John Helie of Randallstown said his family likes to drive to Bethesda and stay at a Marriott hotel there. He said this year they decided to stay closer to home.
"We find ourselves probably going to Patapsco State Park and going on a hike," said the Baltimore County school system employee. "We still try to do nice things but, yes, it's catching up with us."
Averella said that unless there is a significant drop in gas prices, the Memorial Day weekend travel decline could bode ill for the summer.
"What we saw for Maryland travel certainly would be an indicator of what is to come - particularly as it relates to summer driving," she said.
Nowhere are the stakes higher than in Ocean City, where officials recently brushed off the 1970s slogan that the resort is only half a tank away. Despite their efforts, it appears that many visitors decided that was half a tank too much.
The 13 percent decline in visitors left Ocean City merchants scratching their heads, said Susan Jones, who heads the city's Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Association.
"We saw a real mix this time - some hotels were sold out, some with plenty of vacancies," said Jones. "The media have put gas prices and the economy in people's minds. We don't have a crystal ball; there's no real way to predict the rest of the summer."
Town spokeswoman Donna Abbott played down the significance of the numbers - particularly because last year's figures were unusually high.
"We pulled the numbers for the last few years and we're up a little one year, down a little the next," she said. "The weather was great, but when it's a little hotter, we'll pick up, too. Memorial Day isn't the Big Boom for us that people think because kids are still in school. By the Fourth of July, we'll hit 350,000 as long as the weather cooperates."
Chris Maxa, general manager for the Kite Loft stores that line the Boardwalk, said a steady breeze made for big business.
"I don't want to reveal the percentages, but we beat last year's sales numbers," Maxa said. "It's been a little sluggish during the early weeks, but it was a great weekend after being cooped up for a while. In our business, wind is everything."
Tim Sullivan, an economics professor at Towson University, said the weekend's mediocre travel numbers show that people are uncertain about the overall economy.
"People are just nervous about what's happening, and their natural reaction is to pull back," he said.
michael.dresser@baltsun.com
chris.guy@baltsun.com
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Gas at $4. Energy bills up 72%. Summer temperatures approaching.
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MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
3 % Drop in travelers on the Bay Bridge during the holiday weekend
13% Decline in visitors to Ocean City compared to last year.
7% Drop in traffic at the Fort McHenry tunnel
