Labor Day weekend holiday travel period begins

For many people in southern Colorado, this is the last weekend of summer and the last opportunity this season for taking trips out of town.

AAA Colorado expects a 1.7 percent decrease in travel during the Labor Day holiday weekend. AAA said it continues a trend of “flat” summer travel that is virtually unchanged from last year.

AAA also said gas prices in the state are 13 cents higher than last Labor Day weekend, the second highest increase in the country.

Those factors have people taking different approaches to enjoying the holiday.

Leroy Smith said this is the first year that he’s staying home for Labor Day.

“I decided early to stay after seeing the traffic and the gas prices,” he said. “Sometimes, there’s a lot of pressure being on the road and trying to drive safely. I don’t need that frustration.”

But Vern Bahlmann of Loveland is taking his 1928 Pontiac Coupe to Alamosa for a car show. He stopped to get gas in Colorado Springs and said it’s his first time being on the road for the holiday.

“My concerns are people speeding and weaving in and out of traffic,” he said. “It kind of scares you when you own a car like this.”

Recreational vehicles were a common sight along Interstate 25 and U.S. 24 as people looked forward to camping in the mountains for the weekend.