Thoughts on Traveling Amidst a Pandemic

I'm an enneagram 7 and the 3 months of Shelter in Place was kind of tough on my heart that loves adventure.  Like many, many people vacations were put on hold or cancelled.  We had 2 very special weekends away (to celebrate my husband's 40th and our 15th anniversary) and those got cancelled as well as our Big Summer Vacation.  That was so hard on my heart.  Adventures breathe life into my soul and by the time June rolled around my heart was heavy.  Between the anger and hate I was seeing on social media and not being able to go to my usual spots or wander aimlessly around stores sipping a latte. 

Around this same time, we were toying with the idea of going to visit my parents and grandma in Wyoming.  It has been 4 years since we were last there and because there are so many wide open spaces, we could have adventures safely.  There were a LOT of conversations and most of them stopping because the idea of driving that far was not really high on our list and we weren't sure about flying during this time.  When my grandma started having some health problems, we decided that it was actually very necessary to go while we were able. 

Our trip was set in stone a week and a half before we would leave.  There were so many feelings between nervousness (umm. . . there's a pandemic going on!) and excitement (we were headed on an adventure!).  I did so many things to get us ready for this trip.  As we were leaving, reports were starting to show spikes in numbers and being out and about in it kind of made me nervous.  Despite this, we continued our plans and went on our adventure as safely as possible. 

Our trip to Wyoming was to a small town (about 5000) in Northern Wyoming near the Big Horn Mountains.  We took 3 days driving to get there with stops in Las Vegas, NE and Park City, UT. Nevada was probably our biggest risky spot. 

We decided to take advantage of the Paris Hotel opening just a few days before and I'll be honest with you.  We had so much fun.  Our hotel room was sealed shut with a giant sticker that told us no one has been in the room since it was cleaned.  Masks were required everywhere.  That meant there wasn't a lot of smoking (A big plus!).  There were hand sanitizer stations about every 10 feet and some casinos had full on sinks with soap and paper towels in the middle of their casinos along with lots of hand sanitizer.  Tables were marked if they were sanitized and if you sat at one, you were to flip it over marking it dirty, so no one would sit at it, but also so that a staff member could come and wipe it down.  The Bellagio only let so many people go into their botanical gardens at a time and even then you had to follow a specifically marked path.  We found that the Casinos that were open were doing everything in their power to keep people as safe as possible and be able to stay open.  We were impressed.  I will say that most stores were not open yet, as well as clubs, shows, and bars (that was nice. . . until we wanted to grab a cocktail to take up to our room).   On the way home, we ended up getting to go to the New York New York so we could eat a late lunch at Shake Shack (drooling as I type this!).  It was so quiet there that it was easy to feel safe. 

The rest of our trip was pretty much lower crowds.  We followed recommended social distance guidelines and wore masks when out it public.  In Park City, we took our food to go and bought some picnic food for the rest of our journey (there were not a whole lot of places to eat on that leg of the journey. . . except ice cream. . . lots of ice cream!).  One restaurant that we ate at used shower curtains to divide the booths. . . but it was so quiet that no one was anywhere near us!

When we got to the small rural town where my parents are staying, very few stores required masks, but we always carried them with us just in case.  We were even able to go to a parade safely! We avoided lots of crowds, which was really easy to do in a rural area. 

I thought I would share some tips for planning adventures despite the Pandemic. 

We've gone on our big road trip, a beach trip, wine tasting, and a few other random adventures here and there.  There is a way to do it wisely and it's good for your mental health. 

1.  Don't let fear guide you and trap you inside.  But, no matter where you fall in your belief of the pandemic, you can not argue that it isn't serious.  Be wise.

2.  Avoid Large crowds, especially indoors.

3.  Wear masks when around other people.

4.  If restaurants scare you, order take out and go on a picnic. . . or eat in your car. 

5.  Get creative and do a little research.  Some National Parks are closed or limiting cars, or even requiring a reserved pre-paid pass. 

6.  When planning your adventure, look for ways to experience something or somewhere new. . . like a quiet beach that isn't your normal beach. 

7.  Carry Hand Sanitizer with you and spray your hands every now and then. 

I guess what I am trying to say is just because there is a pandemic, it doesn't mean you don't have to stop living.  Let's safely live our lives going on adventures and living life to the fullest. 

Have you gone on an adventure this summer?