Travel is Possible in a COVID-19 World: The Key is Research and Responsibility

When COVID-19 hit earlier this year, who knew the impact it would have on our lives. Like many others throughout the world, our family was forced to cancel some amazing trips. My wife and I planned to tour Germany for nearly two weeks in the summer. When it was clear that wasn’t going to happen, we hoped to take a six-day couples retreat to Maui. That didn’t happen, either.

However, we’ve still been able to find ways to travel. We’ve taken long scenic drives through the mountains of Utah and Colorado. We’ve gone hiking in numerous national parks, camped along the Oregon coast and explored South Dakota. We also traveled on a plane to New Hampshire for my grandpa’s funeral.

Unfortunately, each trip has been accompanied by travel anxiety. Even with a lot of research and being responsible while traveling, I often think, “What if I get sick while I’m away from home?” The biggest moment was when we flew from Utah to New Hampshire for a funeral. If I became sick, I wouldn’t be able to fly home on a plane. My wife and I would have to rent a car and drive cross country to get home, or quarantine in a hotel room and pay the nightly rate. Both are not ideal.

But with all of the traveling we’ve done, there are a few key things that I feel allow you to travel – Do your research, and be responsible.

But it’s important to note: Even with research and traveling responsibly, there’s still a change of getting or spreading COVID-19.

Research Your Travel Options

We had booked our flights to Germany, along with all the hotels, last year. When COVID-19 started closing locations throughout the world, our trip became less likely. We did our research and determined we would need to cancel EVERYTHING for this trip. Lucky for us, Delta Airlines, and 95% of hotels refunded our reservations. We only lost $250 for one hotel in Belgium.

I reached out to a friend in Maui to see how things were going there. We were hopeful, so we booked a hotel and flights. A few weeks later, we had to cancel that trip, too. Again, Delta Airlines refunded our tickets, and the Marriott hotel gave us a credit for future travel.

I was tired of booking and canceling trips. But I wasn’t willing to give up our efforts to explore. I continued to research areas of the United States that had few travel restrictions and that would allow us to social distance.

IMPORTANT: Don’t travel if you are sick, or if you’ve been around someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days. If you are older or have underlying conditions that could be complicated by a COVID-19 infection, you may want to postpone any travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published some travel guidelines you should read as part of your research.

PLAN A SCENIC DRIVE

Cabin-fever was setting in after a few weeks of staying at home. We desperately needed a mental health drive. We drove from Salt Lake City to Grand Junction, Colorado. After a drive-thru stop at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and a bathroom break at Walmart (while wearing face coverings), we headed back home via Colorado Highway 139. It’s a beautiful scenic drive.

It’s easy to plan a scenic drive. Bring up Google Maps, or whip out the atlas, and find a road you’ve never driven. You could even throw a dart at a state map to pinpoint a spot to go. Or, you could hop in the car, flip a coin to determine which direction you go, and just start driving. Who needs a destination anyway. It’s the journey that counts. 😉

TAKE A DAY TRIP – HIKING or CYCLING

In Utah, we have the Mighty 5 – five national parks all within a couple-hour drive of each other. But beyond those national parks, we have several hiking trails across the state that are easily accessible.

Research some of the hiking trails that are near you. Search in national parks, national monuments, national forests, state parks, or random trails on a nearby mountain, lake or coastline. If you enjoy cycling, find a bike trail and give that a try, too.

PLAN A ROAD TRIP

A road trip can be a little more complicated, especially if it spans over multiple days and locations. My wife and I drove up the Oregon coast. We stayed at hotels in Medford (OR) and Boise (ID), and camped in a few Oregon State Parks on the coast, too.

We also took a family road trip to Mount Rushmore. Our trip included a hotel in Gillette, Wyoming, and an AirBnB cabin near Deadwood (SD). We explored several popular spots in South Dakota, including a gold mine tour, Custer State Park, Cosmos Mystery Area and of course, Mount Rushmore.

Since a road trip is more complicated, it requires more research and planning. Here are some things you need to consider as you plan your road trip:

• What visitor/travel restrictions are in place? Does a 14-day quarantine upon arrival/return work with your travel plans?
• Are visitors from certain states restricted from your intended area?
• Are masks required in the state, county or city you are visiting?
• If camping, can you reserve a campsite in advance?
• Are hotels being responsible with cleaning protocols?
• Are the locations you want to visit (museums, national parks, state parks, etc.) open? If they are, what are their visitor guidelines?

AIR TRAVEL IN A COVID-19 WORLD

I’m on the cautious side of things and would avoid air travel for vacations at this point, at least through the end of the year. We had to travel to New Hampshire for a family funeral to support my mom – it was her dad who had passed away. We learned that air travel can be even more complicated than planning a road trip.

Here are some of the questions you need to consider before traveling on an airplane. You can find the answers to these questions by Googling “Travel restrictions in (insert location/state here)”. You’ll likely end up on that state’s department of health.

• Do you need a recent negative COVID-19 test result to show at the airport when you arrive?
• Are you coming from a state that is restricted from the state you’re visiting?
• Do you need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival or upon your return home?
• Are your airline tickets/hotel bookings refundable?
• Do you need travel insurance? Know what COVID-19 policies the insurance company has in place.
• If you get sick, are you able to quarantine in your vacation destination?

We were able to navigate through the airport easier than pre-COVID-19, namely because there are fewer people traveling on planes. Plus, Delta Airlines did a wonderful job helping us feel safe leading up to and during our flight (Thanks Delta). Recently, they’ve also discontinued change fees, which makes us more willing to book flights as we plan for 2021. However, we still don’t know what 2021 will look like with regards to air travel.

Be Responsible as You Travel

Medical experts recommend three things to help stop the spread of COVID-19:

• Practice social distancing (Stay 6 feet apart)
• Wear a mask when social distancing isn’t possible
• Wash your hands (practice good hand hygiene)

These same things should be followed when you travel. This summer, we’ve worn masks in museums. We’ve practiced social distancing by hiking in the great outdoors. We carry hand sanitizer with us so we can use it when hand washing at a sink isn’t doable.

When my wife and I were standing in line at Sea Lion Caves in Oregon, there were several people in line who chose not to wear masks. They were tourists, visiting the area from other states. I feel that wearing a mask, especially when you are the visitor, shows respect to people in that area.

Conclusion

I love to travel. But travel in a COVID-19 world still causes me some anxiety. However, if I do my research and act responsibly when I do travel, I decrease my chances of contracting COVID-19 while enjoying the benefits of travel.

But again, even with research and traveling responsibly, there’s still a change of getting or spreading COVID-19. Be careful and mindful of others.

In short, travel is possible in a COVID-19 world. Do your research and travel responsibility.

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