With Thanksgiving less than a week away, now thoughts of traveling to friends’ and families’ begins to occupy our thoughts.

The folks at GasBuddy share with us that motorists will pay the highest price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline since 2014 this Thanksgiving, but, even still, at $2.56 a gallon, that price is only a penny higher than what we paid for a gallon last year.

“Change is hard, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, many things this year won’t be changing,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

“First, expect the mediocre Detroit Lions and their fans, including me, to suffer for a third straight Thanksgiving Day,” he said. “Second, expect the national average price of gasoline to be in the $2.50s for the third straight Thanksgiving. And third, expect average gas prices to drop between now and Christmas, giving motorists something extra to be thankful for.”

In the past, motorists have paid a lot more per gallon of gas than they will this year. The highest average price at Thanksgiving was $3.44 in 2012, while the year before it was $3.32 and the year after, it was $3.28.

With the price of gas then expected to be pretty much what it was last year, we do not see gas costs as much of deterrent to traveling this holiday.

So it’s over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go.

Travel safely.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)