The beaches of Baldwin County, Alabama, home to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, re-opened at 5 pm on Thursday evening. Travelers reacted enthusiastically and vacation rental reservations soared. Of the reservations made between April 27 and April 30, 28.5% have arrival dates during the week of 5/2 to 5/8 and 18% have arrival dates between 5/9 and 5/15. If this trend holds elsewhere, last-minute reservations may be the norm for early summer stays this year as destinations re-open.