Hypochondriac Quarantips: Safe Vacationing
Stay Vigilant even while on vacation. Photo Credit: @tanyalafuente
Since covid started, I’ve had to adjust my lifestyle as we’ve all had to. One of the major adjustments I have had to make was in regards to my travel lifestyle—partly because Americans are banned from most countries and mostly because I don’t feel like flying anywhere we are still allowed into until there is a credible vaccine on the market. I have friends still partaking in air travel, who are less risk averse than I am and they have all told me it has been fine—most airlines require masks and for the most part, airports and airlplanes are empty, which is a little heartbreaking to hear. I hope to be back in the air someday soon, but am restricting myself to ground travel for the time being. If you are in the same boat, read on.
QuaranTip 1: Take a Road Trip
No matter what country you live in, I personally think car travel is the best and most low risk travel you can engage in. You control the entire travel environment from inception and depending on the length of the drive or your own willpower, you may not even have to make a rest stop!
Things you should make sure to have when venturing on a road trip is
1-Membership to a roadside assistance service like AAA, Geico or Progressive. There are many out there, but those are my favorite three based on nationwide coverage
2-Insurance for you and passengers in the car. Though we would like to think that we won’t get into an accident, you really never know. And as one of my good friends always says, “Safety First”.
3-A good road app: I usually use 2-3, sometimes at the same time since there are other people in the car. I personally like using the planned ride feature on Waze prior to the trip to know best day and time to leave based on current traffic trends. It is also great during the ride for spotting police on the road in case you have the urge to go faster than the speed limit. Roadtrippers is a great planning tool if you want to find popular stops on your route and have them pre-populated before you start your journey. They also have some great editorial if you are looking for some travel inspo.
4-Snacks and Beverages: It’s better to use your own vs going to a rest stop and mingling with the other travelers if you really are into reducing your risk. If you do decided you need a food or bevvie fix, use the drive through. And don’t forget, wipe everything down!
5-Hand sanitizer and clorox wipes or the equivalent. I cannot stress this enough! You will need this when traveling in your car. If it is a rental car, make sure to wipe down all surfaces, especially the ones you or your passengers will touch. If you go to a gas station, make sure to sanitize your hands and the credit card used after contact. At your final destination, wipe down everything. Yes, it should have been cleaned before you arrived, but as my ex used to say, “No one can do a better job than I do.” He was way more OCD than I was! I also bring some paper towels to touch door handles or elevator buttons with—much more environmentally friendly than latex gloves.
QuaranTip 2: Only go where the Infection Rate is Low
One of my new rules of travel is not to go to a state with a high infection rate (+10%), or sometimes I simply look at the list of states that are banned from NYC, which evolves weekly, sometimes daily. My favorite go to tool is this nifty table from worldometer. You can data sort by column based on what info you are looking for—my most used are new cases and new deaths just to understand their trend if I am ever questioning traveling to a certain destination. Do make note that numbers are not apples to apples since population numbers differ by state. Sadly they don’t provide columns with all the metrics per 1M/Pop. And yes, if you can’t tell, I totally geeked out on this tool. Always check the state requirements for out of state visitors—some require covid tests prior to arrival. For those of you outside the US or just curious to see how each country is faring, use this link.
QuaranTip 3: Rent a Home
I am team home rental vs hotel. I have stayed at both this summer, but I feel that you should choose your own home vs a hotel for the following reasons:
1-Prices for most hotels have not decreased. You are still paying the same price for the hotel room without your usual standard amenities (daily housekeeping, room service, minibar etc). One of the reasons I would stay at hotels prior to covid vs apartment rentals is the daily housekeeping. I understand we are in different times, but if I have to do it myself, I would rather be in a private residence. And after seeing this video from Inside Edition, I lost faith in most hotel procedures. Also sometimes the restaurants and the bars in the hotel are not open, which is also a big draw in staying at a hotel. Know these are first world problems, but if you are still paying a higher rate for those conveniences, is it really worth it?
2-You can control who you interact with. If you are renting your own home, it is just you and your family or friends. In a hotel, you are exposed to everyone and their mother. Even though some states are above the standard infection rate, travelers from other states are sill allowed into hotel properties and the hotel staff isn’t checking, or they don’t care. I know this based on my recent travels. Travelers coming from other states were not asked to quarantine and I know they should have been based on the guidelines set forth on the state’s websites. I do believe most rules are meant to be broken, but when it comes to public safety I am a stickler to the rules…or as my friends call me, Madame Deputy.
3-Disinfection is a Must. You are going to clorox/disinfect the hell out of your room or home rental anyway, so why pay the added premium? Most home rentals have washers and dryers so if you don’t trust whether or not the sheets were properly cleaned, you can rewash them or bring your own sheets. You will not have the luxury of an in room washer/dryer at most hotels and would you really want to use a communal washer/dryer anways? Either way, I always bring my own pillow case when I travel if I don’t bring an entire set of sheets. When I don’t bring my own sheets, I bring my container of Odoban to spray the sheets down.
QuaranTip 4: Do your homework
Before partaking in any vacations or vacation activities, do your research first. If I’m planning way in advance, I will contact the hotel via email if there is certain information I cannot get on their website. You need to understand what their policies are based on COVID and if they are in line with yours. This is also a good reason to only visit destinations with lower infection rates than your own home. For example, I was supposed to go to Ocean City, MD a month ago, but saw their infection rate was rising and places were getting shut down. I reached out to a friend who was familiar with the area and told me “social distancing is not a thing there”. After speaking to her, I decided not to go. My friend who still went was back in 3 days because she was appalled by the lack of social distancing and the locals’ belief that covid even exists.
Moral of the story: Be smart where you vaca. Why put yourself or your loved ones at risk when you can pick an alternate destination where their practices are similar if not stricter than your own?
Doing your homework also pertains to all legs of your trip. If you are doing a tour, contact the company prior to understand if they are reducing capacity and what their policies are. If you are going to a restaurant, make sure outdoor dining is an option before making the reservation and if patrons are required to wear masks in common areas. It also applies to vetting your travel companions. If whomever you travel with does not have the same policies as you do, you are really not going to be on vacation based on all the stress you will be going through—you might as well have stayed home. Make a list of things that are important and dealbreakers for you before getting yourself into an uncomfortable situation.
QuaranTip 5: Don’t be a Covidiot
Just because you are on vacation, doesn’t mean you can stop practicing all the things you have been doing for the past few months. Yes, it would be nice to believe we are in a covid free world, but the reality is we are far from it. Always wear a mask and make sure to social distance. I know sometimes it is easy to get lost in the moment, myself included. I was in Maine about a week ago and life felt normal again because I was surrounded by acres of nature and fresh air. It made me forget we are living in the middle of a pandemic. Yes, I took off my mask when I wasn’t around with people and there were times I forgot it in my room and had to go back to get it. I have also noticed that when I have alcohol even if it is just two glasses of wine, I forget the reality we live in. IMHO, I think this is why in cities/states where bars have reopened you also see a resurgence in numbers—people are getting lost in the moment and forget it exists. Just make sure to keep your senses heightened and ensure you are not falling off the wagon at all times. The rule is simple: Don’t engage in any behavior you wouldn’t normally do and if they have more strict rules in the place you are visiting, abide by them. Don’t be a Karen. Also, if you are sick—STAY HOME.