Travelers jumpstarting holiday treks hit speed bump

Johnny Kerr left Yuma, Arizona at 8:30 a.m. Thursday to see his grandchildren in Prunedale for Christmas. It’s a trip he takes three times a year, but this time it took longer than usual.

“Too long …pushing 11 hours,” Kerr said. “A lot of cars, a lot of rain, and several accidents on the freeways, so, on 10.”

A record-breaking 103 million travelers are expected to hit the road this holiday season, according to AAA, and many are getting a jump start on Thursday.

“Apparently today we were supposed to beat the traffic, but that doesn’t seem to be the case right now,” said Daniel Williams, who’s going from San Jose to Newport Beach.

Travelers on the coast are hitting some speed bumps along the way.

“We left San Jose around 4:30 this afternoon, and we are just now getting here, probably 60 miles away and it’s been two hours,” Williams.

“I had actually been checking traffic on Google Maps, and it has gotten worse since 1 or 2, so that’s why I decided to jet out earlier, and I had seen some accidents along the way on 208 south,” said Casey Trubo, who’s on his way to San Luis Obispo from San Francisco.

With rain forecast for the Monterey Peninsula Friday, the CHP is warning drivers to be careful.

“We expect traffic to pick up even more, so we would ask that people allow themselves extra time for travel, and slow down during the rainy weather,” CHP Officer William Milward said.

And some advice for those hitting the road: “Just throwing on some podcasts and stuff, makes it go a little quicker, and don’t get as impatient and frustrated,” Trubo said.

“Take it easy and remember everyone is trying to get to where they want to go,” Williams added.

For Johnny Kerr, that place will be under the Christmas tree, where he said he will watch his grandchildren open their presents.