(Photo By Flickr User Breno Peck)

Kicking off the summer driving season is underway and more than eight in ten travelers will be driving to their destinations this weekend.

According to AAA (Triple A) Travel, the economic picture continues on its slow and steady path towards improvement, with gains in nearly all fundamentals helping to drive the travel forecast up 1.5 percent from 2013, with 36.1 million people expected to travel this Memorial Day holiday.The Memorial Day holiday is defined as Thursday, May 22nd to Monday, May 26th.

2.6%- The 2014 forecast is 2.6% higher than the ten-year historical average and the second highest travel volume since 2000.

88%- 88% is the numer of travelers (31.8 million) who will be travelling by automobile, an increase from 31.4 million last year.

2.4%- Holiday air travel expected to increase from 2.4% to 2.6 million leisure travelers.

6.5%- Travel by other modes of transportation including cruise, trains, and buses will see the largest increase, up 6.5% (total 1.7 million travelers).

6%, 2%, 1%- Travelers will encounter slightly higher prices with airfares 6% higher, mid-range hotels up 2%, and car rentals costing 1% more.

Get more facts and figures by logging on to www.aaa.com for more details.

Be careful, have a safe, happy, and blessed Memorial Day weekend! One Love!!