By David Haerle
The Daily World
“When it’s 90 degrees in Seattle, we don’t need to advertise.”
Those were the foreshadowing words of Jon Martin, Ocean Shores councilman and businessman, as he spoke about an expected throng of visitors to the beach town this Labor Day weekend.
With the perfect storm of a three-day weekend, rising temperatures throughout the state and the traditional end of summer vacation season, hordes are expected to pack the beaches, much as they have done all summer long — seeking refuge from inland heat and the cooped-up effects of the lingering pandemic.
The National Weather Service is calling for sunny weather with temperatures from the low 70s to mid-80s until midweek.
Sunday’s predicted high for Aberdeen is 78 degrees with Labor Day’s forecast calling for a high near 83.
The beaches should be in the low 70s on Sunday and the mid- to upper 70s on Labor Day, according to the National Weather Service.
In Ocean Shores, it’s all hands on deck for the police department for the long weekend, according to Deputy Chief Kyle Watson.
“Basically, we have 4 miles of beach we also have to patrol,” said Watson, whose been with the department for 16 years. “Our beaches have been really busy this year. It’s been a daily issue — not just a weekend issue. This has been the busiest year I have seen since I have worked here by far.”
And it’s the same on the South Beach this weekend with all the hotels there being completely booked, according to the Westport Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s completely filled down here,” said chamber volunteer Dawn Vanderveur, who had just completed the weekly survey of local hotels and motels Thursday afternoon. “People just want to get out of town. We’ve been really busy all summer.”
This summer, people are more than ready and willing to get in their cars for a road trip, and cheap gas prices are helping spur that pandemic wanderlust.
Labor Day is going to see its lowest gas prices since 2004, according to a study released earlier this week by driving-resource app GasBuddy.
Though the national average price for a gallon of gas sits at $2.23 as of Sept. 1 according to AAA, GasBuddy is predicting that will be down to $2.19 by Sept. 7, as demand continues to falter during the coronavirus pandemic.
That would be the lowest price that gas has been on Labor Day since it was $1.82 in 2004.
As for many of those people flocking to the Harbor’s beaches, Martin believe the City of Ocean Shores and its merchants are up to the task.
“There’s a lot of room for people to spread out on our beaches,” said Martin. “I’ve seen people very much transition now to much more social distancing and being safe than earlier in the pandemic. People are giving each other space now.”
There’s going to be a little less space to give this weekend, as lodgings in Ocean Shores are also booked to capacity. A search on Thursday afternoon using the travel app Booking.com, revealed only three available rooms there for Saturday night, with the cheapest one going for $345 (after taxes and fees) for a non-view queen room for one night.
And those beach crowds are expected to spill into the Inner Harbor as the weekend progresses.
“The traffic to and from the beach has been really good to us all summer,” said Rob Paylor, co-owner of the Hoquiam Brewing Company pub, which has recently added outdoor seating along the side of his business. “We’re usually a little quieter on Friday and Saturday of a holiday weekend, but as more people come in and others begin to head out, Sunday and Monday could get pretty busy for us.”
With all that traffic passing through this weekend, the Washington Department of Transportation is offering a few tips for weekend road warriors.
■ For those who are traveling, consulting the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Labor Day weekend traffic volume charts can help determine best times to travel on key routes. While some traffic volumes have dipped due to the pandemic, traffic to popular outdoor areas can still be heavy. If possible, altering travel to less busy times can improve individual trips and help keep all traffic flowing more freely. Staying close to home, limiting non-essential travel and having a backup plan if your location is already crowded also will help reduce travel stress as well as slow the spread of COVID-19.
■ Check WSDOT’s mobile app, Facebook page, multiple Twitter accounts and online tools for traffic information and ferry schedules. (When driving, have a passenger check online updates or pull over to safe place before using electronic devices.)
■ Call the 511 travel information hotline.
■ Pre-program vehicle radios to 530 AM and 1610 AM for highway advisory radio alerts.
■ Carry extra water, snacks and other supplies in case you’re delayed along the way.
■ To ease congestion statewide, WSDOT has suspended most state highway construction work through Monday.
And with another heat wave expected in the coming days, the State Fire Marshal also has some advice for all those weekend barbecues:
■ Place portable grills at least 3 feet away from flammable materials including, fences, deck railings and exterior siding.
■ Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away from hot grills.
■ Never leave lit grills unattended.
■ Use long BBQ utensils to prevent burns.
■ Keep loose sleeves rolled up to prevent contact with hot grill and possible ignition.
■ When turning off gas grills, close the valve at the tank and close the lid.
■ Allow gas and charcoal grills to cool fully before covering or putting away.
