Last year, four dollar a gallon gas halted summer vacations for many across the country.

But with the economy down this year, are people still getting away for the Fourth of July?

Action News Reporter Reed Buterbaugh talked to drivers to see how the current recession is changing their travel plans.

Many of these motorists are breezing through Binghamton along Interstate 81.

On their way to the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, and the Thousand Islands for the holiday weekend.

But the decision to get out of town wasn't easy.

"We've been kind of contemplating making this trip for a while and with things being down we just decided to bite the bullet and go up for it," Chris Dileo, of Whitehead, MT said.

"We come here last year for the fourth of July weekend and we wanted to come up again," said Ed Miciolek, of Collegeville, PA. "Though maybe we weren't going to come and at last minute I decided to com up and do the wineries."

While everyone's tightening their belt.

Fuel costs are down more than a third from last year's high.

Making it cheaper to get from home to their destination.

"I have a stable job so I'm not worried about the economy at this point but I did find travel much easier to swallow with the cheap gas prices this year," said Jason Kellog of Bear, DE.

But the market's instability and rising unemployment has many economizing their summer plans.

"Chances are I may not get to take the extended vacation I might like to late in the year so that makes this more of a no-brainer," said Mike Carney of Princeton, NJ.

"We're doing more short trips this year than a long week or 10 days. It's just going down for a couple days and be back on Sunday," Dennis Yost of Camillus, NY.

To save money more people are visiting family, rather than staying in a hotel and staying closer to home

"Fairly local trip for us so economically wise it's not a big strain," said Stanley Byrdak, of Rockway, NJ.

"Someplace we could drive. We didn't want to fly anywhere," said Brian Orr from Salisbury, MD.

But for many worrying about costs was left at home during their travels.

"The gas doesn't matter if I'm going , I'm going regardless of what the gas prices are," said Jean Hoffman of Frackville, PA.

AAA reports that two percent fewer people will be taking a trip of 50 miles or more this weekend, compared to last year.

But more are expected to fly, since airfare is down 16 percent from last year.