AAA: More Plan to Stay Home July 4

More Southern Californians will stay home this Independence Day compared to last year—the roads will see about 2.3 percent fewer travelers, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. The number of Redondo Beach residents who do choose to stay home will have plenty of events to attend.

For the athletes, is hosting its annual , which begins at 8 a.m. Monday at the business’ location in Riviera Village. People of all ages are invited to participate.

Families who want fun in the sun should plan to attend the at on Monday. The event, which starts at 2 p.m., will feature arts and crafts, food, music, a kids' parade and, of course, fireworks. The fireworks show will be synchronized with music on JACK FM 93.1.

Additionally, people in the Hollywood Riviera can watch fireworks off Torrance and RAT beaches, as the Briles family has once again hired a barge for its private display, according to the Daily Breeze. The newspaper said the fireworks show is scheduled to begin at about 9 p.m.—the same time as Redondo's official display.

Nevertheless, though fewer people are planning road trips, many people still plan to travel over the long weekend.

"High gas prices this spring have started to impact travel, but the good news for consumers is that gas prices are continuing to drop and more vacation bargains are being offered this summer because travel providers have available space they need to fill," said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club's vice president for travel products and services, in a statement Monday. 

Seventy-nine percent of Southern California travelers this weekend—2.29 million—are expected to drive to their destinations, which is a 2.9 percent decrease from last year’s 2.36 million car travelers.

As of Tuesday, the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County was $3.841—the lowest since March 3. The price is 7.4 cents less than it was last week and 23.2 cents less than it was last month at this time; however, it’s still 72.4 cents more than it was at this time last year, according to the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

If you plan to fill up before leaving on a trip, visit one of the stations that is selling gas for below-average prices. Prices are from GasBuddy.com and user-reported within 48 hours.

• Thrifty, 4925 Torrance Blvd., Torrance
  Regular: $3.679
  Premium: $3.899
• Arco, 3900 Sepulveda Blvd., Torrance
  Regular: $3.699
  Premium: $3.919
• Thrifty, 16515 Hawthorne Blvd., Lawndale
  Regular: $3.729
  Premium: $3.929
• 76, 5404 W. 190th St., Torrance
  Regular: $3.739 (cash price)

  Premium: $3.939 (cash price)

In addition to those driving, about 337,000 travelers are expected to fly, which is a 1.7 percent increase over last year, according to the Auto Club.

Overall, nearly 2.9 million Southern California residents are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the Fourth of July weekend. Last year, 2.97 million were recorded traveling during the holiday—a 38.6 percent increase over the previous year.

"Last year we saw a big return of the summer vacation among our members, and this year started out well for travel bookings also," Andre said.

According to a poll of Auto Club travel agents, the top destinations this weekend for Southern California travelers are:

1. San Diego
2. Las Vegas
3. San Francisco
4. Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey)
5. Orange County—Disneyland

City News Service contributed to this report.