It’s been a heck of a few months, and its not over yet, but across the country lockdown restrictions are slowly lifting, and businesses are beginning to open again. People have been battling crazy home school schedules, working with littles at home, stuck in isolation in a small apartment, or feeling stressed about trying to make it through this unprecedented experience and hold it all together, and need a break from it all. Although some vacations may have been changed or postponed, there are still lots of ways to have fun this summer.
You can still “get away”, even if it’s close to your own back yard. Below, I’m sharing some tips about how to vacation this year a smarter and more socially distanced way.
1. Channel your inner Clark Griswold and Drive
Pack up the Family Truckster and bypass they airport. Not all vacations have to involve flying around the world or cruising across an ocean. Start thinking of ideas that are drive to destinations. What places close to home have you thought about visiting but haven’t checked out before? If you live in the northeast, consider a trip to the mountains, or in Florida, maybe weekend at the beach. By traveling by car, you will limit your number of contact points, and avoid a longer period of exposure to a larger groups of people that you’d find in airports.
If you do fly, make sure you understand your airline’s cancellation policies.
2. Rent a home away from home
Avoid busy lobby and hotel amenities like lobbies, bars and pools. Consider renting a house or full efficiency unit in a condominium or timeshare property. This type of property will let you control your environment more. Bring your own supplies and give the house a thorough cleaning as soon as you get there, focusing on kitchens, bathrooms, doorknobs, grimy remote controls and light switches. With a kitchen, you be able to prepare your own meals and avoid busy restaurants. It’s also awesome for kiddos to have their own bedrooms, and a washer/dryer at hand when you need one. Another really neat idea I’ve been toying with lately is renting a camper or checking out a location to go camping in the mountains (or glamping for those who want a few more frills). If you do opt for a hotel, look for ones with exterior entrances to each room to avoid busy halls and lobbies, and see if the hotel has mobile check-in capabilities.
3. Pack Everything You Need
Do the majority of your shopping for supplies at home in your usual environment. Pack up a cooler with perishables, and fill some laundry baskets with your groceries and cleaning supplies. Pack disinfecting wipes, but also remember cans of spray so that you can get into all of the nooks and crannies as well as disinfecting the air and fabric surfaces. Remember rubber gloves, masks for the whole family, and hand sanitizer for any time you may be inside a building and public places where social distancing is difficult. Pack your own alcohol to avoid busy bars (and you wallet will thank you too!)
4. More Outdoor Activities
Instead of focusing on busy theme parks, crowded boardwalks, cruise ships, and museums, plan your vacation around outdoor activities where you can maximize social distancing and still have fun.
Ideas like: going to the beach, family dance party, hiking, kayaking, surfing, boating, sailing, family walks, fishing, renting jet skis, camping, bike rides, swimming, back yard games like corn hole, board games with the family.
Before traveling, please double-check local travel advisories, CDC recommendations, and comply with all local curfews, rules, regulations and laws.