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Texans hitting the roads for holiday weekend
Published November 23, 2008
Jackie Cain and her loved ones regularly take advantage of the extra days off work during the Thanksgiving break to visit her parents in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The secretary for Alvin ISD’s curriculum director, Cain said she and her husband, Bob, and daughter, Ali, have made the 16-hour car ride four times, each time without stopping for a night of rest.
“What I love is spending time with family,” she said.
But Cain, who also has flown to visit her parents, expects many other families to turn their holiday visit this week into a road trip.
“Honestly, I expect there to be a lot of traffic this time,” she said. “So I won’t take any chances. If I get tired, I’ll stop somewhere.”
More than 3.18 million Texans will travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving, according to a study by the American Automobile Association. The Lone Star State is second only to California in its share of the 41 million people expected to travel during the break nationwide.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are declared the two busiest travel days of the year, said Robin Renner, co-owner of Mason Evans Travel. Renner’s Lake Jackson-based travel agency books a few hundred more vacations for that week than an average one.
CAR TRAVEL
Texas highways are expected to be loaded with cars and trucks during the Thanksgiving break, according to AAA. Of the 3.18 million state residents heading out of town, about 79 percent of them, or 2.5 million people, are expected to travel by automobile.
AAA spokeswoman Sarah Schimmer said the dropping price of gasoline could play a role in the amount of Texans who travel this year.
“Now with gas under $2, it could be attractive to those making last-minute decisions about whether to travel or not,” Schimmer said.
Renner said many people visit big cities in which they can both see the sights and get some holiday shopping finished.
“We see a lot of people go to San Antonio or Austin and then do the shopping in San Marcos,” Renner said. “That way, they see the lights and can still shop.”
Others are taking advantage of the holiday break to catch a sporting or educational event, said Douglas Kincannon, a partner at Accent on Travel of Angleton. He said his travel agency has seen many people planning to catch the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art, which is on display through May.
“Some are driving, some are flying, some are making long weekends out of it,” Kincannon said.
Long car trips can get boring, but Cain said time flies when you’re having fun. Her family likes to take part in sing-alongs and listen to books on tape. Mysteries are their favorite.
“You’d be amazed how fast time moves when you’re listening to something you’re interested in,” she said.
AIRLINE TRAVEL
About 448,000 state residents, or 14 percent of those traveling, are expected to go by plane during the Thanksgiving break, Schimmer said.
Lake Jackson’s Heritage Travel owner Mary Fischer said the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., always is a hot seller for the Thanksgiving holiday. Families will fly there and spend the whole week riding roller coasters and seeing shows.
“Disney’s always big, it does not matter what type of family you have,” she said. “And it’s domestic, so you don’t have to travel far.”
But travel experts expect the number of airline passengers to decrease by 10 percent during the break because of domestic carriers cutting capacity by 10 percent and the slow economy, Air Transport Association of America spokeswoman Elizabeth Merida said.
Another air association spokeswoman, Victoria Day, said domestic airlines expect about 23,285 to fly this break, compared to the 25,928 that flew last year.
“People may be watching their travel dollars more closely now,” Merida said.
OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION
Seven percent of Texans who are traveling, or 232,000, are expected to do so by another means, such as train or boat, during the Thanksgiving break, Schimmer said.
Many local travel agencies say the hot vacation over the break is a cruise to Mexico. Renner’s travel agency is one of those seeing a lot of business from people taking to the high seas.
“We get a lot of cruises,” she said. “We see people taking short cruises and long cruises. On a cruise, you only unpack once.”
Fellow Lake Jackson travel agent Mary Fischer also said cruises are the big thing over the Thanksgiving break. Probably 50 percent of vacations she books are going on a cruise.
“You get a bulk of days off and it’s like a mini-reunion,” Fischer said. “Instead of having Mom and Grandma doing all the cooking, someone else does all the cooking and you get to go somewhere.”
Cruises are so popular because, aside from the alcoholic drinks, many of them are all-inclusive, Kincannon said.
“It’s a pretty good setup,” Kincannon said. “You spend ‘X’ amount of dollars and you don’t plan to spend more.”
SAFETY
Although it is great to travel to see loved ones in faraway places, local officials stress drivers should take caution when hitting the roads.
Alvin Police Chief Mike Merkel said people should check their vehicle’s tires and make sure the spare is aired up, check engine fluids and make sure their vehicle is running reliably before heading out. Also, Merkel said people shouldn’t leave valuables inside the vehicle when it is stopped and should lock up when staying at a hotel or motel.
Drivers also should tell the people they are visiting when they expect to arrive and what route they are taking, just in case they get lost, Merkel said.
“People should enjoy their trip,” he said. “Drive rested and don’t drive if you take medication that may impair your driving.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety advises drivers to make sure they plan for slow driving speeds because of busy roads, buckle up and “pack your patience,” spokeswoman Tela Mange said.
“Realize it’s going to take a little longer to get to where you’re going,” she said.
Nathaniel Lukefahr is a reporter for The Facts. Contact Him at (979) 237-0151.
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HOLIDAY TRAVEL
• 3.18 million Texans are expected to travel during the Thanksgiving break.
• 2.5 million Texans are expected to take a car.
• 448,000 Texans are expected to fly.
• 232,000 Texans are expected to travel by another means, like a train.
Source: The American Automobile Association.
• Domestic airlines expect a 10 percent decrease in passengers during the Thanksgiving break compared to last year. That is due to a slow economy and airlines cutting capacity on airplanes.
Source: Air Transport Association of America
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