WISCONSIN — Travelers weren’t going to let the elements stop their Memorial Day Weekend travel plans on Friday.
As the rain poured on Friday morning, Sone Phrakousonh of Menomonee Falls made a stop at the Pine Cone Travel Plaza in Johnson Creek to fill up.
He said he was excited to take his family out for Memorial Day weekend.
“We knew it was going to rain, and I didn’t want to cancel due to the rain," said Phrakousonh. "That’s not my style. The kids were looking forward to it, so we just prepared for it. We bought a lot of tarps.”
While filling up, Phrakousonh put on another tarp to protect their camping equipment.
“It’s the one day where it is not supposed to rain, so then we will meet up with my nephew and brother and then we are going to Devil’s Lake and we are going canoeing and fishing,” said Phrakousonh.
Down in Beloit, lots of out of state travelers made a pit stop at a Wisconsin Welcome Center near the Illinois border.
Visit Beloit Director of Visitor Services Terri White said they are always happy to welcome travelers to Wisconsin.
“A lot of people are headed to the Dells and some are going anywhere in Wisconsin for the holiday week, so it is always nice to see friendly faces,” said White.
Craig Hood and his friends were traveling from the St. Louis area. They planned to spend the night in Rice Lake before heading to Minnesota for some fishing.
Hood said this trip has been a tradition for more than 30 years, and on Memorial Day Weekend, he is thankful for the soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“It’s a good thing to honor and think about," said Hood. "It allows us to do the things that we want to do. I can’t imagine what so many people did and suffered through in some of the wars and battles.”
That’s why Pharkousonh also believes he has to do what is necessary to spend this weekend with his family.
“I work a lot, so I try to get out with them as much as possible," said Phrakousonh. "As a matter of fact, this Saturday and Sunday I have to work anyway, but I’m traveling back and forth just to make it happen for them.”
As Pharkousonh, Hood and others make their way to their final destination, they will use this weekend to have fun with friends and family.
They will also reflect on the veterans that paid the ultimate sacrifice so they could have this time.