SOUTH BEND — Although the high gas prices are nothing new, a dip in the number of Fourth of July travelers is.

Fewer families may be taking to the roads and skies this holiday compared with last Fourth of July.

Leo Coley, 24, of South Bend, said his family will be one of them.

“We had to put all our money together today to put gas in the car to go to church and if it hadn’t been for Grandma we may not have made it to church tonight,” he said.

“Everyone wanted to go to Chicago for the Fourth of July but we just don’t have the money to eat, get the baby her formula and get gas, too,” Coley said.

“We’ll have to stay home this year because we just can’t afford these high gas prices."

According to Mark Weber, a clerk at the Marycrest Marathon station on Western Avenue in South Bend, most people are handling the rising prices as best they can.

“The only time I hear people complain is when the price goes up. I try my best to explain that it’s not our fault we have to raise the price. Sometimes people yell at me but most of the time people are very nice,” Weber said.

Despite July 4 falling on a Friday and allowing for a three-day weekend, the American Automobile Association estimates a decline in the number of Americans traveling during the holiday period.

However, the AAA projects 40-45 million Americans will still travel during the holiday weekend, down 1.3 percent, or nearly 550,000 Americans, from the 41 million who traveled last year.

This is the second consecutive travel holiday in 2008 where a year-to-year decrease was forecast.

The AAA projected a nearly 1 percent drop in holiday travelers for Memorial Day.

The forecast includes U.S. residents traveling 50 miles or more from home.

“While the numbers of travelers are a bit off from last year’s levels, it is important to note that there are still millions of Americans that plan to plan to travel,” said Brad Roeber, AAA Chicago’s president, on the organization’s Web site.

According to the AAA, more than 13 percent of the U.S. population will be on the road this holiday weekend despite the record gas prices.

Many will be taking advantage of travel bargains that are being offered by hotels hoping to boost last-minute business.

“What can you say?” said Victoria Jackson, of Unity in God Through Christ Ministry. “You can't really do much about it. We have a ministry that helps others and I’m in the car about eight hours a day. If it wasn’t for the little help I get from shopping at Martin’s, it would be even worse. I pick up people and take them to the doctors because they have no other way to get there so God provides but these gas prices are just plain ridiculous! But like most other days I’ll most likely be traveling around on the Fourth of July, too.”

High gas prices won’t keep some families from their holiday travel this Independence Day.

“My children have been looking forward to going to Cedar Point for the Fourth of July and my husband and I are not going to let them down,” says Maria Torres of South Bend. “Because the price of gas is so high we will not be able to stay over-night in a hotel like we wanted to but we’ll still be going to the park for the day.”

“I can’t wait,” says Matthew, 11, hanging from the window of the family van. “I’m going to have a ball!”