I think that people tend to forget that SoCal is politically and culturally diverse. There are communities very dependent on family and community for meeting basic needs, there are large Trump supporting enclaves who are still insisting that these measures are a political hoax.
And God damnit, I don't care how cautious you are, it is your God given right to go to the beach. I have an immuno compromised friend who complained about the crowds making social distancing impossible at the beach AND complained when the parking lots were closed to limit the crowds.
Yep. And even with the stay at home order, many of my friends are regularly going to the Sierras for camping trips. I don't know if they are packed or not at all. But, as so many parents aren't working and there's no summer camp, I wouldn't be surprised. People are over it. Even though we are still supposed to be "safer at home".
I have friends who feel the same. Regular hikers and trail runners, then COVID happened and suddenly the trails are packed...because people are stuck at home with their kids. They need to get out. You can still get out and avoid people, but it requires going further into the backcountry and avoiding weekdays. I just needed to remind my friends that they don't have any more right to the trails... in any event, I just took a morning to take kid #2 (7) to the beach. We showed up at 8:20 am.
Turns out, not a lot of people there at 8:20 am. We were the first to put down our towel, and it was mostly older people walking. Left at 10:20, and it was filling up.
And yes, lot of anti-mask individualist Trumpers all over CA.
One of the reasons we bailed on traveling to the East Coast this summer (there were many reasons) was health related. My HMO wouldn't cover me anywhere but in CA. So I'd have to buy temp insurance. I think we may still take this trip, maybe next summer. Hubby and kids are on a PPO, so they are fine.