Be Thankful That East Texas Gas Prices Are Not This High

Gas prices in Tyler are still under $3 per gallon, but $4.19 may not be out of the realm of possibility.  

I sure did my part to boost the post-pandemic economy last week in Jackson, Wyoming.  Oops, holy smokes, and wow did we have fun.

Jackson is so expensive and so worth it at the same time.  I could not keep myself out of the Lee's Tees souvenir store and probably dropped a third of a paycheck on t-shirts, coffee mugs, and teeny tiny jars of huckleberry jam.  And then there was Pinky G's pizza, the Roadhouse Brewery, and that delicious huckleberry ice cream where the line is always out the door.  Vacations are a great opportunity to pass out money like you're dealing cards, and Jackson is a good place to do it, especially if you have to drive two days to get there. It was a LONG drive from Texas.

Filling up the tank once or twice in every state is a journey through gas price limbo-land. And then, if you arrive at a place like Jackson, WY, the town square is mesmerizing and some sort of Old West-meets-new-everything coma takes over and extra becomes necessary.  I'm not sorry about it, at least right now, before the credit card bill rolls in.  

I knew gas would be expensive in Jackson, but I wasn't thinking it would be $4.19.  Eek.  To fill up my SUV, it took 75 of my dollars that could not go toward huckleberries.

Gasbuddy.com says there are stations around Jackson selling a gallon of unleaded for between $3.71 and $3.91, so this station downtown near the square is more likely the exception rather than the rule.  Hurray that $4.19 is the peak and not the average.  But no wonder there are so many horses around Jackson.

Do you feel like the higher gas prices are closing in on East Texas?  So far we're under $3 per gallon and we may be sheltered from huge spikes.

At last check, these were some of the prices around Tyler, according to Gasbuddy.

Walmart - 5932 Old Jacksonville Hwy - $2.68

Super 1 Foods - 1105 E Gentry Pkwy - $2.68

Brookshire's - 2020 Roseland Blvd - $2.71

Super 1 Foods - 172 Centennial Pkwy - $2.69

Walmart - 2151 Frankston Hwy - $2.71

Gas prices are up around 94 cents to $1 from last year, and they're showing no signs of dropping back to 2020 levels anytime soon.

But OH, well.  Road trips are therapeutic, especially after being cooped up for a year, and higher gas prices aren't going to stop anyone from hitting the road this summer.  If you happen to drive all the way to Jackson for huckleberries, bison sightings, and pizza that has been on Diners-Drive Ins-and Dives, expect to pay more along the way.

So far, East Texas is an oasis that's semi-isolated from sky-high gas prices, and hopefully, it stays that way.