Where's the Cheapest Gas in Bradenton?

Heading out on a road trip this long holiday weekend? Gas up early. Prices at the pump are expected to rise, as the weekend draws near. (Click here for a full-screen view of the gas price map.)

Look for local gas prices on Patch's handy search engine. If you do not see your  neighborhood gas stations listed here – or if you want to check another location – take these easy steps:

• Click here for a full-screen view of the gas price map.
• Click the magnifying glass in the upper right.
• Enter your zipcode or full address.

Here are some cheap options we found for Bradenton:

1.) The Circle K at 904 30th Ave. East is selling gas for $3.36, as reported Wednesday. (Prices change daily!)

2.) The Circle K at 3006 1st Ave. West was selling gas at $3.37, as reported on Tuesday. (Prices change daily!)

"If you can gas up today to prepare for your Memorial Day driving, do so," said Chuck Bonner, the lead analyst for GasPredictor.com.

"Motorists this year are facing rising gas prices heading into the Memorial Day holiday," added Michael Green, AAA spokesman, adding that Memorial Day 2013 would probably be the most expensive since 2011.

In past years, prices have declined heading into early summer as oil refineries produced more gasoline to meet expected summer driving demand. This year, though, Midwest refineries haven't been able to produce as much gas, which has pushed prices to all-time highs.

"This is one of the more volatile Memorial Day weekends that I can remember," Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, told Patch.

While you can't control the price at the pump, you might be able to control how much gas your car burns. AAA offered these tips:

• Properly inflate your tires
• Avoid flooring the accelerator and slamming on the brakes
• Drive the speed limit
• Keep up-to-date on routine vehicle maintenence

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