Despite record gasoline prices, nearly 2.2 million Floridians are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the Memorial Day weekend, an 8.3 percent increase from last year, according to the AAA auto club.

Also, most motorists will drive to their destinations.

As of Thursday, Florida drivers were paying an average of $4.58 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, an all-time high.

That was up $1.71 a gallon from a year ago.

AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said many people have been looking forward to taking vacations for more than two years, and higher gas prices will force them to save money in other areas.

“We are coming out of a two-year pandemic,” Jenkins said. “There is so much pent-up demand that has still yet to be unleashed, and it’s going to be this summer. Many of them are just saying that high prices are not going to keep me from traveling. Consumer spending is still very strong.”

Nationally, two of the top three Memorial Day destinations this year are Orlando and Miami.

This article appears in May 26 – Jun 1, 2022.