NORFOLK, Va. — The summer might be winding down, but travelers are still hopping on planes or taking the highways for a last-minute trip this Labor Day weekend.
Drivers in the 757 know the Friday night rush all too well.
"Used to a little more traffic on the holiday weekends," said Jeff Cohen of Virginia Beach.
Cohen owns and operates a breakfast spot in East Ocean View. He said he'll work during the day, then spend the rest of the day at the beach.
At Norfolk International Airport, Zoawan Kayea and Deibah Doe from Elizabeth City were ready to hop on their flight to Atlanta.
"I'm going to see a lot of friends and then, I get to spend the weekend with my mom and my brother," said Kayea.
Meanwhile, Patrick and Charles Laurence from Virginia Beach returned from a Red Sox game.
"Last-minute trip, exactly right, close off the summer properly," said Patrick Laurence. "The roads around Boston were jampacked. Yes, not only was it Labor Day weekend, it was also move-in weekend for a lot of the colleges up there."
About 32% of Americans will travel for Labor Day weekend, according to results from a late-summer AAA survey. Of those people, 82% planned to go by car.
"The dip we are now seeing in gas prices, we can only assume that people are going to get back out there," said Ryan Adcock, a spokesman with AAA Tidewater.
Area beaches, especially, are expected to get packed.
"Soak up that last little bit of sun before school starts," said Adcock.
"We'll do the beach. We'll do some pool time, hang out with neighbors, friends and family and have a good time," Patrick added.
Back with drivers, Kennedi Jackson said work will keep her on the move, "I just want to be sure that's everybody safe. I want to make it home and I hope that everybody else makes it home."
And after a summer of saving money for many, 73% of AAA survey participants indicated plans for a leisure trip after Labor Day.
"For the fall, I plan on going to Paris," said Jackson.
Moreover, Adcock said AAA Tidewater anticipates more than 4,100 roadside rescues this long weekend.