The ups and downs of traveling this Memorial Day weekend
The travel outlook for Memorial Day weekend looks about as wobbly as recent stock market swings.
More Americans will be making trips this year, a “sizeable increase” of 5.5 percent from last year and the first gain in five years, according to AAA. But average spending is expected to drop to $809, a “sizeable reduction” from last year’s $1,052.
The Great Recession has been taking a breather, with consumer sentiment, household worth and GDP up from a year ago, the same report says. But jobs have lagged, leaving unemployment 3 percent higher.
The coaster ride doesn’t end there. Travelers face varying price swings this holiday.
Airfare tickets will stay about the same as last year but car rental rates will drop 15 percent and hotel rates will dip slightly, AAA reports.
Gasoline, meanwhile, is selling for 35 to 40 cents a gallon higher than a year ago. In Texas, regular unleaded now averages $2.68, up 37 cents.
Of the 32.1 million people making trips this holiday, 87 percent will go by car.
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Three, two, one… liftoff!
Space Shuttle STS-131 liftoff (NASA-TV)
For a long time, my wife and I have wanted to see the launch of a Space Shuttle. With the Shuttle program winding-down this year, we realized a couple of months ago that it was do-or-die time, so a little over a week ago, we packed-up our 18-month-old and headed down to Florida to see the April 5th launch, what is likely to be the last nighttime launch of a Space Shuttle. And wow, am I glad we did.
Texans pay a lot for gas
I admit, I don’t know exactly how much I pay for gas every year. I bet most people don’t. But we should, because it’s a lot.
Average Texas drivers paid $1,819 for gas last year, chewing up 4.9 percent of their incomes, according to numbers crunched by the National Resources Defense Council.
Texas ranked seventh among states for percent of incomes spent on gas. Mississippi was first with 6.2 percent, while Connecticut was last with just 2.5 percent.
Remember, though, regular-grade gas last year was 90 cents a gallon cheaper than in 2008, when prices careened to $4 a gallon. Thus, the point of this NRDC white paper: What would happen if prices, which are steadily rising, spiked again?
For Texans, the answer is gas bills 80 percent higher — or 8.7 percent of incomes. If the next spike turns into a steep plateau, the bill over a year would average $3,264.
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Automobiles Bicycles Commuting Roads Toll roads Transit Travel
by Hugh
Comments Off on 2005 Dodge Caravan 4th anniversary
2005 Dodge Caravan 4th anniversary
This is somewhat obscure but while searching through papers for the upcoming tax adventure, I happened upon the original sales document for my 2005 Dodge Caravan which I purchased exactly four years ago to the day, March 28, 2006. Since then I have added 69,271 miles to its already high one year total of 28,702 – it was probably a rental that maxed out early – making a grand total, as of today, of 97,973. more »
Automobiles History Roads Travel
by Hugh
Comments Off on On the road to Bigfoot, Texas
On the road to Bigfoot, Texas
T Fords of Texas at the Bigfoot museum
Last Saturday, March 6, I had the great pleasure of taking part in a “T Fords of Texas” club cruise around Medina County. Led by Castroville residents Tom Campbell and Wayne McBryde, a group of nine Ts traversed the area’s handsome back roads under a glowering sky, dense with dark and darker grey clouds, too high to actually rain, but very dramatic. In an open runabout T driven by Gary Bethke, I had the full opportunity to take in the wintry landscape with occasional hints of spring, such as isolated peach and red bud trees in delightfully unexpected full bloom.
The dirty lowdown on hotels
I’ve stayed in my share of seedy, cheap hotels, at least proud that I saved some bucks. But now I know, it really could have been worse.
For instance, there’s the dirtiest hotel in the United States, as rated by traveler reviews posted on TripAdvisor.
This is a place where, one guest said, “The bugs are nicer than the people.”
Another ranted, “No one should ever walk into a hotel only to find prostitutes walking around the inside.”
Where is this? Why, San Francisco. In fact, three of the 10 worst hotels in the country happen to be in California. I have no idea what that means.
I know you’re wondering. And no, San Antonio is not on the list. Neither is Texas.
On the contrary, Texas has two hotels ranked among the 10 best. The Grand Hyatt VFW in Dallas placed fifth while the Houstonian in Houston came in ninth.
The best of all? Inn New York City. Sorry Texas — but know this, New York State managed to grab only one top spot.
The lists:
100th anniversary of San Antonio’s first traffic laws
Lewis bzirdsong in a 1910 Franklin on College Street, San Antonio
It is, of course, one of the more minor centennial occasions. You probably won’t celebrate it but you will, without noticing, except for this little reminder, observe it. February 7, 2010 is the 100th anniversary of San Antonio’s first traffic ordinance. Nine years after the first gasoline powered horseless carriage, eight years after the city gained its first automobile agency, seven after the creation of the San Antonio Automobile Club, and six years after the city mandated that all vehicles be registered and display ID plates or numbers, the city introduced written rules for all road users. more »
Commuting History Roads Safety Transit Travel Uncategorized
by Hugh
Comments Off on Book review: Traffic, by Tom Vanderbilt
Book review: Traffic, by Tom Vanderbilt
I’ve just finished reading “TRAFFIC,” by Tom Vanderbilt, published by Vintage Books in 2009. It is subtitled, “Why we drive the way we do and what it says about us.” I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in trying to understand the mundane yet highly complex activity we call driving.
Commuting Oil and gas prices Safety Transit Travel
by Hugh
Comments Off on psi – check your tires
psi – check your tires
Here’s a new year’s resolution you might adopt: Check the air pressure on your vehicle’s tires at the beginning of each month. I was reminded of this when I checked mine at the beginning of this week. I began to notice my vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Caravan, was not handling as well as it should. Some of you may think it is oxymoronic to use handling characteristics in reference to a minivan but the thing just didn’t feel right. Sure enough, each tire was 4 psi – pounds per square inch – low. The ‘bus has new tires, maybe two months old, and I checked them in mid November, prior to a trip to Houston. I was surprised how much the tires went down following the recent cold snap. So, maybe you should make checking your tires a monthly chore. Just being one or two psi down can really affect miles per gallon plus, it just feels better.
Pigs will fly!
As a married man of a certain age, one expects to be given Yuletide tasks. It is a given that your regular round will be interrupted with missions for which it could be said you are not the most adapted member of the family. But it came to pass this holiday season that my dear wife provided me with one of the most extraordinary chores I have ever had to perform at this or any other Christmas. It involves flying pigs at the Mexican border.