With gas prices dropping, Triangle residents hit the road

"1995! And it’s got a nice engine,” he boasts about his ride.

Because gas prices have plunged this year, Deharo and his family can have more cash in their pockets when they head to the beach this weekend.

“That’s exactly right, you know, because I got four kids. I got four boys,” Deharo said.

The lower prices are mainly the result of higher domestic output and OPEC's reluctance to cut its production. So, prices could continue to go down as the temperatures go up, according to AAA Carolinas.

For Kendra Surles, the price can never be too low – her Mercedes has expensive tastes.

“Premium is never low enough for me,” she said with a laugh. “No, it’s never enough.”

But it is lower.

“That means I can go shopping for shoes and pedicures,” Surles said. “We can spend money elsewhere.”

Whether it's a Mercedes or a Mercury Marquis, like the one driven by salesman Marshall Wheeler, vehicles are guzzling less cash these days.

“It makes it a lot easier to take that trip when you want to,” said Wheeler, who is heading to New Bern this weekend.