How to Take a Gas Holiday
By Anita Hamilton
Even a road trip can feel like a luxury when it costs $75 to fill the fuel tank. That's why Ronelle Scardina, 39, scrapped plans to drive 400 miles to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., this July and decided instead to rent a cabin on a lake just two hours from her home in San Rafael. "Prices are going up on everything, and we have a mortgage and a family to support," says the working mom, who expects to scrimp even more by packing her family of four into her 1994 Honda Civic instead of taking her roomier--but gas-slurping--SUV.
High fuel prices will probably keep Americans closer to home this summer, despite the gas-tax "holiday" supported by Hillary Clinton and John McCain that would shave 18-c- off every gallon of gas through Labor Day and save most families an estimated $30 this summer (while costing the government $9 billion). A recent poll by AOL and Zogby found that 30% of Americans have changed their vacation plans because of high fuel prices. On websites like Ecomodder and Daily Fuel Economy Tip, drivers are learning how to save by driving smarter, hunting down deals, finding alternative modes of transportation or--at worst--finding creative reasons to spend less time behind the wheel and more time relaxing. "People aren't canceling their trips outright," says Marie Dodds, a spokeswoman for AAA, "but they are definitely looking into other options."
The most obvious way to save gas is simply to drive less. For some, that means changing the destination. Doug and Cheryl Ludwig of Frederick, Md., recently canceled an 18,000-mile trip to Alaska that they had been planning to take in their recreational vehicle, which gets just 10 m.p.g. Instead, they'll be heading to Amish country in nearby Pennsylvania. Other families ditch the car once they've arrived. Brad Smith of Portland, Ore., is taking his two kids, ages 7 and 8, on a three-day bike ride along the southern Oregon coast sponsored by a nonprofit group called Cycle Oregon. Smith, 45, says exercising as a family is a new priority. Bonus: "I can have a beer at the end of the day, and I don't feel guilty about it."
Even camping--that mainstay of penny-pincher vacations--might look different this year, thanks to gas prices. State parks in New York, Maine and Vermont have all reported an increase of 10% to 15% in camping reservations over last year. But more campers will be arriving not by gassy RV but by car--or even motorbike. Campgrounds have become more motorcycle-friendly in recent years to cater to that growing market. Chris Rhie, 23, says he plans to ride his new Suzuki motorcycle--which gets 50 m.p.g.--from San Francisco to Yosemite for a camping trip with his girlfriend this summer.
What about Americans who can't resist the call of a summer road trip? The website Ecomodder recently published a list of more than 100 tips for better mileage. Benjamin Jones, one of the site's co-founders, is a self-described "hypermiler," known for extreme gas-saving stunts like covering the underside of a car with corrugated plastic to reduce drag and coasting in neutral with the engine off instead of hitting the brakes. For ordinary drivers, he recommends avoiding stop-and-go driving and idling, which depletes up to a gallon of gas per hour. Driving 55 m.p.h. instead of 80 saves 20% of gas over the same distance, he says. Also useful: gadgets like fuel monitors that show real-time usage and new GPS devices that locate the cheapest gas stations on your route.
Some families, though, are simply taking more staycation. Scardina got a family pool pass to her local community center, which she can walk to, and plans to carpool to the beach with friends. She'll also take her kids, ages 5 and 6, to local puppet shows, an African dance festival and live music at a nearby outdoor amphitheater. This summer there may be no better way to save money than to stay home.
Know Travel? For more links to useful websites that will help you save on your holiday road trip, visit time.com/summertravel