"Stay-cations" are the rule this summer as many Americans choose to stay home; high gas prices could keep some Virginia residents close to home over the July 4th holiday.

AAA Mid-Atlantic predicts about 1 million Virginians will travel 50 miles or more from home during the four-day holiday weekend. That would be a drop of nearly 3 percent from the same period in 2007. 30% of Americans will shorten their July 4 getaway or cancel it altogether, even though the fourth falls on a Friday and will be a three-day weekend. This decline is the second year in a row that travel figures have declined for Independence Day.

As of Tuesday, AAA Mid-Atlantic said the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Virginia was $3.98. The nationwide average was $4.09.

And travel plans aren't the only July 4 traditions falling victim to a weak economy: many cities and towns are canceling their annual fireworks displays, finding them just too costly to work into the budget.

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