Hottest Topic: COVID Travel

First, I want to note that the following is based on my opinion. I believe in following the CDC guidelines and common (i.e. not so common) sense. The following is also based on what we have experienced firsthand. We also don’t watch/listen to news with any regularity (except for E!News… Am I right?!?). We basically hear through the grapevine and look into anything of interest.

Let's start with the hottest topic this summer: RV Travel. Well, the internet was listening, because before long, what little marketing I get was all related to RV rentals and camping travel. Clearly not hearing the fact that we already owned a travel trailer. Stupid interwebs. What did strike me, was that I should probably get this story out sooner rather than later.

Back in May 2020, California began the beginning stages to re-open. The Stay in Place (SIP) had not (and technically has not) been lifted, but certain elements were allowing some businesses to function and re-open if certain guidelines were met.

We decided to take the opportunity to hit the road for numerous reasons. For one, we, like most, were tired of being cooped up with Spawn for months. Maybe even a little tired of being cooped up with each other. So, why not be cooped up in a little trailer, together, for a long road trip? And there goes the common sense… Other reasons included my belief that there would be another shut down sooner, rather than later (So, RUN!) and we knew we would be self-contained and could easily avoid anybody. I’m actually very good at it, with, or without COVID in play.

Side note, my family and friends think I’m a social butterfly. I’m actually a closeted introvert. I’ve loved every minute of staying at home and not having to go anywhere. On the other hand, Cabana Boy is jumping out of his skin. He misses playing shows and meeting up with his fellow musicphiles, band practice and the overall getting out of the house. Spawn is upset that the playgrounds are closed, but otherwise unphased as her playthings (i.e. us) are still around.

Back to the story… We discussed what precautions we would take to stay as safe as possible. We knew we could not control what others did but could easily control what we would do.

COVID Safety

Our path took us through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, back through Utah & Nevada, and then into Central California. Each destination had completely different vibes.

We wore masks everywhere we went in public. While in campgrounds, we gauged the situation and wore masks if there were large groups of people nearby. We were always 10 or more feet from others. We never used public restrooms because we were hauling our very own with us. We washed our hands frequently and sanitized before eating take out and after gas station stops.

While visiting friends and family, we maintained distance, but weren’t super careful with masks. This could have been a bad thing and definitely against CDC guidelines, but there was an overall sense of “We’ve all been cooped up, so as long as we have little to zero contact, I’m fine with it if you are.” We wore masks around the high risk individuals (the mid-90 year old relative) and stayed in our trailer in the front of homes and in driveways. Limited exposure was key for us.

What was supposed to be a two week trip turned into almost 3 WEEKS, but we made it home safely and self-quarantined for another two weeks without any issues. Except that we were ready to hit the road again within two weeks. The fun NEVER stops!