FILE- Drivers line up for gas at Fred Meyer in Bend on March 8.

High gas prices are causing Redmond residents to rethink their summer travel plans, and some have canceled far flung adventures to stay closer to home.

Hal and Lindy Cunningham used to go to British Columbia each summer, an 11-hour drive covering the 461 miles to Nanaimo, a city on Vancouver Island where the temperature last week was 20 degrees cooler than Redmond. But high gas prices, and the rising prices of everything else, convinced them to vacation closer to home this year.

Instead, the Cunninghams are headed to the Wallowas and Eagle Cap Wilderness in northeast Oregon — another cooler option, but one much closer to home.

“That’s half the gas and half the time and every bit as beautiful as B.C.,” Hal said.

“And we’re keeping our money in Oregon which feels good,” Lindy added.

The Cunninghams aren’t the only ones changing travel plans. Bev and Walt Masters would head for Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula every August. It took more than six hours to drive the 346 miles to a spot where, last week, temperatures were topping out a a cool 75 degrees.

The Masters are instead on their way to the Oregon coast — more specifically, Florence.

“We did the math,” said Bev.

“It’s what we learned in school … the shortest distance between two points is a straight line,” said Walt. “It’s 190 miles, all on (Highway) 126, no road changes and we’re there in 3 and a half hours.”

They are leaving after breakfast and expect to have lunch in Old Town Florence where one day last week the high was — wait for it — just 63 degrees. The gas savings is about $45 each way, a $90 benefit for the couple.

Air travel

While the number of passengers flying from Roberts Field is steadily growing, June enplanements were 48,492, only a small gain over 2021 when COVID was still stalling travel that saw 42,933 passengers take off. RDM boarded 45,427 in June of 2019 before the pandemic so there is growth, albeit slow.

Across the U.S year air traffic in the first six months of 2022 was up 5.2% following pent up demand but is receding in the face of air fares that have increased by more than 37% and frequent delays and cancellations, some historic.

It’s those flight interruption reports that are keeping Roger and Marti Baker close to home in Redmond. They’re making day trips about once a month. Last week they went west over the Santiam Pass and did the waterfall loop following 126 out and 242 back taking in Cline, Sahalie, Koosah and Proxy Falls along the way all in under eight hours.

Next week they’re going to make a Fossil, John Day, Painted Hills loop up 97, across 218, down 207 and home on 26. That 253 mile outing will take 5.25 hours, some 8 hours with stops.

“We don’t need to go the Grand Canyon or Glacier. We’ve got it all right here and with over $6 gallon for my diesel pick up, absolutely no way we’re gonna leave our great state this summer,” Roger insisted.

Indeed, it looks like more and more Redmonders are discovering or rediscovering what’s in their back yards. This follows national trends. A study by George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government found that gas prices were a factor for 61% of respondents answering the question about what could impact their vacation plans. Hotel and lodging pries were mentioned by 52%, the same number who said flight prices were affecting their plans.

Early estimates are that attendance at the recently-completed Deschutes County Fair are up substantially probably setting another record.

Ward Paulson worked the ticket window Saturday.

“It never let up all day,” he said. “Every time I looked out the window there were dozens of people in line.”

Redmond residents Cory and Brittany Reynolds hadn’t been to the county fair for years.

“Usually at fair time we were camping and fishing on the Umpqua, but the price of gas was just too much so we rounded up the kids and came to the fair,” said Cory, who was pleased with the decision. “Saved a ton of money and had an incredible time.”

Nationwide change of plans

A new survey suggests a new trend for 2022, indicating a rise in desire for closer-to-home adventures and staycations. The Vacationer surveyed more than 1,000 Americans adults about their thoughts on staycations and whether they’d consider taking one this year.

Of the respondents, over 67 percent of those surveyed said they already have or are planning a staycation.

A study by Bankrate found that 69 percent of American adults who say they will vacation this summer anticipate making changes to their plans because of inflation, with 25 percent traveling shorter distances and 23 percent planning less expensive activities. Among people planning to take time off, a staycation was the second most-popular option, behind heading to the beach.

A different report released in May by travel review website TripAdvisor found that 74 percent of American travelers were “extremely concerned” about inflation; 32 percent were planning to take shorter trips this summer and 31 percent were planning to travel close to home.

Luckily for Redmond residents, staying close to home can be rich in rewards.