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Most of us usually hit the road this holiday weekend but with gas prices still topping $3 per gallon, more people are making the choice to stay home.

“I think they're a little bit ridiculous, I mean they aren't going down at all", Dail Alexander said.

Alexander chose to stay home this holiday weekend. He says gas prices were just to high and it was just easier to stay home, "I think a lot of people stayed home, there wasn't as much traveling it didn't seem like".

Here in Mid-Missouri we are still lower than the national average of $3.66 per gallon, but it's still almost a dollar higher than this time last year.

The weather is partly to blame.

Six East Coast refineries were shuttered during last month's Hurricane Irene.

And 23 Gulf of Mexico drilling rigs had to be evacuated ahead of this weekend's Tropical Storm Lee.

When you add to that the instability in oil-producing Libya and increased demand in this country ahead of a long weekend, it's a recipe for higher prices.

Even though Americans have cut back on driving, international demand is taking prices higher.

Experts say prices should drop in mid-September, when refiners make the switch to cheaper winter-grade gas.