'It feels nice': Drivers hitting road for Memorial Day weekend trips

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A steady flow of cars made their way through the I-95 rest stop in Cumberland County Thursday, as drivers looked to get a head start on Memorial Day weekend travel.

"We left Sarasota, Florida this morning at about 3:00 AM. Wanted to get by all the big work traffic. We're over halfway now. We're going to Hershey, Pennsylvania where we were all born and raised," said Glen Weik.

Returning back home is a common theme amongst motorists.

"It feels nice. It will feel a little better when I get to Tarboro," said Bryant Williams.

"Pretty excited to see people I know, yeah," Florence Reagle added.

All three shared fairly smooth travel experiences thus far, finding clear weather and little traffic; having to fill up at the pump has been another story.

"The gas prices are crazy. It's just nuts. I already have over half the cost in now, it's going to cost another time. I'm going to take another tank and a half to get back home," said Weik.

According to GasBuddy, the average price of a gallon in North Carolina is $4.35, 22nd-highest in the country.

"It's a little bit cheaper in Georgia so I definitely filled up there. And I'm noticing as I go further north, the prices seem to get a little higher," said Williams; GasBuddy reports the average price of a gallon in Georgia is about $4.12.

Despite rising gas prices and concerns over inflation, AAA reports that more than 39 million people will travel more than 50 miles from their home throughout the weekend, an increase of more than 8% compared to last year.