters will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic figures. That's about the same as last year.
While about 92,200 will go by car, about 7,700 -- or 3.4 percent more than last year -- will fly. Average gas prices are up 10 cents from last year, but plane tickets are down 5 percent, to about $166.
Nationally, about 38.4 million Americans will travel over the long weekend.
"Americans so love our summer vacation time," said Allen Kay, spokesman for the Travel Industry Association. "We think about it all year long, so when summer rolls around, we're going to do it."
Overall, summer travel is expected to be up 1.4 percent over last year, as Americans will take 330 million trips more than 50 miles from home in June, July and August, according to the Travel Industry Association.
Delaware's average gas price crept up 2 cents to $3.05 per gallon Tuesday. The national average hit a record $3.22 per gallon. Fuel costs are likely to continue increasing, although $4 a gallon probably won't materialize, said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Catherine Rossi.
"Delawareans and others will still go to the beaches to kick off the summer season," Rossi said in a statement. "To counter the cost of gas, families are choosing to travel closer to home, stay in less-expensive hotels and eat in less-expensive restaurants."
Travelers in Delaware are expected to spend $774 per household this Memorial Day weekend, which is higher than the national average of $594, according to AAA.
Although travelers might talk about looking for ways to save, last year's travel revenue numbers were good, and this year Delaware's travel industry doesn't have cause to worry, Kay said.
"We're going to hit a new record for summer travel this year," Kay said. With its boardwalks and beaches, and proximity to I-95, Delaware is a top destination for East Coast summer travelers, he said, and gas prices won't change that.
"They're still going where they want to go," he said.
Necia Beck of the state Division of Parks and Recreation said she hopes the gas crunch will prompt Delawareans to consider purchasing season passes, $27 for state residents.
"Rather than traveling far, people can stay right here in Delaware and get a lot of benefits from the state parks," she said.
Tony Sarver, who works at Delmarva RV Center Inc. in Milford and runs Eastern Shore RV Rentals LLC, said that while high gas prices might be hurting RV sales, the travel rental side is in great shape, as it's cheaper to rent a camper than to stay in a hotel and eat out.
"The whole month of July is already all rented, and August almost is," Sarver said.
Weekend weather might not be as summer-perfect as it was last year, when temperatures hit about 90 degrees, but this year looks to be promising, with northern Delaware expected to see highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s, and southern Delaware in the upper 70s, said Valerie Meola, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
There's a slight chance of rain Sunday afternoon through Monday, but that forecast could change, she said.
Because of additional motorists, no construction is planned for Delaware's roads from noon Friday through Tuesday morning, according to Delaware Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Williams.
Lanes still will be restricted on southbound Del. 1 because of the expansion project, even though no work will occur. Anyone headed to Lewes, Rehoboth Beach or Dewey Beach should expect delays.
DelDOT is recommending travelers going south of Dewey Beach follow U.S. 113 to the beaches and then take Del. 20 or Del. 26 east.
Seven-day-a-week bus service in Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, Fenwick, Lewes, Georgetown, Long Neck and Ocean City, Md., begins Thursday and continues through Sept. 16.
The weekend and holiday bus route connecting Wilmington, Dover and Milford with Rehoboth Beach begins Friday and continues through Sept. 3.
source: delawareonline.com
