Despite cloudy weather, Memorial Day weekend travel expected to hit record highs

This Memorial Day weekend, 45.1 million Americans are expected to travel, marking a record for the holiday.
According to AAA, this surge in travel indicates a strong desire for leisure activities as people kick off the unofficial start to summer.
Hot dog production ramps up ahead of Memorial Day weekend, summer season
'We expect the busiest days to be Friday and Monday,' said Jim Garrity, Director of Public Affairs at AAA East Central. 'People are mixing with commuters, and traffic will pick up as travelers return home.'
Garrity noted that most travelers will be taking road trips, and he advises allowing extra time for travel, especially in cities and on major highways.
Gas prices are around $3.29 per gallon, which is 40 to 50 cents cheaper than last year, providing some relief for drivers.
John Oliver, President and CEO of VisitErie, highlighted the start of the region's most popular visitor season, with events like the Russian Festival kicking off this weekend.
Despite cloudy skies, Oliver remains optimistic about visitor numbers, noting that local hotels expect steady bookings for Friday and Saturday.
As Americans hit the roads and skies for Memorial Day, the travel industry is seeing a robust start to the summer season, with lower gas prices and a packed event calendar in regions like Erie.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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