To drive, or not to drive? This Memorial Day weekend, with surging gas prices that are redefining pain at the pump, that is the question for many Americans as a new COVID-19 surge also spreads across the country.
Dan Johnson and his family are traveling from Paoli, Pennsylvania to attend a relative's graduation in Boston.
"Whatever the gas price is, we unfortunately just have to pay for it. But, you know, we want to go visit our family so this is the cost that's involved," John said.
For some, that's exactly what's caused them to rethink their holiday plans, making them opt for a staycation in their backyard to limit the damage to their wallets.
The average gas price in the U.S. on Thursday was $4.60 per gallon, according to AAA figures. In California, it topped $6. The high price of oil — largely because many buyers are refusing to purchase Russian oil because of its invasion of Ukraine — is the main cause of the steep gasoline prices.
Rising prices coincide with a COVID-19 surge that has led to case counts that are as high as they've been since mid-February, and those figures are likely a major undercount because of unreported positive home test results and asymptomatic infections.
Still, 2 1/2 years of pandemic life has many people hitting the road or taking to the skies, despite the surge. AAA estimates that 39.2 million people in the U.S. will travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from home during the holiday weekend.
Those projections —- which include travel by car, plane and other modes of transportation like trains or cruise ships — are up 8.3% from 2021 and would bring Memorial Day travel volumes close to 2017 levels. The estimates are still below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, a peak year for travel.
About 88% of those 39.2 million travelers — a record number — are expected to go by car over the long weekend even as gas prices remain high, according to AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross.
"Despite these record high gasoline prices. We are expecting, based on what we're seeing for Memorial Day, that it's going to be a very robust travel period for summer. People just want to get out and go," said AAA spokesman Andrew Gross.
In California — despite being home to the nation's highest gas prices — the state's nonprofit tourism agency also predicts a busy summer for the Golden State, beginning this weekend.
But San Francisco resident Jeffrey Pelesauma isn't planning to travel over the Memorial Day weekend.
"I'm staying local because everything is, you know, with the gas prices being high and with the pandemic still somewhat still going on. I'm staying close, close to home," Pelesauma said after filling up at a gas station in Alameda, Calif.
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