Visitors Head To Reopened Orange, LA County Beaches Ahead Of Memorial Day Weekend
BOLSA CHICA STATE BEACH (CBSLA) — With Memorial Day on the horizon, people have been flocking to the beaches all along the coast.
Friends Michael and Giselle, were at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County Thursday in an attempt to avoid weekend crowds.
"This was a good, like, break into going to the beach kind of thing," Giselle said. "We're not ready for a lot of people yet."
Bolsa Chica is one of only a handful of beaches in Orange County that have partially reopened parking lots.
Painted circles on the ground tell people where they can and cannot park. During the week, the beach only allows parking in half of the spots, but officials said they plan to allow parking in 75% of the spaces this weekend to prevent visitors from overcrowding neighborhoods.
Local Ian Bustamante said he was ready for people to enjoy the beach again.
"We have masks," he said. "So if there is a lot of people, we just get it out."
Neighboring Seal Beach has also reopened its parking lots, though every other spot remained blocked off.
But further north in Los Angeles County, parking lots remained closed, even as beaches reopened for active use.
"Memorial Day weekend is going to be real crazy," a Manhattan Beach pizza worker said. "We're preparing today, to be honest. We're stocking up on dough, a lot of prep stuff."
And whether people choose to go to beaches in Orange or Los Angeles counties, one rule remains the same: visitors must stay active. Sitting, sunbathing or eating a meal on the beach is still not allowed and social distancing is required.