More in Wisconsin want to hit the road this summer

The number of Wisconsin residents interested in traveling this summer is almost double what it was six months ago, according to the AAA. 

A new travel survey shows 78 per cent of the Wisconsin residents polled ‘feel comfortable traveling’ now, compared to just 46 per cent three months ago. 

In the winter, when the pandemic was worse in the state, only 40 per cent of those surveyed wanted to travel. 

The percentage of people worried about getting COVID-19 has fallen from 73 per cent at the start of the year to less than 50 per cent now.  The top vacation destinations for those Wisconsin travelers are a national or state park, followed by a major city, and a lake. 

AAA says the percentage of people wanting to stay at a hotel or resort also is up to 80 per cent, and over 50 per cent are comfortable with the idea of visiting a theme park. 

Gas prices in La Crosse are a full dollar higher than a year ago, when demand for fuel was starting to bounce back from COVID lows. The average local price of $3.08 compares to $2.08 last July. The pump price is up about 20 cents from a month ago.