July 4 Plans/Traffic

[vdeane]

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the July 4 holiday.  With the family picnic being just a week later, it didn't make sense to go to Rochester twice in such a short span, so instead I have an odd day off that I'm not quite sure what to do with.  I did have an idea for a daytrip to clinch NJ 10 and NJ 53 with a couple stops in NJ, but I'm not sure what the traffic will be like (especially heading back north up the Thruway in the afternoon).  I also considered visiting High Falls Gorge in Wilmington and revisiting Whiteface, but both could well be crowded given the holiday.  Any thoughts?  Is July 4 likely to be a peak travel day, or will most people head up earlier?  And if it is, how bad does it compare to July 7 (when I would absolutely, positively not want to be on the roads - I've been extending my summer holiday trips to Rochester for a reason).

[paulthemapguy]

Analyzing July 4 trip generation is highly conditional depending on where July 4 falls during the week. Since it's a Friday, we have a whole holiday weekend to analyze. I bet a lot of people will leave Thursday/Friday with lots of traffic heading toward vacation destinations on those days. Many will make the return trip on Sunday. Here in the Midwest, a lot of people do summer weekends "up north", so I hope I don't get screwed too badly by traffic as I drive to northeast Minnesota and back...

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm hiking Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park the morning of the 4th. After leaving the cave we are planning on a jog up in Sequoia National Forest to see the Buck Rock Fire Overlook.

FWIW Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks on 4th of July is a tradition for my wife and I.  I took my wife up there in 2017 on our second date.  I've never found the traffic in the park to be overwhelming even on major holidays. 

[1995hoo]

Analyzing July 4 trip generation is highly conditional depending on where July 4 falls during the week. Since it's a Friday, we have a whole holiday weekend to analyze. I bet a lot of people will leave Thursday/Friday with lots of traffic heading toward vacation destinations on those days. Many will make the return trip on Sunday. Here in the Midwest, a lot of people do summer weekends "up north", so I hope I don't get screwed too badly by traffic as I drive to northeast Minnesota and back...

I've found myself wondering to what extent, over time, the new June 19 holiday might lead to a change in vacation patterns. Consider next year. June 19 will be on Friday and July 4 will be on Saturday (meaning July 3 is observed as a holiday). That would allow someone to take nine days of leave and effectively have 17 days off because of there being two three-day weekends two weeks apart. (This year the same person could take ten days of leave to get 18 days off because June 19 fell on a Thursday and July 4 is on Friday). If you vacation in the more "traditional" late July or early August window, if you took ten days of leave in the form of two Monday-to-Friday work weeks you'd effectively have 16 days off.

I suppose one complication for some people is when their kids' school districts let out for the summer.


I have off July 3 this year in addition to the Fourth. My wife and I have a tee time on July 3 but have not made any plans for Friday.

[Max Rockatansky]

Thus far I've found Juneteenth travel to be virgin territory free of the usual holiday crowds.  I've gotten it off since it was declared a Federal holiday but my wife's county just added it this year.  I find it to be similar to Columbus Day in terms of crowd sizes (meaning small).

[JayhawkCO]

Fireworks with the kiddo on Friday and then my wife goes out of town for the weekend, so whatever will keep my son entertained. Might run him up to the mountains for an easy hike.

[1995hoo]

Thus far I've found Juneteenth travel to be virgin territory free of the usual holiday crowds.  I've gotten it off since it was declared a Federal holiday but my wife's county just added it this year.  I find it to be similar to Columbus Day in terms of crowd sizes (meaning small).

That's why I said "over time." It's still a very new holiday and it takes time for patterns to change. Especially to the extent that school calendars might be involved. (Because I don't have kids, I had to look up when Fairfax County's last day of school is next year. It's June 17, and the first day of school is the second-to-last Monday of August, which is August 18 this year. Makes me wonder how late they'd close for the summer if school still started after Labor Day—but then, they have a lot more days off that we didn't get when I was growing up, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.)

Obviously, my living in the DC area surely affects my perception because around here, any federal holiday will see big changes in traffic volume, regardless of whether the private sector observes it. What that really underscores is how massive the US government presence is in terms of DC-area employment, although my perception of June 19 is that more of the non-retail portion of the private sector is observing it than is the case for, say, Columbus Day and Veterans Day.

[hbelkins]

Might take a day trip Sunday, but I'm not sure where to yet. I'm off Friday, but will stick close to home. My sister-in-law is coming home Saturday, so I'll be at home again while my wife goes to visit. That leaves Sunday for any travel.

Longer-range, I'm looking at trying to go back to West Virginia later this month. I'd also like to go to Elkins, Ark., sometime this year.

