The Memorial Day weekend travel period actually begins Thursday. And what a difference a year makes. Sergio Avila, with Triple A of Northern California, says they’re projecting around four and a half million residents to travel more than 50 miles to a destination, with around four-million driving. It was only two-point-seven million a year ago, an all-time low, with a statewide Stay At Home order issued, because of the pandemic. No vaccine was available yet…

click to listen to Sergio Avila

Avila says the busiest times on the road will be the afternoons of Thursday and Friday. And airports will also be a lot more crowded, with 433-thousand choosing to fly, compared to only 62-thousand a year ago. But the CDC’s lifting of the mask and physical distance mandate for vaccinated people still doesn’t apply to airlines…

click to listen to Sergio Avila

Gas prices are also the highest in years, or close to four-dollars a gallon at most stations. But experts say there may be some declines near Memorial Day.