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As reopening nears Californians spend holiday in upbeat mood

As reopening nears Californians spend holiday in upbeat mood
CHRISTOPHER.. WHAT DID THE CROWDS LOOK LIKE OUT THERE? HERE? WELL D IANT WAS A FAIRLY BUSTLING FRIDAY NIGHT.. BOTH ON CANNERY ROW AND ALVARADO STREE. T. WE SPOKE WITH PEOPLE WHO TRAVELED FROM ALL OVER TEH STATE.. AND THE COUNTRY TONIGHT.. .. AND TRAVEL EXPERTS SAY IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE MILLIONS HITTING THE ROAD OR TAKING TO TEH SKIES THIS WEEKEN. D. YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE YOU PACK SOME PATIENCE WITH YOU. IN MONTEREY. .. THE CROWDS MAY SIGNIFY THE UNOFFICIAL START.. TO A POST-PANDEMIC SUERMM... EVERYONE WITH THEIR OWN REASON FOR TRAVELING.. 8540 Monty Stephanie Mike Nelan 35:09 "To get away from the heat álaughingá." 85 42 39:48 "I feel like I haven't seen anyone or done anythign in the last year." LITA HEREDIA 443 "W:0e need to spend money to help all these stores ." Marlet Hernandez 8545 42:08 "The clam chowder! Literally just th. atThat's what I came for." REGARDLESS OF WHY... IT'S MARKS ONE OFHE T BUSIEST TRAVEL WEEKENDS IN MORE THAN A YEAR... AS AIRPORTS ARE BREAKING POST- PANDEMIC RECORDS. 8542 39:40 "kind of forgot how to get through airport security a little bit." BU TT TO 8534 32:32 "The pl anes are packed and rental cars are almost none existent." AND AAA SAID 34 MILLION AMERICANS ARE PLANNING ROADTRIPS.. LIKE THESE TWO FROM ST LOUIS... WHO SAY THEY'RE MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH CALIFORNIA'S NATIONAL PARK. S. 8542 40:00 "If youe 'r talking to someone everyone's like, "I'm vaccinated! I have a question abo a tutrail. And we're like, "yeah me too!" 40:20 "It almost felt like eerily normal. Yeah! Very normal, in a great way." NORMAL IS HOW MONTEREY'S TASTY OLIVE BAR ON CANNERY ROW WOULD DESCRI BE BUSINESS SINCE THE AQUARIUM OPENED TWO WEEKS AGO.. 8551 46:14 "I'd say it's beenlo cse to typical, if not better ." HOPING THE MOMENTUM CONTINUES THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEN. D. AND BEYOND.. 46:25 "We welcome everybody back... experience visit our beautiful area." THE PRESIDENT OF AAA SAID DRIVERS IN MAR JO CITIES SHOULD PLAN FOR ROAD TRIPS TO POTENTIALLY BE DOLEUB OR TRIPLE THIER NORMAL LENGTH.. MEANWHILE.. The Federal Aviation Administration recently said that the re has been a "disturbi ng increase" in the number of unruly passengers
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As reopening nears Californians spend holiday in upbeat mood
At San Francisco's waterfront, the sea lions are attracting a steady stream of tourists. In Santa Monica, the parking lot to the beach and amusement park quickly filled up. Meanwhile, many campgrounds, restaurants and hotels say they're fully booked.Some business owners say they have more customers than they know what to do with.“Five months ago, we were trying to squeeze water out of rocks,” Hunt Bailie, owner of Sonoma Adventures bike rentals and tours in Sonoma, told the Press Democrat of Santa Rosa. “Now we’re drinking out of a fire hydrant.”Californians are celebrating the sunny Memorial Day weekend more upbeat than they have been for any other holiday since the pandemic began, thanks to dramatically lower virus cases and increasing vaccinations. About 90% of the state population is in the lower two of four tiers that restrict business operations and other activities. By June 15, California will end the tier system and relax social distancing and masking rules.Many tourist attractions say they're already swamped.“It’s not over yet but we’re getting busier and busier,” said Kenneth Hansel, manager of the Fog Harbor Fish House restaurant on San Francisco's Pier 39. “Every time we reopen, we've been profitable a month later. That tells you we're going to be really busy in the months ahead."Businesses in wine country either have their reservation lists filled or they are anticipating a big holiday crowd.Crista Luedtke, owner of a hotel and spa and three restaurants in Guerneville, told the Press-Democrat she has had to limit the number of nights her eateries are open because she can't find enough people to work.“Now that the restrictions have lifted, people are anxious to get out,” she said. California was the first state to issue a statewide shutdown as the virus emerged in March 2020 and it was the nation’s epicenter for the disease at the start of 2021. More than 61,000 people have died from the virus in California, the most in any state in the nation.On some recent days, newly reported infections in California have fallen below 1,000 and there are currently just over 1,300 people hospitalized with the virus. The state’s positivity rate is just 1%.Lifting restrictions will inevitably result in some increased transmissions, but health officials say the health care system should be able to handle them. Dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of California Health and Human Services, said health officials will continue tracking whether virus mutations start breaking through vaccinations, which he said could mean renewed health measures.

At San Francisco's waterfront, the sea lions are attracting a steady stream of tourists. In Santa Monica, the parking lot to the beach and amusement park quickly filled up. Meanwhile, many campgrounds, restaurants and hotels say they're fully booked.

Some business owners say they have more customers than they know what to do with.

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“Five months ago, we were trying to squeeze water out of rocks,” Hunt Bailie, owner of Sonoma Adventures bike rentals and tours in Sonoma, told the Press Democrat of Santa Rosa. “Now we’re drinking out of a fire hydrant.”

Californians are celebrating the sunny Memorial Day weekend more upbeat than they have been for any other holiday since the pandemic began, thanks to dramatically lower virus cases and increasing vaccinations.

About 90% of the state population is in the lower two of four tiers that restrict business operations and other activities. By June 15, California will end the tier system and relax social distancing and masking rules.

Many tourist attractions say they're already swamped.

“It’s not over yet but we’re getting busier and busier,” said Kenneth Hansel, manager of the Fog Harbor Fish House restaurant on San Francisco's Pier 39. “Every time we reopen, we've been profitable a month later. That tells you we're going to be really busy in the months ahead."

Businesses in wine country either have their reservation lists filled or they are anticipating a big holiday crowd.

Crista Luedtke, owner of a hotel and spa and three restaurants in Guerneville, told the Press-Democrat she has had to limit the number of nights her eateries are open because she can't find enough people to work.

“Now that the restrictions have lifted, people are anxious to get out,” she said.

California was the first state to issue a statewide shutdown as the virus emerged in March 2020 and it was the nation’s epicenter for the disease at the start of 2021. More than 61,000 people have died from the virus in California, the most in any state in the nation.

On some recent days, newly reported infections in California have fallen below 1,000 and there are currently just over 1,300 people hospitalized with the virus. The state’s positivity rate is just 1%.

Lifting restrictions will inevitably result in some increased transmissions, but health officials say the health care system should be able to handle them. Dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of California Health and Human Services, said health officials will continue tracking whether virus mutations start breaking through vaccinations, which he said could mean renewed health measures.