Beaches And Parks Are Open During Shutdowns Tho Not All Practicing Social Distancing

People Seek The Great Outdoors As Cabin Fever Sets In Around The USA

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Lifestyle Blogger

The bars, restaurants, movie theaters and pretty much any public building are closed throughout many places in the world, but the open spaces remain, well, open.

Hiking trails, beaches and parks attracting people who want to get out in the great outdoors for some exercise and to stretch their legs. In California, home to some of the most active lifestyle individuals in the world, people are getting out to run, bike, hike and even surf.

Exactly what outdoor public places are open is on a state-by-state or even even city-by-city case but in many places it’s okay to go out for a walk, run or bike ride even during the coronavirus shutdown.

But not everyone is practicing social distancing. I personally witnessed a workout class with 10 people in it doing exercises in a public park along the San Diego waterfront. They were not six feet apart form one another; more like arm’s length. Police officers are trying to keep people apart at beaches, but they can’ t go up to everybody.

Bishop, a small place outside of the ski resort of Mammoth Mountain – which, like Big Bear and Squaw Valley in California are closed – has turned into a bit of a tourist town as people are flocking there to go hiking.

Not surprisingly, various government agencies are sending out mixed signals on people wanting to get outside. In Southern California, cities are both telling people it’s okay to get out and exercise while at the same time closing parking lots to beaches and hiking trails, and taking down beach volleyball nets.

In one humorous moment, a San Diego police officer was doing an interview with a reporter at the beach talking about how they were going up to people telling them to keep a social distance while in the background a group of four teenagers were hanging out together, a man was doing exercises and people were walking in groups.

So while some are at home behind locked doors, opening them only to get home deliveries of food and groceries, others are out playing while their offices are shut and jobs on hold.