GALVESTON, Texas — Texans will pay the highest prices ever recorded for a gallon of gasoline this Memorial Day weekend. But while some have slammed the brakes on road trips altogether, others are opting for shorter drives, a trend that could bode well for Galveston, a city just a tank away from the people-packed Houston metropolitan area.

Some 2.78 million Texans are expected to take to the roads and skies during the long weekend, down 0.59 percent from a year ago, according to travel trackers AAA Texas. The auto club attributes that slight dip to the wince-inducing price of gas, which across the state is averaging $3.69 a gallon, 65 cents higher than a year ago.

But Texans who are traveling for Memorial Day holiday said their top destinations are San Antonio, Orlando, Fla., national parks, Galveston and Las Vegas, according the association’s yearly survey.

Island officials are attributing a significant surge in beach park attendance to high gas prices.

In fact, high gas prices appear to be helping island tourism, said Rochelle Gaskins, a spokeswoman for Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The number of people hitting island beach parks in March and April was 39,130, compared with 26,784 a year ago, a 46 percent increase.

“Galveston is so nearby and offers so many things to do,” Gaskins said.

Aside from the beach, the top tourist spots on the island are entertainment complex Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn water park, she said.

In Texas, about 40 percent of travelers served by AAA say they’ll spend less than $300 on their trip, with 35 percent saying they’ll spend more.

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On The Web

Want to estimate your fuel costs? Try AAA’s online tool at www.fuelcost calculator.com.