Low Gas Prices and Busy Holiday Travel Ahead with Some Creating a Four Day Weekend

The end of the summer vacation season may only be something the calendar points to, but certainly not a sign to stay home for may travelers.

Cachuma Lake and Carpinteria State Beach are among the areas packed for the weekend.

Some of those on vacation began packing up and heading out Thursday night. A three day weekend has turned into a four day weekend for some families.

Liz Crawford was in a campsite at Carpinteria State Beach in a large motor home saying, “we don’t mind taking the motor home out, it’s still cheaper than flying.” The cost of gas now is as low as drivers paid more than a decade ago. Some drivers are filling up with unleaded regular at $2.55 a gallon.

On a one day overnight stop Omar Vargas from Santa Clarita was at the edge of the beach. He said, “I’m excited. We have camped so far away . So I am really excited we are right next to the beach.”

The morning hours did not have much traffic on Highway 101. It picked up later in the day and was very slow in the evening through the Montecito area gong south and sections of the freeway where it’s still down to two lanes.

A driver from Germany Daniel Britschneder said he had no trouble on the local roads compared to his drive back home. “In Munich and in Germany we have the autobaun and you can drive as fast as you want. That’s very crazy driving.”

Visiting for the day with his wife and kids from Thousand Oaks, Luke Barrett said, “it feels excellent I wouldn’t change if for anything. We love the beach. We love Southern California. We are blessed to spend the day here “