What to Expect Memorial Day Weekend in New Jersey
Memorial Day is next week, and we all consider this weekend the unofficial kick-off to Summer. The first official day of Summer isn’t until Friday, June 20th, a full three…
ASBURY PARK, NJ – MAY 26: People visit the beach during Memorial Day weekend on May 26, 2019 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer.
(Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)Memorial Day is next week, and we all consider this weekend the unofficial kick-off to Summer. The first official day of Summer isn’t until Friday, June 20th, a full three weeks later than we start the beach, swimming, and vacation season celebration.
We don’t do that for Winter. There’s no unofficial kick-off to the winter solstice, in fact, most of us dread the shortest day and longest night of the year.
However, everybody loves Memorial Day weekend, the best three-day weekend of the year.
That makes it perfect for a mini-vacation. Many people will be traveling with their friends and family to the Jersey Shore and beyond.
New Jersey has so many places to visit and things to do, including our boardwalks, beaches, and parks. I think we should be staying in New Jersey for the warm months and save the destination vacations for winter to escape the cold.
If you’re planning to travel over Memorial Day weekend, you’re not alone. The American Automobile Association predicts this holiday weekend is going to be one of the busiest we’ve seen in a long time.
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AAA is expecting over 45 million Americans to travel for the long holiday weekend. A large percentage of those people will be driving at least fifty miles or more.
AAA Vice President of Travel, Stacey Barber says, “Some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends.” I’m a big fan of the latter during the Summer months.
While there will be major commuter delays due to the holiday, it pales in comparison to the airport mayhem. Many people are also hesitant to fly because of the recent mishaps, including the communications issues at Newark Airport. Flying is still the safest way to travel, but, for some vacationers, it doesn’t feel that way.
Anytime we drive in New Jersey, the traffic is heavy. It’s going to be an extra special experience this weekend. If you want to avoid the busiest traffic times in New Jersey, here are the times to avoid per AAA.
These are the times you DO NOT want to be driving Memorial Day weekend:
- Thursday, May 22nd between 3 and 6 PM
- Friday, May 23rd between 3 and 6 PM
- Monday, May 26th between 12 and 3 PM
- Tuesday, May 27th between 4 and 6 PM
The best times to drive are Thursday before 1 PM, Friday before noon, Monday before 10 AM, and Tuesday before 2 PM and after 6 PM.
According to AAA, the top Memorial Day weekend destinations other than New Jersey include Las Vegas, at number one, followed by New York City. Rounding out the top five are Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando.
Enjoy your unofficial start of Summer, have fun, and be safe!
