Nearly 100 Million Will Embark On Family Vacation

Southern California families are gearing up for another year of exciting travel adventures with their loved ones, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. A new AAA Travel survey reveals nearly 100 million Americans – 4 in 10 U.S. adults – are planning to take a family vacation in 2019, slightly more than last year.

41 percent of those surveyed in California and throughout the West plan to take at least one vacation with family this year, and 69 percent of those who plan to travel will take two or more trips this year.
Two-thirds of all family travelers (68 percent) will embark on a summer getaway, while just under half (45 percent) are making plans to travel as a family this spring.
Regardless of the season, the great American road trip remains a major draw for these families; about half of traveling families (53 percent) expect to pack up their cars for a road trip this year.

Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services, said another emerging trend for California family vacation travelers in 2019 is increased airline capacity to Hawaii prompted by Southwest Airlines adding routes from local airports.

“The competition has already lowered airfares, making Hawaii family trips more attractive and affordable,” she said.

For families planning road trips, gas prices have averaged about 10 to 15 cents lower per gallon locally in 2019 compared with the first few months of last year. Another recent AAA survey found that 33 percent of Americans would go on at least one additional summer road trip if gas prices remain low.

“The great American road trip is still one of the best ways for families to relax and reconnect with one another,” said Stacey Barber, executive director, AAA Travel Information & Content. “This is quickly shaping up to be another busy year for family travelers. To make the most of their vacations, AAA recommends families plan and research as far ahead as possible to avoid missing out on popular activities and fun.”

To help inspire would-be road trippers, AAA’s travel editors have curated more than 450 pre-planned road trips. The top five routes for summer travel, according to AAA member road trip routing data, are as follows:

Las Vegas to National Parks – Las Vegas is a conaaa.com/…/vegas-to-national-parks-to-vegas-DT563911venient starting point for a road trip to the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion national parks. Any drive through the desert southwest is full of unique twists and turns, regardless of whether you remain on the interstate or head off along enticing back roads. Long the destination for gold prospectors and other dreamers, the mountains and valleys of the Arizona, Nevada and Utah deserts today provide a glimpse of mankind’s historical interaction with the area’s fantastic natural landscapes.
Northern California and Southern Oregon Coast – The trip begins in California’s Central Valley, meanders through high elevation forests before turning west and snaking up the awe-inspiring Pacific coast. Not to be rushed, this extraordinary route is winding, narrow and flanked by the ocean and majestic redwood trees. As you make your way past beach towns and shifting sand dunes, you’ll find constant stops are necessary to photograph the stunning terrain.
Northern New England – You’ll travel the backroads of New England on this trek through the Berkshires of Massachusetts and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Quaint country inns, steepled churches and weathered barns—some predating the Revolutionary War—dot the roadside.
Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina – If any drive merited the term “scenic,” it’s the Blue Ridge Parkway. Begun in 1935 to create a transportation link between Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it was finally completed in 1983. This winding road was designed to maximize enjoyment of the mountainous terrain, so heed the posted speed limit.
Black Hills, South Dakota – This picturesque route winds through South Dakota’s Black Hills, taking you from one of America’s best-known landmarks, Mount Rushmore, past granite spires and into historic mining towns nestled in valleys thick with Ponderosa pine. The area packs so much scenery into a small area that it’s become a mecca for motorcyclists and anyone else who loves the outdoors.