Sunny skies and warm temperatures over the long Fourth of July weekend may have been welcomed by owners of hot dog stands, clam shacks and boogie board rental shops, but stalled bumper-to-bumper traffic on Interstate 95 and side roads near local beaches probably had many shoreline residents praying for rain.

This newspaper is delighted that so many out-of-town visitors find southeastern Connecticut so attractive, particularly in summer. What’s not to like? With miles of white sand and blue water — and so far, no great white sharks — as well as quaint villages, museums, an aquarium, working farms and two casinos, this region is the state’s premier travel destination.

But tourism is a double-edged sword, so locals have had to learn how to avoid getting cut.

Those with a particular aversion to being trapped in their car for hours know better than to drive on a weekend morning to New London’s Ocean Beach Park, which drew a record 10,000 people to its 75th anniversary celebration Friday and then similar or bigger crowds on Saturday and Sunday. Likewise, whenever possible they steer clear of Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, which was forced to close about 12:30 Saturday afternoon and then shortly before noon on Sunday because parking lots were jammed.

Good weather is not the only factor for the record surge of visitors; cheaper gas also increased the number of drivers.

Transportation and tourism authorities have long struggled with the dilemma of traffic congestion, and there are no easy answers.

Unfortunately, most Americans are too attached to their cars to consider mass transportation, and efforts to increase the use of trains and buses have stalled because of struggles to find suitable ways for large numbers of tourists to get from stations to hotels and other destinations once they arrive.

They may want to consider well-organized bike-sharing organizations — Bike New London, which has a Facebook page, and Mystic Community Bikes (www.mysticcommunitybikes.org) — that offer free daily use of two-wheelers.

At least visitors would get some exercise while riding to and from the beach.