How much more (gas $) to SoWal and back?

from what I heard from AAA, Memorial Day travel was down more than ever since they have been keeping records...not sure exactly what that mean.

My gas expense is up...and I get 32 mph ! I find that I consolidate trips more. It's not just the cost of gas, but the cost of everything else--especially food--is up too.

For you, Kurt, I'll do some arithmetic. 😀

750 miles to SoWal from Indianapolis
20 miles a gallon (might get more but the calculator isn't handy)
37.5 gallons of gas each way

$3/gallon equals $112.50 each way
$4/gallon equals $150.00 each way
$37.50 more in 2008 or $65.00 round trip

The difference between this year and last is the price of a dinner, give or take.

Considering the demographics of visitors to Sowal, the fact that gas prices are also hitting airlines, in the past few years people have been taking shorter vacations that are conducive to automobile trips, people are still going to take vacations, and other factors, I will go out on a limb and in my big ol run-on sentence and say that Sowal will have its biggest year ever with numbers in the order of 8% more than last year. However, all bets are off if we have another active hurricane season with impacts in the Florida panhandle.

In other words for Sowal visitation, I don't see the gas price increase as an issue in the coming year. If it gets to $4.50 a gallon it could be a different story.

I know mass transit is up for commuters. So much so that some cities are having a hard time keeping up.

If its affecting people just going to work you would think that the gas prices would also have to make some people think twice before they head to the beach.


By Larry Copeland and Oren Dorell, USA TODAY
Michael Rhoads, an engineer who lives near Albuquerque, saves $160 a month taking a commuter train. Mike Elder, a motorcycle salesman in California, cut his daily gas expense from $30 to $10 by switching from a pickup to a motorcycle. Jeff McCutchan, a quality assurance engineer in Snoqualmie, Wash., saves $14.25 a day through the vanpool he formed two weeks ago.
Commuters across the USA, pushed to the wall by soaring gas prices, increasingly are turning to alternate means of getting to and from work:
? Ridership on mass transit is up sharply in many cities, and the heftiest increases are on commuter rail lines. Transit officials say the increase is directly related to gas prices. Daily ridership on South Florida's Tri-Rail, which runs parallel to Interstate 95 from near West Palm Beach to Miami, was 28% higher last month than in April 2007, says Bonnie Arnold, spokeswoman for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.
It's a pattern repeated over and over: In places where commuters have a transit option, they're taking it. Ridership on the Southern California Regional Rail Authority's Riverside-Fullerton-Anaheim Metrolink line was up 8% in March over March 2007, spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell says.
Philadelphia's transit system saw an 11% jump in March over March 2007 on its 13 regional rail lines, says Felipe Suarez, spokesman for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Ridership is up significantly on the Maryland Transit Administration's MARC commuter trains. "Clearly, gas prices are driving it," says John Porcari, secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

There are three high school students in Kentucky that have started riding their horses to school. The commute takes up to 45 minutes each way. I wonder if that is how they pick up their dates. :floor:

Just heard that GM is closing four plants due to reduced sales of trucks and SUVs..due to high gas prices;

and, that airlines are cutting back drastically on the number of planes they are flying, especially to some of the smaller airports

Now I wonder what effect gas/fuel costs will have on the new airport?

Anyone?

For you, Kurt, I'll do some arithmetic. 😀

750 miles to SoWal from Indianapolis
20 miles a gallon (might get more but the calculator isn't handy)
37.5 gallons of gas each way

$3/gallon equals $112.50 each way
$4/gallon equals $150.00 each way
$37.50 more in 2008 or $65.00 round trip

The difference between this year and last is the price of a dinner, give or take.

What Mermy said. And thank you Mermy, for your calculations. It's about the same distance for us. I figure I can forgo a few meals and some other tiny things to make up for the difference. It wouldn't keep me from coming to SoWal. Now, if anyone wants to buy a perfectly wonderful Nissan Pathfinder, please pm me. :roll:

There are three high school students in Kentucky that have started riding their horses to school. The commute takes up to 45 minutes each way. I wonder if that is how they pick up their dates. :floor:

:floor::floor:

Even as a local in DeFunk, if gas was cheaper, I'd come hang out with everyone more on the south end. So prices even affect what I do locally, much less long trips.

Considering the demographics of visitors to Sowal, the fact that gas prices are also hitting airlines, in the past few years people have been taking shorter vacations that are conducive to automobile trips, people are still going to take vacations, and other factors, I will go out on a limb and in my big ol run-on sentence and say that Sowal will have its biggest year ever with numbers in the order of 8% more than last year. However, all bets are off if we have another active hurricane season with impacts in the Florida panhandle.

In other words for Sowal visitation, I don't see the gas price increase as an issue in the coming year. If it gets to $4.50 a gallon it could be a different story.

