Millions to travel for the Fourth, despite midweek holiday

— -- Millions of Americans are hitting the road for the Fourth of July, despite the holiday landing mid-week this year.

For the first time in five years, Independence Day falls on a Wednesday, making it harder to stretch a weekend into a three- or even four-day getaway. And, that's left many Americans facing a dilemma.

"Unless you have vacation days to take off Monday and Tuesday, or Thursday and Friday, you're kind of left with one day off in the middle of the week," says Courtney Scott, senior editor at Travelocity.

Despite that, auto club AAA estimates 42.3 million people will brave a heat wave that covers much of the country and work around higher travel costs to venture 50 miles or more from home this holiday. That's a 4.9% increase over last year.

There's plenty for them to see and do, from the fireworks show above the Hudson River in New York City to the "Firecracker 5000" 5-K run in the Midwest tourist mecca of Branson, Mo.

Gail Myer, whose family owns six hotels in Branson, says the mid-week arrival of the holiday isn't hurting her this year. "(There have) been years when Fourth of July was on a Wednesday (and) it was like it never happened," she says. "That's not the case this year."

The same is true in Anaheim, Calif., home to Disneyland, says Bill O'Connell, co-owner of four Best Westerns there. He says bookings are up 4% this Fourth compared to the last.

That's despite higher average hotel rates in big U.S. cities this year compared to last. Airfares and restaurants are higher on average, too.

The higher price of a plane ticket is why Lois Foster, 57, of Atlanta, is making the six-hour drive to New Orleans with her niece, Alexis Edwards, 30, this Fourth. "I would rather have been flying," she says.

Most Americans — 35.5 million, AAA estimates — will travel by automobile. They'll find one of the few price breaks on the road: lower gasoline prices than earlier this year and last.

That may explain why AAA projects people will spend 7% less this Fourth than last, for a median of $749 per family. "While people are still traveling, they are economizing," says AAA spokeswoman Heather Hunter.

By Wednesday, some may rethink traveling, as the National Weather Service expects extreme heat to hover over the eastern half of the country — and the mid-week holiday makes leaving home seem not worth the effort.

"By the time you get anywhere, it's time to come home," says Greg Jones, 60, a retiree in west Georgia near Atlanta.