Labor Day Travelers Close Out Summer With Help From Getaway Bargains

    LOS ANGELES--Aug. 30, 2001--More than 2.5 million Southern Californians and a total of 4.1 million Californians are expected to travel over the Labor Day holiday weekend, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
    More than 93 percent of the Southern California travelers, or 2.3 million people, are projected to drive to holiday getaways this weekend, according to the Auto Club.
    "The flagging economy and lower gas prices produced some travel bargains over the summer, and many Southern Californians are taking advantage of those," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp.
    A national survey conducted for AAA projects that Labor Day travel will increase slightly this year. About 33.2 million Americans plan to take a holiday this weekend, compared with 32.6 million last year. Of those traveling this year, about 27.7 million of them are expected to drive to their destinations.
    A slowdown in business travel increased the number of bargains available to leisure travelers, and gas prices continue to drop nationally and locally. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline is actually 28 cents lower this year than it was at the same time last year. In California, the average is at $1.57, 13 cents lower than last year.
    Southern California gas prices are on average about 50 cents lower than the May record of $2.01 per gallon.
    Locally, the most popular destinations for Southern Californians, according to an Auto Club survey of travel agents, are:

1.       Grand Canyon, Ariz.
2.       Anaheim, Calif.
3.       San Diego
4.       San Francisco
5.       Monterey, Calif.