Photo by phogel. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

While increased gas prices didn't stop holiday weekend travel in the recent past, this year might be different. The double whammy of higher-than-last-year's gas prices and Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf of Mexico means that around 1.1 percent fewer people in the U.S. will be traveling more than 50 miles from home this Labor Day compared to 2007, says the AAA. Prices for a gallon of gas in many Gulf Coast states is around a dollar higher this year than last year, which is contributing to the no-vacation-this-year mentality, according to the AP. A lot of people who still want to travel but can't afford to do so in their own cars will be checking out bus and train tickets (airline travel will be down 4.5 percent) says CNN. I'll admit to driving more than 50 miles this weekend - what's your plan?

[Source: AP]

Photo by ^Riza^. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

The seemingly relentless march of gas prices in the upward direction has become, well, not quite so relentless. For now, gas prices are hovering around the $4/gallon mark, but what's in store for the rest of 2008? A national survey has found that "a sizable number" of Americans think that the end of summer (Labor Day) will bring $5/gallon gasoline. Of course, this doesn't mean prices will hit that mark, but a similar study conducted by the same group in January found that 71 percent of Americans correctly predicted gas would hit $4/gallon by summer. So there's that.

The survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) at the behest of the Civil Society Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank, and its Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now (CLEAN) project. Full survey details will revealed tomorrow.

[Source: Civil Society Institute, Newton, Mass.]