Millions expected to travel for Fourth of July holiday

Motorists travel along Interstate 696 at Dequindre Road Tuesday. Heavy volumes are expected on freeways throughout the state beginning Wednesday. (MACOMB DAILY STAFF PHOTO)

For anyone just thinking about traveling for the Fourth of July weekend, flying is not a great option, unless you’re talking about a zipline adventure.

In that case the sky’s the limit.

“Airlines are really busy right now,” said Diane Leone, owner of Nana World Travel of Clinton Township, a company that has been booking holidays for Macomb County travelers since her father started the business in 1963.

In fact the Transportation Safety Administration expects to screen over 32 million individuals in airports, between the Independence Day travel period (July 3-8). However, these are travelers who booked months in advance.

Leone said most of her residents from Macomb County have already flown to their destinations including a family sailing the Mexican Riviera and another one hiking the trails of Alaska. She also has a couple hopefully enjoying a Greek Island Hopper vacation and a family touring parts of California.

For those not quite out of the woods, be prepared for delayed or canceled flights caused by everything from plane-specific mechanical problems to major storms impacting popular travel paths.

The good news is, if your flight is canceled, airlines are required to provide refunds for customers, even if Mother Nature is to blame. It’s a little different for delays since they must meet a certain criteria for refunds or compensation. However, carriers have been known to give customers the option of switching flights, if available, at no cost.

If you are flying, check your itinerary before leaving.

Is your flight, train or bus ride on schedule?

Are there any traffic incidents in play that might delay your arrival to the airport?

And what about Mother Nature?

Checking weather forecasts and monitoring traffic safety through services such as the 511 hotline on your phone’s navigation apps can go a long way toward avoiding travel misery.

For those who have decided to save the flying for a time when it’s not so busy or after they’ve had some time to think about it, there are plenty of great destinations for individuals and families looking to travel by car, truck, motorcycle or RV.

You won’t be alone

In fact there will be a lot of Americans on the road.

Even with gas prices being what they are, up 16 cents from a week ago and 11 cents more than this time last year, AAA has estimated about 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles more from their homes during this holiday weekend.

As with the airlines, smooth sailing for travel around any holiday is never a given but avoiding the most hectic times, when others are rushing out of town, after work or before dark is a good way to start.

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, said the worst times to travel by car before and on July 4 are between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Instead, pack the car the night before and leave first thing in the morning.

“Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on July 3rd, as they leave town, and July 7th, as they return,” said Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX. “Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal. Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions.”

Either way, be prepared for traffic jams somewhere.

Also of note: this year’s holiday falls on a Thursday so many travelers will likely take Friday, July 5 off to extend their trip into a four-day weekend. So, drivers in Southeastern Michigan and other metro areas across the state can expect the biggest delays on Wednesday, July 3 and Saturday, July 7, as travelers leave and return home.

As for where to go and what to do?

“Enjoy your own state,” Leone said. “Michigan has lots of beautiful places.”

Check out these ideas prompted by a visit to Pure Michigan:

1. Pack a picnic and all the sand toys you can find for a day at one of many pristine beaches along Michigan’s shorelines.

2. Visit local museums like the Selfridge Military Air Museum in Harrison Township and Detroit Institute of Arts or do a search of places that you’ve heard about but have never seen like the Michigan Flight Museum in Belleville.

3. Plan a road trip that includes stops that interest you whether it’s antiques, history or food.

4. Book an adventure and add another checkmark to your bucket list such as sailing on a tall ship in Saugatuck or fly over the trees and through the woods via one of many zipline locations locally and across the state.

5. Finally, consider inviting a friend or relatives to come for a visit and treat them to your favorite Michigan destinations.

For more travel information visit acg.aaa.com/ or michigan.org/