Gas prices up ahead of Isaac, Labor Day weekend - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Tropical Storm Isaac is driving up gas prices just as the Labor Day weekend gets underway.

"$4 is too much. I never thought I'd see the day when $3 sounded good," said Bill Sylvester, Indianapolis resident.

Sylvester was filling up the tank on the north side before heading to South Michigan with his family.

"We'll enjoy [the weekend,] but not the gas prices," he said. "It takes a little more [money] to get there."

How much more? Let's assume your vehicle gets 25 miles per gallon. If you're headed to Chicago, you'd need 7.4 gallons for the 186-mile trip there. If you gassed up in Indy at $3.99 a gallon, the price many area stations are now charging, it would cost you $29.52 in gas to get there.

But once in Chicago, you'd face the highest gas prices in the nation, paying $4.44 per gallon. That means getting around the city and back home would add several more dollars to the trip.

South Haven, Michigan is a popular destination. It's 197 miles from Indianapolis and would cost $31.44 to get there. With gas running $4.04 per gallon in South Haven, you'd pay about the same to get home.

And how about Music City or Nashville, Tennessee? At 286 miles, the trip there would cost $45.64 but the trip around town and home would be cheaper. Gas in Nashville is right around $3.64 a gallon.

It's still a lot cheaper than flying anywhere, but in a tough economy, Hoosiers topping off the tank say every gallon adds up, even if you're not hitting the road.

Chuck Wiles said he "feels sorry for the people traveling to see families," because they're having to pay more.

Steve Write, who's also hanging close to home this weekend, said, "Gas is already too high for in-town use. There's no point going out of town. You're wasting big bucks."

To help you out, Eyewitness News looked for the best bargains along the way to each of the three destinations.

Heading to Chicago, the lowest price was in Merrillville, Indiana off I-65, where gas was as low as $3.88

To South Haven, the lowest price was in South Bend off US 31, at $3.93 a gallon.

Heading to Nashville down I-65, the best bargain was in White House, Tennessee, just $3.59 a gallon.

Look up gas prices here.