LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — The fourth of July holiday weekend is just about upon us.
AAA expects fewer travelers by air this year, but the volume on America's highways is expected to be about the same.
Despite the coming Fourth of July holiday this Saturday, the check-in counters at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport were nearly bare of anyone catching a flight.
A couple did fly in from Arizona, not for the Fourth but for a different celebration in Mountain Top.
"Only for a wedding because he's actually the best mn," said Sarah Grier, pointing at her husband. "So if he wasn't the best man in the wedding, we wouldn't have traveled."
It was much busier at a gas station just off the turnpike farther down in Luzerne County.
There were plenty of families topping off their gas tanks before getting on their way.
Melissa Shafter was taking her family from Allentown to a campground in Milford.
"We've had these plans booked for a while. We go every year to the same place; we usually go to Knoebel's," said Shaffer. "We're not going to the park this year, so we're just going to be at the campgrounds."
Gas prices are the lowest they've been for the Fourth of July since 2016, according to AAA.
At an average $2.40 a gallon for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Hazleton area, it's higher than the national average of $2.17.
However, it's 50 cents less than last year's price for the holiday.
That's good news for Jack Hollingsworth, who is driving from New Jersey to his vacation home in Clinton County.
"Yeah, yeah, I fill up because this is my truck here. I filled up a lot easier with the truck now, yeah," said Hollingsworth.
While people are still traveling for the fourth of July, there were people who had already arrived at their holiday destination in Francis Slocum State Park.
Families were getting settled in at the state park's campground.
"They've been dying to get outside and just have fun. Even the playgrounds being closed, it's just been tough for them," said Deb Weary.
AAA says the drop in gas prices was caused by a significant lack of demand in April, most likely due to the pandemic and stay-at-home orders.
and a drop in crude oil prices.
However, those prices are going up as the country is reopening.
