Gas Prices Expected to Impact Spring Break

As the lunch crowd fills King Neptune's restaurant, owner Al Sawyer is already thinking about what he'd like to order. "I hope the weather holds out for a good spring break."

This winter has been well, winter for retailers. "Spring and summer is your big thing," says Colton Wallace at Blonde John's Surf Shop. "Everybody makes their money off that and does there own thing through the winter."

After one of the mildest winters in recent memory it isn't hard to fast forward to spring break. "It's just going to be packed out. I truly believe that. We're about five percent ahead of last year at this time and that number is just climbing and climbing," says Marie Curran with Brett Robinson.

The only hiccup to what promises to be a great spring break is gas prices. Right now the average price of a gallon of gas in Alabama is three dollars and 49 cents and that is expected to go up as temperatures rise.

"It may not affect if they come down here," says Wallace. "But it will affect the amount of money that they spend and where they spend their money."

It's a challenge they've all faced before. "It may slow it down a little bit but it seems like people are willing to pay the price for a few extra cents to come down here and enjoy themselves," says Sawyer.

For those booking accommodations it's a subject that hasn't come up yet according to Curran. "In the summer time that is a typical question. We haven't started to hear that yet because it's slowly creeping up on us. I think four point 0-0 is going to be the eye opener."

People may not be talking about it. "I know I roll my eyes and go great it went up another nickel a gallon but what do you do?" Most agree. The more money it takes to drive here the bigger impact higher gas prices will have on their bottom line.