Even though the crisis is still affecting us all, the truth is that we can't live without the deserved holidays that we are all going to spend in a special country of the world, right? Keeping this in mind, where are you going to this summer? Below is another msnbc.com article showing you the current trends of most Americans:
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NEW YORK - With the weather warming and gasoline costs dropping, Ken Hyman is looking forward to hitting the open road in his Mustang convertible as Americans head back to the highways in higher numbers this summer.
"You feel free," said Hyman, 67, who likes to wax nostalgic about the feeling of wind in his hair as he drives down the highway.
And he's not the only U.S. driver looking forward to holiday road travel this year.
AAA travel and auto group forecast a 1.5 percent rise in travel compared with 2008 for the U.S. Memorial Day weekend, the beginning of the traditional summer driving season.The trend will likely continue during the major summer travel holidays of the Fourth of July and Labor Day as lower fuel prices reignite the American love affair with the open road, according to AAA.
"The good news is sharply lower gasoline prices and plentiful travel bargains have Americans feeling better about taking a road trip this summer," AAA President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Darbelnet said.
Lower gasoline prices, travel bargains and pent-up consumer demand will trump concerns about the recession during major holidays this summer, he said.
Approximately 32.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the three-day weekend that ends on Monday, May 25, up from 31.9 million last year.
The majority of Memorial Day travelers, 83 percent, will travel by car, while 7 percent will travel by air, and 10 percent will travel by other modes of transportation including rail, buses and watercraft.
Trips by automobile will increase 2.7 percent, from 26.3 million travelers last year, to 27 million this year as Americans take advantage of gasoline prices that are down nearly 40 percent from year-ago levels.
The national average U.S. retail gasoline price was $2.24 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA, down from $3.71 per gallon a year ago. The group has said it does not expect prices to rise above the $2.50 per gallon level this summer.
Cheap gasoline prices are the main reason Jessica Brady, a 27-year-old public relations specialist from Tampa, Florida, will take some weekend trips to local springs.
"These were some things that we didn't do last year because of gas prices," said Brady, who owns a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle.
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