Rainy, windy weather and big swells along the coast have made for a different kind of Labor Day weekend in Santa Barbara, local businesses say.
Staff at the Paddle Sports Center say the weather has affected the number of people heading out on the water.
“It’s been a lot slower, especially for Labor Day weekend,” said Kendall Egan, a staff member at the Paddle Sports Center. “But from the people that have come, they’ve had a good time.”
According to AAA, millions of people are still traveling for the holiday weekend, including visitors making their way to coastal destinations.
But at Carpinteria State Beach, the impact of the weather was easy to see, with empty tables and fire pits throughout the campground.
For the campers who did make the trip, though, the weekend was about tradition.
Mike Lions, a camper visiting from Santa Clarita, said he has been coming to the area for most of his life.
“I’m 79, I’ll be 80 next month, and I’ve been coming since I was in diapers,” Lions said.
Lions said he was surprised to see so many open campsites.
The unusual weather also brought back memories of another storm decades ago.
“I haven’t seen it this way with the hurricane for about 50 years,” Lions said. “It was back in the 60s sometime, but I remember it was a storm like this.”
Despite the rain and wind, Lions said the weather did not ruin his holiday tradition.
“Oh, it was wonderful,” he said.
