Summer vacation: Should you stay in NJ — or leave?
School is out, the bags are packed and plenty of New Jersey residents have plans to get away, even if it's just to a different part of the state.
According to a recent AAA survey, nearly 56 percent of Americans will be hitting the road this summer for a vacation. That may have something to do with the lowest summertime gasoline prices nationwide in 11 years.
Point Pleasant Beach is the destination of choice for Westfield resident Michelle Infantino. She, her mother and two daughters booked four nights at The White Sands Oceanfront Resort & Spa.
"I have to get away from just everyday life. Just being at the beach and the boardwalk and the rides, just relaxation," she said.
And when Pat McCarthy from Middletown needs a break from the normal routine, she heads east to Sandy Hook with her husband. They have a pass for the season.
"We try to go two-three times a week," she said. "We just take advantage of the beautiful beaches we have in New Jersey."
But for some folks, it's not a "vacation" unless they leave the Garden State.
Lakewood resident Al Grohs just returned home from an international cruise. He said whenever he takes a long trip, he "absolutely" makes sure it's outside New Jersey's borders.
"We live close enough to the Jersey Shore that ... if we want to vacation, we get away from there," he said.
"The shore is too close for me because I can drive there," added Penny Holowienka of Howell, who's vacationing this summer in North Carolina. "So I need to get away from ours and go away."
The top domestic summer travel destinations, according to the AAA survey, include Orlando, Seattle, the Los Angeles area, Honolulu and Las Vegas.
Also on New Jersey 101.5:
Contact reporter Dino Flammia at Dino.Flammia@townsquaremedia.com
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