August 30, 2017 – According to a recent survey sponsored by AAA Oklahoma, 66 percent of Oklahomans responding said they were traveling 50 miles or more from home over the upcoming long Labor Day weekend. However, 70 percent of those travelers said they were choosing to stay in-state. 

“That’s really the story within the story, the fact that there’s plenty to do right here in the Sooner State,” said Mark Madeja, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. “And with the recent addition of several more AAA Four Diamond properties to the Oklahoma list, we don’t have to go far to relax and be pampered.”

The auto club survey went on to uncover that more than 50 percent of respondents are travelling with only one other person, and that dining and outdoor recreation are destination favorites.  About 15 percent indicated they were planning a staycation at a resort or other property in their area. Others are indicated they are looking forward to visiting family and friends.  

“The recent devastation of Hurricane Harvey in south Texas and the Gulf has already caused gas prices to rise across the nation as well as here in Oklahoma, some six cents over the last week in the Sooner state,” said Madeja. “The storm, combined with Labor Day travel, is likely to cause gas prices to continue to rise with some estimates calling for between five to 15 additional cents at the pump.”

Over the next days and weeks, refineries will begin the process of coming back online, causing this spike to begin to subside as infrastructure repairs are made. Fortunately, gasoline inventory levels remain strong nationwide, helping to mitigate steep price increases. 

Those traveling by motor vehicles over Labor Day should know that as of today, at $2.18 per gallon for regular, Oklahoma boasts the fourth-lowest statewide gasoline price average of the 50 states. Only Mississippi ($2.16), and Arkansas and Alabama (both at $2.17) have lower averages. Current gas price averages, city, state and national, are available at GasPrices.AAA.com. 

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AAA (AAA.com) provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 57 million members in North America and more than 400,000 members in Oklahoma. The auto club advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years. A not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization, AAA works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit AAA.com/mobile.