Holiday Traffic Rush Is On
CHERRY HILL, NJ (CBS) -- The Thanksgiving travel rush is in full swing.
As you might guess, things are busy along the New Jersey Turnpike, but some have greater driving challenges than others.
Tens Of Thousands Take To Skies To Get Out Of Town For Thanksgiving
Talk about over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. The Sutphen family is making the trek from Long Island to Wake Forest, North Carolina. A nine hour drive, although husband Jason is allocating up to 11 to get there.
"It's going to be the first time, at least for us to get the whole family together in one spot," he told KYW Newsradio at the Walt Whitman rest stop. "We haven't done it in years and years and years. And so, a one time occasion? We've got to do it, right?"
For most, this is an annual tradition. Or at least every other year for Sandra Cheng and her husband, who left their Brooklyn home at rush hour on their way to Arlington, Virginia for the weekend to see family.
"I keep hearing stories about, what, 48 million people on the road for Thanksgiving this year," she said. "So, we decided to start out a little earlier."
Although she was worried about things from Baltimore South. Along for the ride, the family dog, Clover. And, after all, this IS a rest stop.
And then there's Lorraine Easter and her family. This is their first Thanksgiving in the United States, having emigrated from Australia this summer. She handled the traffic well from New York en route to Richmond. Then again, she's all excited about the holiday feast to come.
"I don't know what to expect and this is Denzel's first Thanksgiving," she said, then asking her son what he looked forward to. His deadpanned response? "Eating food."
More than 48 million people are headed to their holiday destinations across America via the automobile, and this road is known for carrying a lot of traffic on a day like this.
New Jersey Gas Tax Goes Up...A Lot
One surprise for those driving through New Jersey? The higher price at the pump, driven by this month's 23 cent a gallon hike in the state gas tax. But that didn't seem to affect the lines waiting to fill up.
