ALBANY, GA -- Fourth of July is usually known to fall near the end of the week - if not on a weekend - allowing people to travel, but this year some say the Wednesday holiday has put a hitch in their plans.

"We couldn't go somewhere on Saturday or Friday and stay gone for a couple of days. We still had to be back on Sunday," said Americus resident, Mandy Graves.

Others still found the time to vacation away from home and took advantage of the long break.

"I plan on taking vacation for two weeks every year and I come to the south from Las Vegas because I have a lot of family living around here," said Jim Martin, who was born in Albany before moving to Nevada.

Although some families say they have been affected by the unusual mid-week holiday, one thing stays the same: the meaning of the day itself.

"As you look back on your history you look back at how people have lost their lives for us to have this freedom that we have today," said Albany native, Brent Kiegler, who opted to grill all day with friends and family.

"We take a lot for granted. It's just a day that we can spend with our families, a lot of people don't get that opportunity,” said Graves.

Local hotels say business is down, but local attractions are reaping the rewards of this wacky Wednesday.

"Sales have been steady all day. We've had a good stream of people through here taking advantage of our specials that we're offering today and looking forward to staying for the fireworks tonight," said Flint RiverQuarium Marketing Manager, Wendy Bellacomo.

Whether they traveled or not, one thing's for sure: people are just happy to have the option.

Many graves: "Just the fact that we're able to spend the day with our families like we are, there's so many places where they can't do that," said Graves.

"We made preparations for today so we can enjoy one another and not take life for granted," said Kiegler.