Memorial Day weekend ends on the Gulf Coast, as crowds move from the beach to the roads.

“It’s crazy!!!” said Melinda Strickland, stuck in traffic this morning as she returned home to Georgia.

“The traffic was pretty heavy and we had to wait three hours to eat at a restaurant,” said Candi Miles, also visiting Gulf Shores for the weekend from northeast Alabama.

On Monday afternoon, people took advantage of the last hours of the vacation weekend with endless chairs filling the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

The crowd was a welcome sight for the local businesses.

The same cannot be said of all drivers, as people cut their day short to avoid traffic.

“I mean, I think it’s ridiculous, but I hope they’re vaccinated, glad they’re back out there, so I can’t complain. At least it’s like putting money back into our business, our businesses here, ”said Amber Bell, who is taking a day trip from Mobile.

“Actually, it wasn’t bad this morning. It was really bad Saturday and Sunday, ”said Tania Stevenson, who was returning home to Cullman on Monday.

Even with a small staff, long queues, bumper-to-bumper traffic and an 80% occupancy rate, morale has remained high as most people are just happy to be back. on the sand to celebrate with loved ones.

“It just comes from the nature of life on the Gulf Coast, you’re going to have crowds, we’ve got great weather, we’ve got great beaches. It’s something that happens every year. It’s a holiday weekend, ”said Bell.

All content © 2021, WALA; Mobile, AL. (A station of Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.