RICHMOND, Va. — AAA described Labor Day as a wrap up of the summer travel season and a final weekend for fun before fall routines begin.
Tony Lopez and Katy Swiger stopped at the Goochland Safety Rest Area East on I-64 after spending a birthday weekend near the coast. Their Monday morning stop was about halfway back to their home in West Virginia.
“We went to Virginia Beach to see Simple Plan and Bowling for Soup in concert,” they said. “He’s a school teacher so this is a perfect way to really jump start the school season too.”
AAA said eight out of 10 people who traveled over the Labor Day holiday weekend drove to their destinations. To avoid the most congestion, they encouraged travelers to leave before noon.
“Avoid that late afternoon, early evening time period where you have travelers mingling and fighting for space in the lanes with the evening commuters. If you can leave in the morning, that's your best bet. Or wait out that evening commute,” said AAA spokesperson Morgan Dean.
Becky Henrichs’s family rented a house in North Carolina’s Outer Breaks for an extended weekend vacation. She crossed her fingers for luck as she talked about their intention to beat the traffic by leaving by 5 a.m. to get home to Bourbon County, Kentucky.
“We were pretty worried about driving back Labor Day but so far it’s been okay,” Henrichs explained.
Experts from Gas Buddy said expect some relief at the gas pumps where prices are closer to what some consumers were paying back during the pandemic.
Virginia’s average on Monday is $3.00 and $3.19 across the country.
“It wasn’t a factor, but gas prices aren’t cheaper in my opinion. Where we live it’s $3.09. In Virginia Beach, it was like $3.20, so they’re aren’t cheaper in my opinion,” Lopez explained.
The Heinrichs filled up their SUV for $2.69.
“I think that’s pretty darn good and less than it’s been at home,” she stated.
Szshing Feng and his family spent the weekend visiting their daughter in Richmond before driving back home to Dayton, Ohio.
“Weather is good. We are going to stop by Charleston and get lunch and then another three hours get back to home,” Feng said.
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