Not to be deterred by this weekend’s heatwave, crowds flocked to local beaches and parks on Monday, which was expected to be the hottest day on record in Greater Boston this year.
People who spent the afternoon at King’s Beach, shared by Lynn and Swampscott, and Breakheart Reservation in Saugus largely adhered to social-distancing restrictions, but few visitors wore face coverings.
Several people interviewed on the Lynn side of the beach near Red Rock Park said they traveled from Boston to avoid crowded beaches.
That was the case for friends and Boston residents, Elena Cisneros, 22, and Gabby Zawadzai, 24, who were sunbathing at King’s Beach early Monday afternoon.
Zawadzai said she lives near Carson Beach in South Boston, but thought there would be fewer people at the Lynn/Swampscott beach on Monday.
“We came here trying to stay as far away from everyone as possible,” said Cisneros.
Three friends from East Boston, Amina Miliani, 24, Amira Amar, 25, and Bianca Rosado, 28, were sitting in lounge chairs at the edge of the ocean to cool down from the scorching summer heat.
They cited the beach as the main thing they are doing to escape the heat this summer.
“If I don’t have to work, I’m at the beach,” said Amar.
Anna Rodrigues, 30, and her 3-year-old daughter Eva, of Lynn, could also be seen settling in for a beach day on Monday.
“We come a lot,” said Rodrigues. “Whenever the weather is hot, we’re at the beach.”
Rodrigues said being around other people during the coronavirus outbreak is a concern, but she tries to stay away from others in public places.
Debbie Garofalo, 64, of Lynn, is also an avid beach goer, saying that she is at King’s Beach about four times a week.
“I just live down the street from the beach, so it’s right here,” she said.
Henry Fitzgerald, 70, of Lynn, who identified himself as a former city councilor in Everett, could be seen lounging on the wall on Lynn Shore Drive Monday afternoon.
His tips for staying cool during the heatwave was simple.
“Go to the beach, turn on your air conditioner and pay your electric bill,” said Fitzgerald.
Over at Breakheart Reservation, many people walking the trail were headed toward the pond to swim and sunbathe.
But Kat Mawn, 18, of Lowell, said she and her friends, Damian Elkins, 18, and Jeremy Levine, 17, opted against spending time at the pond after their hike when they saw how crowded it was.
“I thought it wasn’t the safest thing to do,” said Mawn.
Elkins, of Wilmington, said he kept cool by packing frozen water bottles in his backpack, and Levine, of Danvers, said the trails are mostly shaded.
Katelyn Gug, 20, of Everett, said she was going swimming at Breakheart to cool down, but otherwise, she planned to stay inside with the air conditioner on.
Married couple Raul and Natalie Guzman, of Revere, who were walking the trail at Breakheart on Monday, were a rarity as they were the only people around who could be seen wearing face masks.
“I have an underlying condition and he works at a hospital so he has to protect everyone else,” Natalie said.
