HOUSTON – Nearly 2.8 million Texans will hit the road this holiday weekend, but they won’t all be going far.

With today’s sky-high gas prices, some Houstonians are putting the brakes on long-distance travel, taking advantage of what the Bayou City has to offer.

They call these trips “stay-cations.”

For many Houston families, making vacation dollars count when money is tight takes some creativity.

“Three hours or less is ideal. So Houston and San Antonio are good options for us,” stay-cationer Alicia Johnson said.

Good for hundreds of others, too.

“There are so many things to do around Houston: The zoo, the aquarium, the Space Center. And everything is still in a small radius,” Robert Paquette said.

A stay-cation makes little room for fuel expenses and a lot of room for fun.

To make it easier for local families to have fun close to home, some famous Houston-area attractions have made a strategic partnership.

It’s called the City Pass, and it gets you admittance to different attractions for just $34.

“Which gives up to 50 percent off of major attractions all over the area,” Greg Ortale of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau said.

According to AAA, state highway traffic reflects the stay-cation phenomenon.

“Most members will travel, but they will stay closer to home. That’s the way they will cut their budgets,” Rose Rougeau said.

That’s because for most parents, it’s easier to cut fuel costs than to cut the quality time they spend with their kids.

“Ten to 20 years from now, you won’t have that time to play. It’s now or never,” Paquette said.