CHICAGO: Undeterred by costlier gas and airfare, millions of Americans set out on Wednesday to see friends and family in what is expected to be the nation's busiest Thanksgiving weekend since the financial meltdown more than three years ago. The rough economy led people to find ways to save money, but many refused to scrap their travel plans. ``We wouldn't think of missing it,'' said Bill Curtis, a retiree from Los Angeles who was with his wife at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. ``Family is important and we love the holiday. So we cut corners other places so we can afford to travel.'' About 42.5 million people are expected to hit the road or take to the skies for Thanksgiving this year, according to travel tracker AAA. That's the highest number of travelers since the start of the recession at the end of 2007. Heavy rain slowed down early travelers along the East Coast. Snow across parts of New England and upstate New York made for treacherous driving and thousands of power outages. And a mudslide covered train tracks in the Pacific Northwest. But most of the U.S. is expected to have clear weather Thursday. For many travelers, it was a smooth, if more expensive, trip. The average round-trip airfare for the top 40 US routes is $212, up 20 percent from last year. Tickets on most Amtrak train routes have climbed slightly, and drivers are paying an average $3.33 a gallon (88 cents a liter), or 16 percent more than last year, according to AAA. Jake Pagel, a waiter from Denver, was flying to see his girlfried's family in San Jose, California. Pagel said had to give up working during one of the restaurant industry's busiest and most profitable times. ``I think it's something you can't quantify in terms of monetary cost,'' he said. ``I mean, being able to spend quality time with your family is fairly significant.'' Most travelers _ about 90 percent, according to AAA _ were expected to hit the road.
John Mahoney acknowledged the economy has changed the way he travels, which is why he and his girlfriend slept in their car instead of getting a motel room when a heavy, wet snowstorm flared up along the New York State Thruway during their 20-hour drive from New Hampshire to St. Louis. ``Americans will still do what Americans do. We travel the roads,'' he said.
John Mahoney acknowledged the economy has changed the way he travels, which is why he and his girlfriend slept in their car instead of getting a motel room when a heavy, wet snowstorm flared up along the New York State Thruway during their 20-hour drive from New Hampshire to St. Louis. ``Americans will still do what Americans do. We travel the roads,'' he said.