Avoiding A Holiday Traffic Jam

PALM SPRINGS – Presents, toys and luggage are packed away. The holiday weekend is over, and now it’s time for the journey home which is going smooth for most.

“It seemed empty, I was shocked,” says Adrienne Erlick Sigmund.

Drivers say, a hassle free road trip takes preparation. It’s all about timing and navigating.

“We got up at the crack of dawn to miss the traffic,” says Erlick Sigmund.

“We got the heads up from friends that the 60 was bad so we took a longer route to go around it,” says James Dougherty.

Some people take the roads less traveled to dodge the traffic.

“I drove from Parker, Arizona to Twentynine Palms,” says Chris Hanson. “That’s a back road, it’s all back road.”

Although the roads aren’t too busy, local gas stations are packed. The valley is a pit stop for travelers coming from Arizona, Utah and Texas. Traveler, Joe Quadras is making a lot of these stops along his route back to Texas.

“From Sonoma (California) to Texas it takes about 3 days,” says Quadras.

Quadras chose highways instead of the air this holiday season and he’s not alone. Road travel is up more than 4 percent compared to this time last year, as people try to spend time instead of money.

“We thought it would be cheaper and more fun,” says Quadras. “It’s more of an experience to drive.”

Thanks early planning and early rising, it’s an experience that won’t end in a holiday traffic jam.

“It wasn’t crowded at all,” says Quadras.