MILWAUKEE — This morning Mike Hill and his family woke up with a game plan. To get on the road as soon as possible to beat the traffic to spend the holiday weekend in Wisconsin Dells.
"You've only got so much time. You've got to take advantage of it when you have it. We're hoping to get a jump on things," said Hill. "This is the first time for us. I've lived in Wisconsin for 15 years and I've never been to the Dells."
It seems that was the plan for many drivers who took a pit stop at the Pine Cone Travel Plaza. According to AAA, nearly 48 million people are expected to travel this year for Independence Day, an increase of 1.7 million from 2021. Of those 48 million, nearly 1 million Wisconsinites will travel by car.
"I'm heading to Minneapolis, Minnesota," said Herbert Taylor.
"We're going up to lake Minnetonka in Minnesota," said Sharie Holland.
The travel organization also says drivers can expect to find the most expensive gas prices since 2014.
"It's a dollar cheaper here than in Illinois so we're like that's great," said Holland.
"It's crazy, it's crazy. In Wisconsin, it's like $4.80 and in Michigan, in some places, it was $5.30, $5.40," said Hill. "Jesus, you know, it's like $100 just to fill your tank up."
But these drivers say the prices are worth it in order to spend time with their loved ones.
"It's just nice to be with them. With Covid, nobody was seeing family, so it's been a while," said Holland. "Enjoy it, be safe, and have a good weekend."
Experts add that if you are planning on driving during heavy travel times, take it slow, be alert, and arrive at your destination alive.
