Americans set to crowd roads, take to the skies

State expects holiday visitors

A man fills up his tank at a gas station on Cantrell Road in Little Rock on Thursday afternoon. Gas prices will not have much of an impact on Memorial Day travel, AAA predicts.
A man fills up his tank at a gas station on Cantrell Road in Little Rock on Thursday afternoon. Gas prices will not have much of an impact on Memorial Day travel, AAA predicts.

Arkansans are hitting the road for Memorial Day, joining droves of Americans who will make this year's holiday the heaviest traveled since 2000, AAA predicts.

AAA expects nearly 43 million people to get away for the long weekend. That would make 1.5 million more people than last year, a 3.6% increase.

This is huge for Arkansas tourism, said Jim Dailey, the director of state tourism.

"I truly do believe that it's Arkansas' time in history," Dailey said. "And when I say that I mean we are becoming more and more noticed by people around the world."

Tourism is the state's second-largest industry, falling short only to agriculture. Dailey said it's an almost $8 billion money-maker.

"It's a big weekend for us," he said.

Dailey said Arkansas shines as the Natural State, offering opportunities for floating, boating and other summer activities. The outdoors remains the state's most valuable asset.

AAA, formerly the American Automobile Association, further predicts that 37.6 million Americans will drive to their destinations this weekend despite gas prices averaging well above $2 a gallon nationally. Approximately 3.25 million people will fly and 1.9 million passengers will take trains, buses or cruise ships.

Throughout Arkansas, the weather is forecast to be sunny and warm, staying between the upper 80s and lower 90s all weekend, said Jeff Hood, a forecaster at the North Little Rock office of the National Weather Service. Because of the high humidity rates, the air might feel closer to the mid-90s.

"Yeah I can sum it up pretty easily, pretty much hot and dry," Hood said.

At night, temperatures will drop to the high 60s.

"It's one of those persistent forecasts where there's very little change from day to day," Hood said.

To the southeast of Arkansas, forecasts look much the same. Hood said surrounding states to the west and north will have a continued chance of rain and thunderstorms.

Dailey said there are opportunities for fun across the state: from digging for diamonds in Murfreesboro to hanging out in downtown Little Rock.

Scott Cooper is staying with his wife at the Downtown Riverside RV Park in North Little Rock. The pair have been in Arkansas a week and went diamond digging a few days ago. They are both retired now but used to work every Memorial Day.

The Coopers will be in town until Wednesday. They are from Gulf Shores, Ala.

"Everybody I met here [has] been super friendly to us," Cooper said.

Deb Crow, the manager of the park, said she has 65 reservations, some from as far as France, for the weekend. But she is not taking any more reservations starting today because she's worried about the Arkansas River rising.

The river is not predicted to rise high enough to flood the park, but she'd like to play it safe.

Hood also warned about the river. He said the high water levels will continue to work their way downstream.

Bob Major, the president of the North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he sees more people at the park on holidays.

"We stay busy throughout the year but especially during the holidays," Major said.

In 2018, 6,042 groups stayed at the site for an average of three days, Major said.

"We're just like any other hotel. The only difference is that their bed is behind a trailer hitch or a steering wheel," Major said.

According to a survey he conducted, Major said 65% of his visitors go to the Clinton Presidential Center.

Also in Little Rock, the Central Arkansas Nature Center will have events to practice fishing and to teach people to make hummingbird feeders, said Lauren Marshall, an education specialist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. People of all ages are welcome to participate.

Dailey said there's "a lot of things going on in Arkansas," to draw people to the state.

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Americans hit the road for Memorial Day weekend

Metro on 05/24/2019

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