Traveling on schedule while a new world dawns

Drive |

5/21/2008 - 5/22/08

Despite record-high gasoline prices and a shaky economy, the number of Americans planning road trips for the Memorial Day weekend has dropped only slightly from last year, according to a survey released last week by AAA.

U.S. economic woes also will do little to discourage Americans from heading to the airports for the long weekend, according to the online survey of 2,000 adults, which the Travel Industry Association conducted and analyzed for AAA.

About 31.7 million Americans plan to travel by car this weekend, a drop of about 1 percent from the 32 million a year earlier, AAA said. Some 4.35 million plan to travel by air, slightly fewer than the 4.37 million who took to the skies during the three-day period last year.

Over the last year, average fuel costs nationwide have jumped 67 cents to $3.79 a gallon. In California, the average is now a record $3.94 a gallon. AAA predicts airfares will be about 8 percent higher this Memorial Day weekend compared with last year's.

Still, surveys and polls over the last few years have shown that, when fuel costs climb, travelers shorten their trips or cut back on extraneous expenses such as shopping to help make up the difference.

"The cost of gas is one of those things they don't have control over, so they cut back on other things," AAA spokesman Mike Pina said.

This trend holds true for owners of recreation vehicles, the behemoth land yachts that get as little as seven miles to the gallon. Seventy-six percent of RV owners surveyed said they still planned to travel via RV this spring and summer but will probably take shorter trips, a recent survey by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association found.

"People will still take their RVs out," said the group's spokesman, Kevin Broom, "but they will stay closer to home." — Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times

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For a family trip, factor in driving's convenience

Even if gas prices hit $5 a gallon, the traditional family summer vacation by vehicle costs less, is more convenient and less stressful than flying, according to the Car Care Council.

A family of four traveling 1,000 miles by car costs about the same as one person by air.

"Rising ticket prices, fewer daily flights, fuller planes, limited baggage, fewer nonstops and longer layovers between connecting flights doesn't paint a pretty picture for this summer's vacationing families thinking about flying," said executive director Rich White.

"However, even with gas prices considerably higher than last year, the cost of driving is a much better deal compared with going by air."

By air: A family of four flying a 1,000-mile roundtrip will spend an average of $1,324 for tickets, based on 2007 figures from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Factor in price increases, and that number is likely low. Add airport transportation and/or parking.

By vehicle: If gasoline prices were $5 a gallon, the cost for a family of four traveling 1,000 miles by SUV would be closer to $343. This number not only includes the cost of gasoline, but also tire wear and maintenance based on AAA vehicle operating costs.

And more: Beside the direct cost savings, going by car offers a number of advantages over flying, including:

• Leave when you want from where you want

• No airport parking

• More legroom and overall comfort

• No weather delays

• No waiting in ticket-counter and security lines

• Pack whatever and as much as you want

• Stop and stretch anytime

• More and better meal options

• No rental-car expenses

• No strangers sitting next to you

• Enjoy the ride

• Bring the dog!

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Kids' books to take along when you hit the road

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt (Kids Can Press, $15.95, ages 4-8)

The germophobic and jittery squirrel is back and stressing out over a trip to the beach to hunt down the perfect shell. What about the hazards? Tribes of jellyfish, mobs of lobsters, packs of pirates. And the crowds. Oh, the crowds. After careful planning, he makes his peace.



Where's Waldo? The Ultimate Travel Collection by Martin Handford (Candlewick Press, ages 6 and up)

Waldo, the knit-capped, stripe-sweatered pop icon, has come of age. Twenty-one years after he first tried to get lost in a crowd, he's squeezed into a tricky travel collection as he traverses the globe. And he's joined by some friends who dress a lot like him! The book is small and lightweight. Good luck.



Go Go America by Dan Yaccarino (Scholastic, $17.99, ages 9-12)

The perfect take-along for a roadtrip. Pile in with the Farleys as little Freddie wows his family with obscure facts organized by state and accompanied by playful visuals. Did you know, for instance, that it's illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone poll in Atlanta? Passing through Kansas? Look for a very large ball of twine in Cawker City that weighs 17,554 pounds.



Wonders of America: Yellowstone by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by John Wallace (Aladdin Paperbacks, $3.99, ages 4-6)

The latest in a series for Level 1 readers, there's a surprising amount of information: Yellowstone became a national park in 1872. Old Faithful is one of 500 geysers. More than 100 wolves roam Yellowstone in a reintroduction program. The park is home to one of the world's largest petrified forests — and to Bison, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep.



Everybody Bonjours by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Sarah McMenemy (Alfred A. Knopf, $16.99, ages 5-8)

A little girl in a smart red dress bonjours high at the Eiffel Tower and bonjours low in the Metropolitan, the Paris subway system, as her family demonstrates in this rhyming picture book that Paris isn't just for lovers. They stop at the magnificent Sacré-Cœur on the city's highest hill, take in the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and sail toy boats at the Tuileries Gardens. Tips on sights to see included.

— Leanne Italie, The Associated Press