ABILENE, Texas — The Fourth of July is right around the corner and people are already hitting the roads to get to their destination.
KTXS spoke with some of those travelers to find out what their plans are for the holiday.
“I went down to El Dorado, Texas,” Fourth of July traveler, Davis Matteson, said. “And I’m coming back.”
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“We’re headed to the metroplex,” another Fourth of July traveler, Bill Patti, said. “We’re going to see our family. All of our children are coming together.”
As gas prices continue to drop, many people are making the most of the long holiday weekend with trips both near and far.(KTXS/Scott Martin)
Holiday travel is already picking up across Texas, and many travelers told us they’ve noticed a steady flow of traffic as people head out for the long weekend.
“Traffic’s not too bad,” Matteson said. “It’s rolling pretty good. There are a lot of highway patrol out making sure everybody’s obeying the speed limits.”
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“It’s been pretty busy since we left,” Bill Patti said. “So we’ve been on the road about an hour and a half or so. It’s been pretty steady with traffic. It looks like it’ll probably stay that way all the way to the metroplex. So it’s going to be everybody moving along, moving probably pretty quickly and faster than they should.”
Once they arrive, many travelers are looking forward to spending quality time with family and making the most of the weekend. (KTXS/Scott Martin)
With more people expected on the roads this holiday weekend, drivers said that planning ahead and paying attention can help make the trip a little easier.
“I use Google Maps on my truck to tell me where to go and what exits to take,” Matteson said. “So that that helps. But I just put it in cruise control and obey the rules.”
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And of course, not everyone in the vehicle has to focus on the road.
“I avoid looking at the road completely,” Fourth of July traveler, Angie Patti, said. “And I just read a book.”
The 4th of July is right around the corner and people are already hitting the roads to get to their destination. (KTXS/Scott Martin)
Once they arrive, many travelers are looking forward to spending quality time with family and making the most of the weekend.
“I’m going to get out in the backyard and jump in the pool,” Matteson said. “Probably fire up the grill and just stay at home.”
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And as gas prices continue to drop, many people are making the most of the long holiday weekend with trips both near and far.
“We’re going to do a baseball game with the Rangers tomorrow night,” Bill Patti said. “We have a gender reveal the following day. And then the Fourth of July.”
With more people expected on the roads this holiday weekend, drivers said that planning ahead and paying attention can help make the trip a little easier. (KTXS/Scott Martin)
Many people told us it’s the traditions and the people that make the Fourth of July so memorable.
“I always try to get the fireworks,” Matteson said. “Watch them, sometimes from a distance. So I don’t have to fight the crowd at the at the fireworks site.”
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“We just make red, white, and blue jello and put them in little flutes,” Angie Patti said. “And layer it so it looks kind of festive, like the flag.”
Whether you’re traveling near or far, make sure you’re staying safe on the roads and after you get to your destination for this Fourth of July.