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Spring breakers paying more for this year’s Central Coast vacation

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MONTEREY, Calif. (KION)  Spring breakers are having to pay a little more for this year's getaways. Between driving or flying, grabbing a bite to eat, and buying tickets to those destination must-sees, most say one way or another their spending extra. 

“I usually come up three or four times a year, I think this year we will only do once,” said Steve Reisbeck, visiting from Santa Maria for the opening weekend of salmon season.

Travelers haven’t experienced the hike in airline tickets yet, that’s because those already visiting bought tickets before the spike. However, expenses have been higher than expected. 

“When we came over here, we were surprised by some of the prices on both fuel and food,” said Silje Ahrens from Denmark visiting with friend Mekkel Jensen. “We were told it was very cheap.” 

That’s because restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf have to pay more to serve up those savory seafood dishes. 

“If they wanted Dungeness crab or a lobster tail or king crab legs you know you have to jack the price up because they are charging us to get the products and it's just ridiculous,” mentioned  Donald Akines with Crab Louies Bistro.

 Other tourist hot spots on the wharf are also feeling the impacts.

“Yeah, it has definitely impacted the prices of fuel for the boats and stuff like that” They don’t gouge us, they just have to go up because they had to go up, so you just roll with the punches,” Benji Shake, Princess Monterey Whale Watching, who showed KION his gas receipt which was over $3,000.

And if fuel prices keep going up, ticket prices might have to follow. "I haven’t raised them yet, but I may have to raise them three to five dollars, we’ll see what happens,” added Shake.  

Regardless of the steeper cost of food and gas, people are still traveling. Like Ahrens and Jensen, who will continue their trip down the iconic Highway 1.

“We have the same travel and the same route that was planned,” said Jensen. “We are walking more maybe instead of taking the car because yeah of the prices,” added Ahrens.  

Aside from traveling, many KION spoke to say, the price of groceries has been another significant hit on their budgets.

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Erika Bratten

Erika Bratten is a weather forecaster for KION News Channel 5/46.

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