Maria Cirillo will drive more than 200 miles from Jacksonville to Fort Pierce to visit with her family for the Fourth of July.
She’ll eat hot dogs, hamburgers and “something festive,” like red, white and blue cupcakes.
The UF psychology sophomore won’t be alone.
This year, AAA predicts 41.9 million people in the U.S. will travel 50 miles or more for fireworks and other Fourth of July festivities — the greatest number of Independence Day travelers since 2007. The company expects 2.09 million Floridians to drive, fly and ride to their destinations, a 1.3 percent increase from last year.
For Cirillo, whose dad lives in Jacksonville and whose mom lives in Sarasota, traveling long distances over the summer is the norm. She said she’ll drive about 300 miles this week, from Gainesville to a Say Anything concert in Jacksonville, then down the east coast to her grandparents’ home in Fort Pierce.
According to AAA, about 1.8 million Floridians are expected to drive to their destinations this weekend.
But Kirsten Palma, a UF mechanical engineering junior, won’t be among them.
Although Palma plans on heading home to Pembroke Pines, which is between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, she’ll be one of the 3.2 million in the U.S. to opt out of flying or driving.
Instead, Palma said she will ride the GMG bus.
The 19-year-old didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the six-hour bus trip, but she said, “It gets me there.”
Because of the holiday festivals, Palma said she expects a lot of traffic, which is why she doesn’t plan on watching an elaborate fireworks show.
“The craziest show comes with the craziest traffic,” she said.
Palma will probably drive to Hollywood Beach, she said, where she can sit on top of her Prius and watch the sky light up.
Cirillo said she and her family don’t have any particular traditions, but she’s sure they’ll still see fireworks.
She’ll enjoy eating American food and will decorate herself in the colors of the flag, she said.
“I try to get my red, white and blue on,” Cirillo said.
Increased holiday road trips aren’t without their hiccups, though. AAA predicts it will service almost 360,000 drivers this weekend.
Cirillo said she tries to avoid car mishaps by having her dad check her Honda’s oil and tire pressure.
She said she looks forward to being in Fort Pierce, where she can visit her grandparents, mom and 20-year-old brother.
While her brother sets off “crazy” fireworks, Cirillo said she will probably enjoy the Fourth’s sparklers.
“I’m more of just a sparkler person,” she said.
- Get in the habit of conducting periodic safety checks to make sure your vehicle is in good operating condition.
- A safety check includes tires, lights, belts, hoses, fluids and windshield wipers.
- Read your owner’s manual to clearly understand which dash lights or signals indicate your vehicle is not operating properly and what to do in such situations.
- Before a road trip, contact AAA to arrange for a free test of your vehicle’s battery, starting and charging system. This can help determine how much life is left in your battery and if any other components need repairs.
- Program your cell phone with emergency numbers, including that of your roadside assistance provider, and keep a backup written list in your glove compartment.
- Always carry a well-stocked emergency kit and familiarize yourself with the use of safety flares, warning triangles and other emergency equipment.
