Crowds pack California beaches despite coronavirus order
Source: The Mercury News
Crowds descended on California beaches, hiking trails and parks over the weekend in open defiance of a state order to avoid close contact with others.
The large number of visitors prompted officials in some cities to order parks, recreation areas and beaches to close. Marin County on Sunday closed all parks — local, state and federal — within its boundaries.
Video and photos on social media showed groups of people standing in close contact of one another at hiking trails and beaches in Los Angeles over the weekend. Health officials urge people to maintain a distance of 6 feet from one another to prevent transmission of the highly contagious coronavirus.
In response to the crowds, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on Twitter late Sunday that he was closing sports and recreation at all city parks. He also tweeted that parking at city beaches was closed.
Read more: https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/23/crowds-pack-california-beaches-despite-coronavirus-order/
I generally don't like to call people stupid, but I have to ask this. How can people be so stupid? Those selfish bastards.
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Rand Paul Syndrome. Well-put. 
Alas, with everyone there, that made social distancing impossible.
The fog is very heavy and thick per usual today.
The beaches are almost always vacant except for a few that walk down dangerous trails to walk along the shore.
These is no sunshine to soak up north. Those that come here thinking they'll go to the beach tend to leave quickly as they did not bring a heavy coat and boots to combat the cold.
The sun shines at times but the climate is never suitable for sun bathers.
Surfers show up now and again to surf the dangerous heaving seas.
That is life on the beaches in northwestern Calif. which drives away many tourists seeking sunshine, parties and fun.
and goodbye Mr./Ms Tourist! Sorry this is not the Calif. you thought you'd find.
Oh well! 
But living is this part of California can be very difficult at times.
Life behind the "Redwood Curtain" as it is known locally, has its own set of rules that you must learn to live by. If you don't learn quickly, you will not last long.
Many cannot take the extreme cold and storms in the winters which come directly from Alaska. It gives "cold" a new meaning and newcomers to the region cannot take it and work is slim in the best of times.
Few can exist here for any length of time.
If you manage to find a job of any sort your are fortunate.
It is still minimum wage work for the most part.
I guess I'm fortunate. I have never been robbed nor had my 20 year old car stolen or vandalized.
The guy across the street tells everyone of his guns.
He gets robbed often and has the gasoline siphoned out of his trucks often.
However, advertising that you have guns alienates the wrong people.
I keep a low profile and and am left alone luckily. However, I do not have a lot. That is kind of obvious perhaps for you see nothing in my empty backyard to steal. For the most part it is just the cats and two of us old people that are not well. We have no fancy new cars to show off, etc.
I lived in The City for many years and I was never robbed or harmed there either. I had no car when I lived there for many years living in an assortment of dumpy apartments. I grew weary of it and simply drove away one day and never went back.
Welcome to the world of 2020 eh? 
City, state, didn't matter. Whichever had the less full parking lot was the one I went to.
I was partial to the city beach, lifeguard station number 3, because it was close to Jack In The Box.
Wish I had a time machine. 
And my old transistor radio.
That's when I moved out of the area. I didn't live near the beach, but I could be there in a half an hour to 45 minutes. From grade school on, that's where we were in the summer.
It was absolute heaven. But I would go out of my mind with boredom just laying there getting a tan. I'm a very strong swimmer. Or I was, when I was younger. Haha.
So whichever way the current was pulling, I would walk in the other direction about 5 or 6 lifeguard stations, and then swim out past the waves, and swim back down to lifeguard station number 3, get out of the water, walk back up and do it all over again. Rinse and repeat.
And thank goodness for the lifeguard stations. I am blind as a bat without my glasses. But those orange lifeguard stations stuck out like a sore thumb. I knew my spot was three lifeguard stations from the pier, so I could always find my way 'home,' no matter what! 
Yep, we need a time machine. We were so blessed!
There was a different smell at the beach. The food just smelled different than it did anywhere else.
One of these years I will have to drive up there. I'm in San Diego County now. I'm sure I would have culture shock over the changes. I can remember going back to my hometown some years ago. My best friend, who now lives in Colorado, we took her youngest daughter back to our hometown so we could show her all of the local sites. Half of them were gone! I don't think I ever want to go back there. Half of my childhood is missing!
At least we can live in these places in our memories.
Lucky us! The kids today have no idea of how well we had it. And it wasn't fancy. It was pure.
