With economy still flagging, July 4th travel rolls on, but a little closer to home

July 4th travel rolls on, a little closer to home

PHILADELPHIA — Concerns about the economy are weighing on some July Fourth travelers who are opting for time-tested destinations closer to home instead of far-flung beaches.

Don Shelley, a high school principal from Arizona, was given a 50th birthday trip to Philadelphia instead of Hawaii because it was less costly.

He waited in line for the Liberty Bell on Friday with his wife and three children and said that “this is just as much fun.”

The economy is also keeping Tommy Aaron and his wife, Jessica Infante, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., close to home — at the beach in Point Pleasant.

They were having fun there, but readily admitted it would be more fun to be in Aruba.