Coffee Talk #191: Travel Tips in the Time of COVID

It’s Tuesday! Grab your cup and let’s start chattin’.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you I did it! I successfully took 3 days off from teaching, after 112 straight days of it. I was so anxious to leave! I love to travel, but this was our first trip since quarantine, the pandemic – our first time leaving our new home, too. We were apprehensive about going anywhere, but then we came up with a plan for a socially distant trip.

I realize this could be a controversial topic, but I wanted to share because I think it’s relevant and inevitable. People will travel.  If you DO NOT HAVE TO go somewhere, your best course of action is to stay home. I fully accept that. We chose to create a socially distant trip.

It started with a nearby destination – somewhere we could go without the use of public transportation. We love to visit National Parks, so we chose one that was close enough to reach via car and one that we haven’t visited yet. Enter: Congaree National Park! I’ll share a full recap of our visit to the park, but most important – it’s all outdoors and it’s one of the least visited parks in the National Park system. We went on a 10-mile hike and saw 5 other people. It was the perfect destination. We went kayaking with a small group, but had to keep an oar’s distance from anyone not in our family. It was perfectly arranged.

We did stay in a hotel. I feel ok about this – I was nervous at first but everything is super clean, there is no housekeeping/people allowed in your room, and everything can be done electronically with check in/check out. Masks were required in public places. We also visited a beach and a state park, but neither one was crowded. People kept their distance.

It’s a weird time. Tourism is hurting, facilities are hurting, and it’s best to stay home, but I’m glad we did create a socially distant trip. I recommend even camping or doing a day trip to a beach! Things to avoid: crowds. Boardwalks. We did not go into restaurants or facilities (except Publix to get food!). We kept to ourselves. We went early to the beach, leaving by 10:30 a.m. We chose a destination for our National Park that doesn’t see a lot of visitors, even in good times. Stay home first, yes, but if you do travel, the best course of action is to BE SMART.

I put together some travel tips if you need to, or if you are considering travel right now. Pay very close attention to the destination’s rules for public spaces, as they are changing rapidly.

FWA Travel Tips in the Time of COVID-19

1. Always wear a mask in public spaces. Even if it’s not mandated, the science is showing that your chances of sharing COVID lower with a covering over your nose and mouth. Remember, the mask protects others.

2. Avoid large crowds or frequented areas. This is really a rule we tend to follow anyway, as neither one of us likes large crowds of people or activities that would draw a huge crowd. Going to the beach? No loafing on the boardwalk. Go EARLY to places. Get take-out or delivery.

3. Travel by car if possible. I love and hate this. It’s not a great idea to stuff onto a plane or train right now. I love to travel by plane, but I’m not ready to do so yet. We had our car and just us for the entire trip.

4. Wash hands & clean spaces. This should be happening anyway, but especially now. We took wipes and wiped down all surfaces. We wash hands and avoid touching things in public spaces with our hands and fingers.

5. Make your own food or carryout. I love staying at hotels where you can cook your own food! We love Publix and felt totally comfortable inside the store, with all the rules and signage.

6. Sick? don’t go.I know it sucks to change your plans, but if you feel the slightest bit ill, stay home.

7. Stairs vs. elevator. The hotel we stayed at put us on the 12th floor, but they also had so much signage to keep one person or one family to the elevator. We came back into the hotel during a peak time, saw the line for the elevators, and opted to run the stairs instead. It didn’t seem like there were too many people at the large resort – so that was also comforting. It wasn’t anywhere near max capacity.

8. Online check-in/check-out or camp! This is a GREAT time to go camping! Pitch a tent or grab that camper and go enjoy the great outdoors. I’m so glad we chose an outdoor location – we love to hike and it’s so much better to be outside vs. inside with others right now.

Are you planning a socially distant trip or staying home right now? Are you visiting with family and friends? Going to gyms or indoor restaurants? How are you protecting yourself and others?