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Travelers begin their Memorial Day weekend holiday. Higher gas prices are forcing travelers to spend more on fill-ups than hotel rooms. Associated Press
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A motor home leaves a gas station after filling up for the long Memorial Day weekend in Valencia, Calif., Friday, May 27, 2011. With gas prices still topping the $4-a-gallon mark in much of the country and forcing holiday travelers to spend more on fill-u Damian Dovarganes, Associated Press
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Honolulu resident Jim Brewster fills his gas tank in Kailua, Hawaii, Wednesday. Ronen Zilberman, Associated Press
By Deseret News

LAS VEGAS (AP) — AAA predicts about 1.6 percent more residents in mountain states will take trips this Memorial Day weekend compared with last year.

AAA expects about 2.5 million residents of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming to travel at least 50 miles over the holiday, mostly by car.

The travel group's forecast released Monday shows the average mountain states family of four will spend $652 over the weekend and travel about 677 miles.

Nationwide, 34 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles during the final weekend in May. That's an increase of 1.2 percent.

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Memorial Day airfare is projected to be about 7 percent lower than in 2011, while hotel rates are expected to be up 8 percent.

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