DELAWARE BEACHES - High above Lewes aboard WBOC's Chopper 16, Coastal Highway was busy on Thursday, but it didn't look like much more than the usual shore traffic.
In the run-up to Memorial Day, Delmarva typically braces for wild traffic jams as folks flock to the beaches, boardwalks, and all kinds of fun and relaxation in between.
But traffic ahead of the long holiday weekend has overall been tame.
"No concerns at all," said Gary Shapiro of Owings Mills, Md. "We left on Wednesday and we knew traffic would be light, so there was no issue with traffic whatsoever."
Talking to boardwalk visitors in Rehoboth Beach, when asked what they thought about before coming to Delmarva, their chief complaints were not the typical traffic or gas prices.
It was the prices for everything else.
"The inflation is crazy," said Maddi Meyers of Cecil County, Md. "Getting Thrasher's fries were $7 today. And I remember them being less than that, like, probably like $4."
A visitor from Pennsylvania echoed Maddi's sentiment.
"We had just bought an ice cream and it was $15 for the both of us," said Jerry Motter. "And luckily it's just the two of us. I can only imagine what it's like for a family of four or a family of six."
That may not bode well for boardwalk businesses.
One employee of an Ocean City establishment says last year's business was poor for the shore.
"I've seen a lot of businesses not survive last year, so they're not open this year because of the money," said Victor Dameron.
The foot traffic in Rehoboth Beach, with dry conditions and warm temperatures suggests 2024 could be just as bad if not worse.
"I don't see anything," Dameron said. "This is- in the last four years I've been doing this, this is totally like a February."
While inflation was weighing heavily on the minds of travelers on Delmarva today, there was a bit of good news. According to the American Automobile Association, the inflation has mostly not affected gasoline prices. They're predicting a national average price similar to last year, about $3.60/gal.
