SAN ANTONIO – The temptation definitely is there: Gas prices are low. The weather is good.
While it sounds like the perfect conditions for a road trip, some San Antonians say they are staying put this Thanksgiving weekend.
Fears about the coronavirus pandemic have them putting the brakes on any potential plans for travel.
“Going to work,” said Mahalia Williams, as she pumped gas near Interstate 10 and Foster Road Wednesday morning. “It’s just going to be me, my daughter and my husband. No traveling.”
Williams says she usually would be on the road, meeting up with a large group of her extended family for dinner.
Based on the numbers, it seems she is not alone.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) is predicting a significant drop in road travel this year compared to last year.
The agency estimated that more than 47 million people in the country will be traveling by vehicle this weekend, with nearly 4 million of those in Texas.
It says those numbers actually represent the largest one year decrease since the 2008 recession.
Jackie Cardenas and her father, Ramiro, still are going ahead with their road trip to Mexico, although they are proceeding with caution.
“We all got tested just to make sure we’re safe. Headed to our grandparents, you know we want to keep them safe and everybody around us,” Jackie Cardenas said. “We’re gonna quarantine whenever we get there so just to be on the safe side and use precautions.”
Whether people are traveling to family far away or hunkering down at home, it seems this Thanksgiving will be full of changes.
For anyone who is traveling, AAA recommends following safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control.