Summer doesn’t officially arrive until June 21st, but for most Iowans, the holiday weekend ahead is the real start of the season. Meredith Mitts, at Triple-A Iowa, says the motor club is predicting more than 37-million Americans will be taking trips over the next several days to celebrate Memorial Day.
Gasoline prices are holding steady nationwide, but pump prices have risen in Iowa in recent weeks. The statewide average is now three-43 a gallon, though that’s low compared to the statewide average a year ago at four-22.
Iowa’s average price for gas is 14-cents lower than the national average. Triple-A’s Nick Chabarria says whether it’s by car or by plane, Iowans are joining the throng in traveling again, as the figures are approaching pre-pandemic highs.
Chabarria says airfares have jumped 20 to 30-percent over this time last year, but he says you can still find last-minute deals. He says some of the most popular summer destinations are the beaches, the West Coast, Las Vegas, and national parks.
