We get it. But this is not good for our travel mojo! Amiright?<\/p>\n
When the reality of COVID-19 sunk in in March, many of us in the U.S. thought we\u2019d be able to embark on a safe summer getaway. Different, yes, but safe. Maybe even somewhat<\/em> worry-free. And then, just as things started to open up in early Spring, heavy concentrations of coronavirus cases popped up again, and regions started to slow\u2014and even reverse\u2014their phased openings.<\/p>\n While we\u2019re very happy that most parts of the world and country wanted to be safe rather than sorry, of course we were bummed to have to cancel the getaways that we hoped would happen.<\/p>\n But, honestly, dealing with that disappointment wasn\u2019t nearly as bad as we expected. We hit our tipping point\u2014the point at which we had<\/em> to take a trip\u2014and we made it work, all while adhering to the necessary precautions and guidelines. Let\u2019s call it our ‘tripping<\/em> point<\/a>.’<\/p>\n And while we\u2019re being honest, let us just say that we\u2019ve hit a few tripping points over the last several months, and our getaways have been fantastic for our mental health<\/a>.<\/p>\n We want to share the ways we\u2019ve dealt with our tripping points so that you can too.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve found that plussed-up day trips have been our secret weapon to combatting that feeling of \u201cneeding to get out\u201d that is the hallmark of the tripping point. For two nature guys, that has meant a lot of outdoors-y trips. Nature trips are especially smart right now because you get to scratch that travel itch in a very satisfying but low touch\/no touch way. Here\u2019s what we recommend.<\/p>\n Most of the country lives within a car-ride of a national park or, certainly, other open space. This is the time to finally make that trip. If you are a hiker, take the long hike you\u2019ve had on your list but haven\u2019t made the time for. Bring your dog. Bring the kids. Wear a mask.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not a hiker (this is a good time to start), pick a not too far off\u2014but far off enough\u2014destination for a big daylong excursion. You know\u00ad, all the places in your area that visitors go to but that you don\u2019t make time for because, well, you\u2019ll get there someday and your saving your vacation days for Hawaii<\/a> or Walt Disney World<\/a>. For us, that\u2019s meant finally checking out places like Leavenworth<\/a>, Port Townsend<\/a>, and Poulsbo<\/a>. Find ways to make the day special\u2026 Head out early with your warm beverages (or Pumpkin Cold Foam Cold Brews, don\u2019t get us started) in hand. Fill the car with snacks and really enjoy the drive. When you arrive to your destination, pick a local business that is following local guidelines and treat yourself to a take-out lunch or\u2014as we did in Poulsbo\u2014far too many donuts for two men to consume at one time<\/a>. Most importantly, slow roll it and make it special.<\/p>\n It\u2019s amazing how magical and effective a day trip can feel.<\/p>\n Okay, so sometimes your tripping point is demanding something longer than a day trip. We get it. No, really. We get it.<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s okay. We\u2019ve got solutions.<\/p>\n For something longer, we recommend turning your big day trip into an overnight or multi-night camping trip. With a little research and some common sense precautions, you can also stay at a hotel, as we have.<\/p>\n Traveling in a pandemic is not easy\u2014it demands some vigilance that can feel like work\u2014but the nice thing about a one- or two-night road trip is that you don\u2019t need to over plan. And because you\u2019re staying in your own part of the world, if something goes awry, you can always get home easily. That\u2019s a nice piece of mind.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve actually done a few of these trips recently. For one, we did a two-nighter around the Olympic Peninsula so that we could experience some of the unbelievably beautiful places\u2014Kalaloch, we\u2019re thinking of you<\/a>\u2014that are fairly close to our Seattle home.<\/p>\n On another trip, we drove Highway 2: the Mountain Loop Scenic Byway. Along the way, we checked out Leavenworth and checked in on our old stomping grounds of Winthrop<\/a>, an adorable western town tucked into the magnificent Methow Valley. The hiking was perfection\u2014the Alpine Lakes Wilderness never disappoints\u2014and the scenery almost made us forget the pandemic. Almost.<\/p>\n If your wanderlust is demanding that you go further afield, at the time we are writing this, you can do that too. Within reason.<\/p>\n We avoided this kind of travel for many months. As things started to re-open, hotels and airlines were still figuring things out. So we gave them some time to nail down the new protocols. We are happy to report that they have and we\u2019ve, just recently, given some longer trips a go.<\/p>\n Of course, you have to remember to be even more mindful of local guidelines and health protocols when you are away from what is familiar. In fact, we\u2019ve had a couple overnight trips where we had to walk that talk. For instance, in Bend, Oregon<\/a>\u2014one of our favorite destinations in this part of the world\u2014we popped into a donut shop (are you noticing a trend here) where nobody had masks on. We literally walked out. In Joseph, Oregon<\/a>\u2014another amazing destination that we adore\u2014we had a business owner give us guff for wearing masks. So, we high-tailed it out of that place and went to an even cuter caf\u00e9 down the road.<\/p>\n Those experiences aren\u2019t common, but we knew the local guidelines and we stuck to them. Both for us and for the communities we were visitors in.<\/p>\n With those three options for tiny, small, and medium getaways, you’re all set. And Expedia has all the tools for you to plan for every step of the way. You can rely on Expedia’s Coronavirus hub<\/a> to help you stay safe. You can also make plans and then, if something changes, change them. Check out Expedia\u2019s Stays with Flexibility<\/a> and Flights with Flexibility<\/a> pages for details.<\/p>\nExtravagant day trips are an easy way to deal with your tripping point.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Adventuresome road trips can be just what the doctor ordered.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Airplanes and hotels are still in the cards.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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