COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP -- It is a cold kick off to the Memorial Day weekend.
The holiday is typically seen as the unofficial start of summer, but this weekend, Mother Nature isn't playing along.
Judging from the amount of firewood being off-loaded from the Young family's pick-up truck, they're ready to camp in the cold this weekend at Tobyhanna State Park.
“I've been collecting the firewood a week in preparation,” said Jason Young. “Throwing in the truck every night I get home.”
“Lots of firewood, lots of blankets, lots of fleece jackets, we should be good,” said Andrea Young.
With temperatures falling near freezing in some parts of our area, campers here for the Memorial Day holiday say they came well prepared.
“I'm not really concerned. We have fires. We'll all huddle up, do s'mores, the kids have sleeping bags and blankets, lots of blankets. I have a whole laundry basket full of comforters,” said Laura Arnao.
“Definitely everyone has their tarps over their tents and we brought our zero degree and thirty degree bags for sleeping in, just extra stuff, hats and gloves,” said Amy Amodei.
Some say the chilly weather suits them just fine.
“Actually I'm glad. I want to do some fishing and not sweat, so I enjoy it. I like the cold better than the heat,” said Jason Young.
“We definitely prefer the cold and chilly. You can always put layers on, but you can only take so much off,” said Andrea Young.
“It's all part of camping. It doesn't bother me. We're going to go fishing and hang out here and you put a coat on,” said Onesto Amodei.
Folks here say the cold weather almost adds to the camping experience, making it seem all the more authentic.
“Kind of a survival situation you know,” said Rob Rowe. “It's kind of like the early settlers came in and did it. We like to have the kids experience that situation also.”
“Yes, it definitely gives it an authentic, that you didn't just come out of car, that you're in it to win it,” said Amodei.
According to AAA, car travel this Memorial Day holiday is expected to be up slightly compared to last year. It says if that turns out to be true, it would be the highest volume in ten years.
The auto club says that could be due to gas prices which are at the lowest prices in about five years.