Shades of Summer : Temperatures Increasing Along With Crowds at Recreation Areas

David Burrows parked his RV, hitched up a sunshade and propped himself at Emma Wood State Beach to soak up some of the first rays of a promising weekend.

“I’m just taking the weekend off,” he said Friday, peering above the pages of his paperback. “It’s the first time this year.”

As the thermometer rises along Ventura County beaches, so, apparently, will the weekend population. After weeks of drenchings and drizzles, visitors are finding their way from downtown Los Angeles offices to the county’s recreation and relaxation havens.

“Good weather always brings people out,” said Lynne Miller of the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau.

“With all this rain we’ve had in the past, it’s been really dead around here,” she said. “Now we’re getting a lot of people coming up for the weekend from Los Angeles for the fresher, cleaner air.”

Temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s are forecast through tonight, with a small drop-off by Sunday, said Steve Burback of WeatherData Inc., which forecasts for The Times.

“It’s somewhat unusual for this time of year, about 10 degrees above normal for a daytime high,” he said. “The skies will be clear through the weekend and winds will be light across the area with low gusts up to 20 m.p.h in the canyons on Saturday.”

Ventura State Beach lifeguard Curtis Lee Price said he expects more beachcombers this weekend than any but the busiest summer holidays.

“I wouldn’t say there will be a whole lot of people in the water other than the surfers, but there will probably be a whole lot of people,” he said Friday.

At parks in the east county, parents were pushing empty strollers and bicycles behind children who were dipping their feet into artificial streams and duck ponds.

Leslie Sadowsky, 16, and Nicole Nielsen, both of Simi Valley, decided the blue sky was too spectacular for them to be cooped up behind school desks. They cut all their classes at Royal High School and spent the day hiking and playing on the swings at Rancho Simi Community Park.

Swooshing back and forth, Leslie said the good weather has been a long time coming. “It’s great. It’s beach weather,” she said. And her friend, Nicole, on the dueling swing piped up: “Finally the weather is good. It’s too good to be in school.”

Across the grass on a paved path, Agustin Martinez was pushing his 3-year-old son, Julio, along on a chrome mountain bike. He agreed that Friday was too nice a day to be indoors.

“It’s a beautiful day,” he said.

The sun also was just right for several parents at Conejo Creek Park in Thousand Oaks.

“This is probably the first close-to-summer day that we’ve had since last summer,” said Mike Stragland, a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Daddy, it’s time to go,” said his 2-year-old daughter, Emily, tugging on his short pants.

For Rob Roche of Moorpark the sun was a dream come true.

“It’s been a long day and it’s not over yet,” said the sales representative, sprawled on a picnic table in a three-piece suit and tie. “I’m just taking a little break and I decided this was the best way to do it.”

West county hotel and RV park managers reported a brisk business Friday, citing the unseasonable warmth.

“We are completely sold out this weekend,” said Terry Andersen, assistant general manager of the Ventura Holiday Inn. “Obviously in our hotel the weather is a major plus. We see a 20% to 30% increase in business.”

Motor home travelers also were getting an early start on summer. “Business is increasing as the weather gets better,” said Joe Crognale, manager of the Ventura RV Resort. “This will be a nice weekend for us.

“Probably half of our business comes from east L.A. County and Orange County,” he added. “They’re mostly looking for relaxation and a few hours away from a telephone.”

U.S. Coast Guard and Ventura Port District officials are gearing up for perhaps thousands of boaters today and Sunday.

“We’re ready for ‘em, boaters, jet skiers, whatever,” said Dave Shapiro, deputy harbor master for the district. “It won’t be anything like the Fourth of July, but there will be heavy traffic on the water.”

The Channel Islands will not be spared either. Between 1,500 and 2,000 guests will tour the visitors’ center on Anacapa Island, predicted Carol Spears of the National Park Service.

“It might come close, but I don’t think there will be more people than a busy holiday weekend in the summer,” she said.

Seaman Shadrach Miller of the U.S. Coast Guard said his office is ready for tourists and out-of-towners alike.

“We’re pretty much always prepared for what’s going to happen over the weekend,” he said. “But there’s going to be a lot of people this weekend.”

Times staff writer Christopher Heredia contributed to this story.