I have talked with several rental owners and companies in the last few days and they said that they predict a good rental year. (barring no 'canes) :clap: I also think that people are driving to close destinations this year..

al. Now, if anyone wants to buy a perfectly wonderful Nissan Pathfinder, please pm me. :roll:

would it come with or without a cornhole load of sowal stickers all across the back?:floor:

Today, I heard on NPR, that (year to date) Americans have cut back their driving by 2% over last year. I know I don't drive as much as I used to. I plan my trips more carefully. Personally, I don't think the crunch is hurting only when we fill our tanks with gas, but anytime we fill our shopping buggies with anything. I continually see prices on items changing. Some local businesses have even had to adjust their prices accordingly.

As BeachSi02 stated, I think we will see people taking vacations closer to home. Fortunately, SoWal has a larger number of major South Eastern cities in fairly close proximity. Piggyback that onto what Mermaid said about the gas price change being the equivalent of only one meal out, I think many people will just put it on the credit card, or eat sandwiches for that meal.

Today, I heard on NPR, that (year to date) Americans have cut back their driving by 2% over last year. I know I don't drive as much as I used to. I plan my trips more carefully. Personally, I don't think the crunch is hurting only when we fill our tanks with gas, but anytime we fill our shopping buggies with anything. I continually see prices on items changing. Some local businesses have even had to adjust their prices accordingly.

As BeachSi02 stated, I think we will see people taking vacations closer to home. Fortunately, SoWal has a larger number of major South Eastern cities in fairly close proximity. Piggyback that onto what Mermaid said about the gas price change being the equivalent of only one meal out, I think many people will just put it on the credit card, or eat sandwiches for that meal.

Amen, SJ. I have really noticed this the last 4-6 weeks, I'm paying much more at the grocery for the same items I have always purchased.

We used to bring two SUVs to the beach because daughter and BF were too cool to ride with us. Now they ride with us.

Also, we were thinking about getting a second standard poodle, but two crates for transporting two big poodles to the beach would require us to keep a large SUV. So I guess Pepper won't be getting a brother. I have the cold weather package on my car so we can fold down the back seat and put her crate there, saving gas by not driving the SUV for short trips to the beach when it's just me and hubby.

It costs us about $80.00 to fill up the minivan right now and about $60.00 to fill up the Accord. We're using the Accord more now, even though we bought the van for space. Right now, I'd be happy with just one car again.

I've been wanting a bike for a while and never focused as much on purchasing one as I should... the crunch that has been placed on consumers is what's getting me off my butt about getting one that works for toting and for larger families.

I don't make random trips to Destin or PCB anymore because those eat up the gas.

I'm also doing other things that I have spent about 10 years saying I was going to do regarding simplifying life: like growing some veggies, etc.

I don't know about anyone else, but back in the early 1990's I saw this coming as gas prices in Europe were so much higher than ours, SO I'm not freaking out about it. I am finally doing what I have been wanting to and having the excuse of higher prices to justify it. I have thought about writing a blog about simplifying life for a family of 5, but I don't know how well I'd keep it up.

I pray the gas prices don't hurt the tourist business down here, because we sure as heck live off tourism as a family.

The gas prices don't make a big difference for me, but that's because I get pretty good mileage and don't drive much. I am sure it is still adding up though.

I know groceries are definitely more expensive and the next plane ticket I buy will be even more of a bite out of my wallet than normal.

.

We plan local driving trips better. And try to impress upon the teenager the need to conserve gas.
This wouldn't be a necessity for us but I think it is very good for us as we used to be much more ecologically minded.

I want Jackie to grow up as unmaterialistic as reasonably possible. It was a lot easier for my parents because the money simply wasn't there. We can't use that excuse so just try to instill simpler values and energy conservation etc.

We made our trip to the beach this year in the Honda Civic instead of the van. Got 40 mpg and we were pushing it. We didn't bring the girl and dog so could get by with smaller car.

When we traded cars we were careful to consider gas mileage - except we have always done that, but did get rid of the truck which was hard for Bill to do. :(

I think we will cut back some on eating out, which we should anyway 'cause we do that more than needed - just got in the habit.

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well, I have to make another trip to Jacksonville in a couple of weeks and it will be cheaper for me to fly than to drive my Honda CR-V if I book in advance and fly on T or Th.

I will buy a couple less cases of beer if I have too, but I won't not come to SoWal because of the gas prices. :cool:

There are three high school students in Kentucky that have started riding their horses to school. The commute takes up to 45 minutes each way. I wonder if that is how they pick up their dates. :floor:

Don't laugh. I used to ride my horse to our little town store to get candy. There was a hitching post outside, and sometimes my horse would decide he was tired of waiting on me there and I would find him back at the house- he knew his way home.:floor:

Sometimes I wasn't wearing shoes. I grew up in Kentucky, ya know.;-)

I will buy a couple less cases of beer if I have too, but I won't not come to SoWal because of the gas prices. :cool:

We can have a car wash for beer. Or better yet, bump the Niceville girls softball team off the intersection of 30-A and 283, where they have been panhandling on several busy Saturday mornings. "Beer for Darlene" is a local SoWal cause!