Vacation in the Time of Social Distancing? It Is Possible!
By MS. ALLISON ELLIOT, STAFF WRITER
COVID-19 restrictions have made travel and vacation places difficult to find, but it is summer, and you are probably looking for ideas to entertain yourself and your family and friends safely.
Socially distant options where you can get out and explore with plenty of places to go on foot, on bike, or by car are not difficult to find. For instance, consider going for a drive on one of America’s 800 scenic byways.1 These secondary roads are tourist destinations with cultural, historical, or other significance. If you are planning an extended road trip, you could rent an RV and hit the highway.
In the United States, there are 63 national parks2 and 10,234 state parks3 to explore, and many are discounted or free for service members. They offer the opportunity to hike, mountain bike, go rock climbing, and camp. Be sure to check out the parks online ahead of time to ensure that you follow their COVID-19 protocols, and try the lesser-known parks to avoid the crowds.
Many states have a version of “Weird New Jersey,”4 an online guide to lesser-known attractions across the state, such as haunted houses and sunken ships. Consider looking up local legends and unusual attractions in your state or in neighboring states for a fun day trip.
In this technological and highly connected age, virtual tours are available for lighthouses and museums that allow you to have an informative and entertaining visit for little or no cost. Apps are available to download for many such places.
If you do not want to venture that far, city parks also offer options for getting out and enjoying nature. You can roll out a picnic blanket and eat from a charcuterie board, trying different cheeses, meats, nuts, and other foods. From geocaching (using GPS to find hidden containers) to scavenger photo hunts to walking tours, you can find many ways to entertain yourself with online resources. Cities also tend to have botanical gardens or sculpture gardens that are interesting to visit. Zoos are fun if you find one that is less frequently visited or one that has good COVID-19 precautions in place. If you can find a larger park or green area, playing frisbee allows you to stay socially distanced and have fun.
Some safe activities for enjoying the warm weather of summer include riding a bike or entertaining in your backyard. Have a barbecue and play croquet or other lawn games. At night, you can make s’mores around a firepit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated their guidelines for mask wearing and social distancing depending on vaccination status5, and it is important to take that into consideration when planning activities with friends.
Glamping, a trend of camping that is more luxurious than sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent, is an option. Whether you find an isolated place or you simply set up in your backyard on a dry night, glamping allows you to try something exciting without risk or discomfort. Research online to find different ways of making this experience more “glamorous.”
Airbnbs are another great option for going on a vacation while avoiding hotels. Airbnb allows you to search for the entire house, cabin, bungalow, and so forth, and search for locations with a private entrance and electronic check-in.
Those factors are important to avoiding contact with other people. If you do not have a backyard, consider searching for a location with a hot tub or a private dock to a river where you can go canoeing, kayaking, or fishing.
Nighttime in the summer offers the chance to get out of the house and go to a local drive-in movie theater or simply stare up at the stars. When taking in a movie, keep your windows rolled up and park at least 6 feet away from other cars to stay safe. According to space.com,6 among the top skywatching events in 2021 are the “ring of fire” solar eclipse of the moon on June 10 and the Perseid meteor shower on August 10–11. Free apps such as SkyView allow you to aim your smartphone to the sky and identify different constellations, planets, and stars.
For some people, summer is not summer unless they hit the beach. For those people, private beaches are a safe option. Research the beach beforehand to learn its guidelines for COVID-19—and then plan a trip.
Whether you decide to travel out of state or to your backyard, it is possible to have fun this summer while following COVID-19 precautions. Do plenty of research, and do not be afraid to search for ideas online. Stay safe!
2 https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/ national-parks/how-many-national-parks-are-there
5 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/ fully-vaccinated.html
6 https://www.space.com/39231-top-skywatching-eventsthis-year.html