It was a weekend of mixed results as many Americans engaged in a dual celebration - the Memorial Day Holiday combined with the first real release from lockdown and shelter-in-place restrictions that have been prevalent since March due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
While some folks at beaches and lakes and other public areas wore face masks and practiced social distancing, others did not. That prompted authorities to, literally, police areas and ask crowds to be more diligent, while health officials warned that disregarding safety measures could trigger a second wave of COVID-19.
At some spots in Florida and California, authorities closed parking lots near beaches to discourage more people from setting up shop on the sand.
It prompted warnings and advisories on social media.
But in other places like Maine and Virginia, where swimming was prohibited, people were respectful and simply walked quietly on the beach.
And even in New Jersey, one of the hardest-hit states by the virus, people were diligent.
But this was the scene at St. Simon's Island, Georgia.
And Ocean City, Maryland, one of the most popular and densely packed tourist areas on the eastern seaboard because of its famed three-mile boardwalk, was packed with visitors from Washington D.C., Baltimore, Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
Chris Sexton, who traveled to Ocean City from Baltimore, told a local television station it was 'heaven.'
"Hallelujah! I would think there would not be that many people, but it was more than I expected," he said.
And folks were not afraid to visit destinations far from home.
"I mean, I think we are keeping our distance from other families and other groups of friends. I feel really safe out here," Carolina Camp, who drove from Nashville, Tenn., told 4News in Folly Beach, S.C.
But perhaps no place was wilder than Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri.
John Olivarri, mayor of Osage Beach, said that short of shutting down the popular destination there was little he could do.
"My concern is for our workers and whether some of the folks that have come down might be creating a health problem for the community, absolutely," Olivarri said. "But the only other thing that you could do would be shut it down. I don't know how you would shut down Lake of the Ozarks. There's no way to control that."
Alan Hull, the front-desk manager at the Days Inn told the St. Louis Dispatch, "We are a lot busier this year. All the hotels here around the lake are busy."
But at Disney Springs at World Disney World in Orlando, capacity was trimmed to help aid social distancing, according to TravelPulse writer Brooke McDonald, who traveled from Illinois to Florida this past weekend.
The death toll from the virus is expected to reach 100,000 shortly in America. But it's not just in the U.S. where people are stretching their legs, so to speak, after being confined to their homes for the better part of two-plus months.
This was the scene at Bournemouth Beach in England on Monday.
The Memorial Day holiday weekend was certainly different this year because of the global pandemic, but that didn't stop some from traveling to nearby destinations to partake in festivities.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
