With a few days off work, Joe and Kim Red traveled 285 miles from their home in Red Banks, Mississippi, to enjoy Chattanooga’s top tourist attractions this week.
“We sometimes go to the beach, but I really like the mountains better, and both of us have a lot of fond memories about Chattanooga,” Joe Red said after spending Monday at Lookout Mountain’s Rock City Gardens. “I still remember going through Fat Man’s Squeeze here as a kid. We love it here.”
The Reds are among nearly 71 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more from home over the July Fourth holiday. AAA projects this will be the busiest travel year ever for Independence Day. Thousands of tourists are expected in Chattanooga, boosting the city’s $1.6 billion-a-year tourism industry.
“It’s a great town we’ve always wanted to visit,” said Cole Floyd from Panama City, Florida, during his first visit to the Scenic City on Monday. Amid the summer heat, Tennessee’s mountains are attracting many tourists like Floyd, who is stopping in Chattanooga on his way to visit family in Virginia. With July Fourth on a Thursday this year, millions are projected to start their trips on Wednesday afternoon or evening, making it a four-day holiday. INRIX, a transportation data provider, said the worst travel times are between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., with road trips taking up to 67% longer than usual.
To ease the travel burden, the Tennessee Department of Transportation is suspending all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes from noon Wednesday through 6 a.m. Monday. AAA predicts record travel in Tennessee this year, with 1.4 million Tennesseans taking road trips this week.
More Americans are extending their trips around Independence Day, combining summer vacations with the flexibility of remote work, according to AAA.