Orange County, NY – Many in Outdoor Mode for Region’s Phase One Reopening

Quick Dashcam Video from our drive to be found near the bottom of this page.

On the fourth day of Orange County’s Phase 1 re-opening we took a drive through the area. We were surprised to find how many folks were in a vacation/picnic mode mentality. Cars aplenty were parked off the road along route 202. It was obvious how families and groups of people were there for a break. A break from the monotony? A break from the pandemic?

The area I’m speaking of is along the stretch just south of Bear Mountain within Tomkins Cove and Stony Point and considered to be part of Bear Mountain State Park.

We were originally headed to the Walmart in Central Valley, NY.

Since the beginning of this COVID-19 health crisis we’ve been regularly heading up that way. Not merely for our own shopping but, as well, for the sake of our extended family who had no means of properly shopping for themselves. On our way, yesterday, we simply couldn’t resist passing by the Bear Mountain entrance to see if it’d reopened yet.

Now, when I say we were surprised it’s because of our previous rides through the area. It’d always been pretty vacant of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Not just over the past months but over the past years. Also, 9 days earlier, we visited the western section of Connecticut on the second day of its phase 1 reopening. Believe it or not, the Danbury Fair Mall was opened up for business but there were few, if any, takers. Along our drives that day, people were out and about, but nothing like what we’d witnessed in Orange County.

Aside from Danbury, we also either visited or actually stopped within the towns of Stamford, Norwalk and Ridgefield. The number of people who were out and about did not feel out of the norm. Although, the Walmart in Norwalk did have folks, practically on top of each other, disregarding any form of social distancing. Unlike the Central Valley location which still has a line outside, allowing only a certain number of shoppers within the store at any one time.

Strangely, within the town of Ridgefield, there was barely any sign that a pandemic was taking place. Most individuals, from our vantage point, had no protective covering whatsoever. Such was the case every other time we’d driven through that town over the past months.

It’s interesting to see how the different locales are reacting to the re-opening process. We’re happy for the folks seeking out some freedom after having been cooped up in their homes for too long. We’re just hoping that everyone remembers to do that, which is needed, in order to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Video taken with our dashcam.
1 1/2 minutes into the video you’ll spot the many cars parked along the road.