Unfazed by Crowds, Millions Eager for Weekend Getaways

To the south, the waters off Huntington Beach are recovering from an infiltration of fecal coliform bacteria. To the north and the east, California is burning, suffocating under a blanket of smoke from raging wildfires. The freeway looks like a parking lot, gas prices jumped 12 cents a gallon in the past month and the airports are too crowded for even the Hare Krishnas.

Let’s go!

In what has become an annual ritual of self-flagellation marking the end of summer, millions of Southern Californians will pack the dog and the trappings of a robust economy in their minivans and carry-on baggage this Labor Day weekend and take off.

This is no ordinary are-we-there-yet weekend.

According to the state Department of Transportation, motorists typically travel 400 million miles each day on California’s freeway and highway system. This weekend, they will tack on an additional 50 million miles a day, or 200 million from today through Monday. That’s 400 round trips to the moon, Caltrans points out, though it might take less time to get to the moon this weekend than it will take to get to, say, Monterey.

But don’t take our word for it:

“Just take your time, enjoy the ride and have a great weekend,” said Bruce Lian, spokesman for the California Highway Patrol. “We ask that you leave yourself plenty of time so you don’t get rushed and do something silly.”

But what about Lian himself? “I’m staying home,” he said.

How about Marie Montgomery, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California?

“I’m staying home,” she said. “I hate waiting in lines. I hate that stuff. But that’s just me.”

Many of us, however, are perfectly willing to brave the crush: Experts predict that 2.6 million Southern Californians will hit the road. Nationwide, according to travel groups, 34.8 million people will vacate this weekend, be it by plane, train, automobile or other form of transportation. That’s slightly lower than the record high, in 1997, but a slight rise over last year.

This morning, Tom Schmeckel, an auto parts salesman in Huntington Beach, will load up his wife, daughter and mother-in-law in their 38-foot RV and head for Ramona. The roads into San Diego County aren’t likely to reflect a time when Ramona was still a humble cluster of turkey farms. But Schmeckel says it’s all worth it.

“Anything’s better than sitting in this asphalt jungle,” he said. “If we get out early enough, we’ll miss the traffic. If we don’t, it’ll . . . be a nightmare.”

Getting there will not be half the fun this weekend. But there are ways to ensure that getting there will be more fun than banging your head against the dashboard.

Avoid peak travel times, Montgomery says, especially this afternoon and evening and Monday afternoon. Check your car and plan your route before leaving. The CHP considers this weekend a “maximum enforcement period,” which means that 80% of available officers will be on patrol. So don’t speed, and don’t drive drunk.

Motorists can also call a Caltrans information line: (800) 427-7623. Punch in the number of the freeway you’re headed to, and the line, which is updated frequently, will warn of delays and closures. The department’s Web site--https://www.dot.ca.gov--also has statewide and local travel information.

The roads most traveled: California 1, especially near Monterey, Interstate 5, especially in Central California, Interstate 80 and roads that lead to the Sierra Nevada and Interstate 15 to Las Vegas.

By Thursday afternoon, a long line of motor homes wound down a beachfront road in Ventura, filling each of 127 camping spots.

Marion Burke, lounging on the sand in a spot she expected to occupy for the next three days, said it is indeed possible to “get away” along with thousands of others.

“It really doesn’t matter how traffic is,” she said. “It’s worth it.”

Airlines also reminded customers to arrive earlier than usual--two hours ahead of time for domestic flights and three hours ahead for international flights, said Los Angeles International Airport spokeswoman Diana Sanchez. Travelers also might want to consider taking a taxi or shuttle to airports, since parking lots will overflow.

Angela Reyes, 26, and Eliza Guzman, 26, both of Valencia, got ambitious for the holiday: They’re headed to New York. “Three weeks ago we were sitting around saying, ‘Where can we go over Labor Day? Who do we know where we can stay for free?’ ” said Reyes.

Free or not, Ida Johns wants nothing to do with travel this weekend. The Costa Mesa resident will take her grandsons to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. But that’s as far as she’s going.

“We stay local on weekends like this,” Johns said. “We live in vacation land. Why should we go anywhere?”

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Times staff writers Antonio Olivo and Karima A. Haynes and correspondents Matt Surman and Joseph Trevino contributed to this story.