[gonealookin]

Repeating something that I enjoyed last year, I'm going to the PGA Tour event, the John Deere Classic, in the Moline area.  Lake Tahoe is wonderful all year except Fourth of July, when it turns into Tourist Hell that locals who don't work in the hospitality/service industry flee if they can.

So that schedule is:  Wednesday, fly from Reno to Chicago and drive to Moline, enjoy the golf Thursday through Sunday, and do the return drive back to Chicago and fly to Reno on Monday.  Chicago-Moline is a bit more of a drive than I'd prefer, but it's offset by the much easier-to-schedule and cheaper flights from Reno-Chicago than either Reno-Moline or Reno-Cedar Rapids, and the car rentals are cheaper in Chicago as well.

[epzik8]

Bethany Beach, DE for me, which will most likely entail taking DE 1 down, then DE/MD 404 and US 50 over the Bay Bridge back.

[Rothman]

Thus far I've found Juneteenth travel to be virgin territory free of the usual holiday crowds.  I've gotten it off since it was declared a Federal holiday but my wife's county just added it this year.  I find it to be similar to Columbus Day in terms of crowd sizes (meaning small).

Small crowds on Columbus Day?  *laughs in New England and New York*

[Max Rockatansky]

Thus far I've found Juneteenth travel to be virgin territory free of the usual holiday crowds.  I've gotten it off since it was declared a Federal holiday but my wife's county just added it this year.  I find it to be similar to Columbus Day in terms of crowd sizes (meaning small).

Small crowds on Columbus Day?  *laughs in New England and New York*

Funny, I was telling Jessica what "leaf peepers" were the other day.  She seemed confused that something like that is a thing during Fall season.

[Rothman]

Thus far I've found Juneteenth travel to be virgin territory free of the usual holiday crowds.  I've gotten it off since it was declared a Federal holiday but my wife's county just added it this year.  I find it to be similar to Columbus Day in terms of crowd sizes (meaning small).

Small crowds on Columbus Day?  *laughs in New England and New York*

Funny, I was telling Jessica what "leaf peepers" were the other day.  She seemed confused that something like that is a thing during Fall season.

It helps to have deciduous trees around to make the point.

[Bruce]

Going to a local fair and maybe a local show, but otherwise staying put. If I had a bit more in my road trip budget, I would be going over the border for the whole weekend.

[ClassicHasClass]

We're defending the house from the local firebugs. It's freaking Beirut in the streets.

[Rothman]

We're defending the house from the local firebugs. It's freaking Beirut in the streets.

What, just fireworks?

[Max Rockatansky]

We're defending the house from the local firebugs. It's freaking Beirut in the streets.

What, just fireworks?

I'm honestly kind of surprised there has been any big notable forest fires that were tied to fireworks in the Tahoe area.  It probably isn't quite as dry this year but sometimes it is a tinder box up there in early July. 

Around me there will be at least a half dozen grass fires that will get set off on the 4th.  Pretty much everyone uses illegal fireworks regardless of enforcement.

[Rothman]

We're defending the house from the local firebugs. It's freaking Beirut in the streets.

What, just fireworks?

I'm honestly kind of surprised there has been any big notable forest fires that were tied to fireworks in the Tahoe area.  It probably isn't quite as dry this year but sometimes it is a tinder box up there in early July. 

Around me there will be at least a half dozen grass fires that will get set off on the 4th.  Pretty much everyone uses illegal fireworks regardless of enforcement.

No wildfires here, but I do enjoy watching PA's finest fireworks light up the sky over Syracuse.

[gonealookin]

We're defending the house from the local firebugs. It's freaking Beirut in the streets.

What, just fireworks?

I'm honestly kind of surprised there has been any big notable forest fires that were tied to fireworks in the Tahoe area.  It probably isn't quite as dry this year but sometimes it is a tinder box up there in early July. 

Around me there will be at least a half dozen grass fires that will get set off on the 4th.  Pretty much everyone uses illegal fireworks regardless of enforcement.

This is the concern about bailing out to Moline, that I'm not here to defend the property against something like that.  I probably could not defend my house against that sort of blaze; if I were present, though, I'd likely be able to grab my most valuable possessions and throw them in the car in a few minutes.  You live here, you rehearse that mentally.  When I've been here for July 4, I've certainly heard the dummies, probably vacation renters in my neighborhood, going with the fireworks explosions.  (All fireworks are illegal, period, within the Tahoe Basin.)

There's a big ugly burn scar on the mountainside just above the Stateline casinos.  That's from the Gondola Fire from July 4 week in 2002.  That wasn't fireworks, it was some bonehead tossing their cigarette out the window of the gondola.

[Henry]

Driving down to L.A. for the weekend, as I'll be off from Thursday to next Monday.