Holiday travel across the country is expected to be up by seven percent from last year this weekend, according to . Visitors and business owners say that the Central Coast is a hot spot for this Memorial Day weekend.
Judging by the crowds, beach-goers did not seem to mind the cooler temperatures in Pismo Beach on Saturday.
“The breeze is nice, it's not overwhelming. The heat is not too bad, it's actually really good, so definitely a good escape from the valley. When it’s 90° over there there’s definitely a big impact for us,” Christopher Amavisca, Hoagies Kitchen Manager said.
Many people who visited the popular beach town this weekend are from The Valley.
“We’re the closest beach to the Central Valley so we get a ton of people from over there. We get a ton of people from everywhere really,” Scott Mccullough, Esteem Surf Company Assistant Manager said.
Local business owners say that memorial weekend is usually one of their most profitable times of the year.
“I didn’t expect it to be as busy as it is, but it’s Poppin’,” Amavisca said.
One who anticipated the crowds, Kathrine Nybo, is part of the Leo Mental Health Awareness club at her school.
“It’s Memorial Day weekend so we’re hoping to get a lot of people out here,” Nybo said.
For others, a trip to Pismo Beach is a tradition.
“Even for the past couple of years when we lived in The Valley, we used to drive out here two hours to come to Pismo,” Lourdes Espinoza, an Atascadero resident said.
Ed and Rose Sapigao have not lived in the San Luis Obispo area for years, but they still come to visit the Central Coast often.
“Pismo Beach, we love this place,” Sapigao said.
