Saving Gas Money By Vacationing Close To Home

This story appeared on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

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(istockphoto.com)

My half of the CBS News Eye on the Road trip started in San Francisco with something they call "slugging."

It's an unusual form commuting where total strangers actually "hitch" a ride to their 9-to-5 jobs.

We picked up Jason Mendrey.

"Even people around here that I've told that I do this think I'm crazy," Mendrey said. "'Cause it does sound a little funny to say I do organized hitchhiking."

Whatever you call it, it helps everyone. Cars carrying three people get to use the HOV lane, and don't pay a toll.

Up next, 120 miles east, the Sly Park Campground in Pollock Pines.

That's where our CBS News crew found Mike Morrasy, who's owned a 38-foot RV for 10 years.

"She's been all over the place, right?" I asked Morrasy.

Morrasy replied: "Yeah."

Since it gets only 7 miles a gallon, this year, Morrasy's vacationing only three miles away from home.

Reservations here, mostly locals, are up 140 percent this year. People who don't even want to think about how much a longer trip would cost.

"It costs so much that its one of those things where if you keep track of it too much then you get upset," Morrasy said.

Here's another way to get your mind off the road … go in the water.

Whitewater rafting on the American River, off Route 49.

But even though the rafts are fuel free, the drive here is not.

There's a 15 percent bus surcharge owner Don Koomees has to soak up.

"Does that extra money you're paying potentially mean you're not profitable?" I asked.

"It really cuts into the profit to make it really, really tight," Koomees said.

(CBS)

We're now in Lake Tahoe, and here are the totals so far from Day One. We've paid an average of $4.13 a gallon. Getting 39.4 miles a gallon.

Team Cordes, on the east coast is paying an average of $3.72 a gallon, getting 24.7 miles per gallon.

[andylance1]

The price of gasoline is so high because the Democrats are preventing the oil companies from exploring for gas and oil in off shore waters.

Democratic Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said yesterday: "Republicans must abandon their shortsighted strategy of ''drill, drill, drill.''

Is filling up your tank driving you crazy? Vote against idiots like Harry Reid.

[acolton1]

So CBS just what was the Carbon Foot print on doing this little drive stunt across the USA.

[boston1954]

IF I could afford a vacation, I do not know if I would be concerned about gasoline. But I can''t. I am however, concerned that it is 18 miles to the grocery store.

[acolton1]

I live in Kansas City and live about 13 miles from work DownTown. It takes me 22 minutes to drive from home to work. Traffic is LAME here in Kansas City and it''s easy to get around. I have lived in Portland Oregon and traffic is bad there and lived in Seattle and traffic is worse than Portland and also lived in Atlanta and traffic in ATL seriously bites the big one I hated it but I liked living in Atlanta. My favorite city I have lived in was Seattle the North West Rules and the Climate is the best if you can deal with Rain.

[acolton1]

Great Idea: It saves gas and eliminates a car on the road. You might meet somebody Cool, New and maybe make a friend.

[mjvw2]

slugging has been going on in the Washington DC area for years.

[nonayabiness]

We are definitely staying MUCH closer to home on vacation this year. Hey, I didn''t even vacation AT ALL between 1992 and 2005, so I feel entitled to explore the country and perhaps the world a little bit, but its not in my budget to do so.

[nonayabiness]

They''ve been ''slugging'' around D.C. for years, and as far as I can remember, no crimes have resulted. Since where I live and work has no public transportation, perhaps I''ll start a ''slugging'' campaign, like a carpooling network in my community. Not only for work commutes, but for weekend errands and such as going to the bank, grocery shopping, taking children to their team sports, etc.

[marcpcbs]

The price of gasoline is so high because Bush is getting his revenge on all those people who blamed him for everything.

So we can blame the high gas prices on the "Bush''s Fault" crowd.

These people have obviously never heard the old saying, "Don''t pi-ss off the cook".

[michellem99-2009]

I CALL MY PEOPLE ON THE PHONE, WRITE..I live in Seattle and they back east..I am from Maine.