Lodging and sightseeing amidst a pandemic?

June 22, 2020 8:25 AM

A companion and I would like to go on a weekend getaway / road trip. Help me figure out how to make this both safe and enjoyable in the time of COVID.

We are in the United States. We're kinda going stir-crazy – so we're hoping we can find a responsible way to get out of town for a couple of days.

I have two basic questions:

1. How can we do this safely and responsibly?

We would probably stay in an AirBnB. We will take extra precautions: bringing our own towels and bedclothes; sanitizing surfaces upon arrival; etc.

What else can we do to minimize our chances of contracting or spreading COVID while lodging?

2. Given that many businesses are still closed, and we wouldn't feel safe spending much time indoors anyway, what do we do when we get there?

As far as what kind of place we visit, I guess we're thinking "quaint little town with lots of antique shops and cafes and small art galleries", or something along those lines. But we're flexible – and we have plenty of diverse options within driving distance.

We're definitely up for some time in nature, but we won't be doing any serious hiking.

That leaves...what? Picnics? Dining on restaurant patios? Just walking around downtown and looking at all the shops that we can't enter? Exploring public areas (parks, gardens, cemeteries)?

Ordinarily, we'd be looking for restaurants, cocktail bars, record shops, art galleries, etc.

Basically, I'm hoping that y'all can help me figure out what "weekend AirBnB getaway" looks like in the context of a pandemic.

Thanks!

posted by escape from the potato planet to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

If you gotta do this, personally I'd look for a rental that's lakefront someplace within half a gas tank's drive that includes use of a canoe or kayaks that come with the house. Bring food in coolers - maybe chose learning to cook a new fancy meal as one of the main activities.

If you have to be going out and about to be happy, see if there's any major sculpture gardens or arboretums that look interesting. You can see if there's a scenic parkway to drive where you can take in sights of nature without having to stop. If you're near major historic battlefields or forts, they typically have displays outside. You can look to see if there's any place with a drive-in theatre that you could go to.
posted by Candleman at 9:01 AM on June 22, 2020 [4 favorites]

I would just unplug and take things slow. Sleep in, read all day, take hours cooking an elaborate meal, get a place with a view and drink cocktails overlooking said view, go for bike rides.
posted by greta simone at 9:09 AM on June 22, 2020 [4 favorites]

My boyfriend and I are renting a cabin for a short getaway within two hours of our home this weekend. We'll be bringing our own groceries and cooking the majority of our meals on site with the possibility of a takeout or drive through meal or two. We're not planning on doing any patio dining, but might stop at a local brewery for a quick growler fill. Our recreation plans are only to go hiking and biking in a nearby National Forest and to sleep in, read a lot and sit by the fire pit at the cabin.
posted by fancypants at 9:26 AM on June 22, 2020 [7 favorites]

Check your state and other state guidelines. In Maine, you must be able to show a recent and negative Covid test. Enforcement is sketchy, but it's the right recommendation if you insist on going. I think it's a bad idea in the Pandemic because it's non-essential. As far as outdoor spaces, a ferry or boost ride that had seats outdoors, botanical garden, weekday hikes are less crowded.
posted by theora55 at 9:30 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

The concept of how safe is this is extremely dependent on WHERE in the US you are.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:36 AM on June 22, 2020 [13 favorites]

Hm. Well, I did a variation on this this past weekend, but it looked different than what you describe. Should you entertain the idea: I camped at a dispersed site and just enjoyed being in nature. Read in a hammock, stared at a fire, looked at the stars. I did not go into any stores or come into contact with anyone. Groceries were bought in my city of residence and hauled in a cooler.
posted by sugarbomb at 1:55 PM on June 22, 2020 [3 favorites]

A friend of mine just went to a small community on the Oregon coast for two weekdays last week. She said the town was super busy and most folks weren't wearing masks. I would presume that any charming town you can get to within a few hours, if you live in a big population center, might be swarming with tourists right now. The people I know who aren't seeing many people are going camping in remote areas.

So, you might want to re-think how you can vacation if you usually visit cities and towns and explore restaurants and galleries. Is it possible to go to another city with outdoors parks where you can walk around rather than going to a small town, for example?

Either way: to keep the folks in that community safe, quarantine yourself as much as possible before you go. Limit your outings as much as possible to reduce the chance you and your partner have Covid.

On your trip, bring as much of your own food from home as you can so you aren't dependent on local grocery stores for two reasons: you won't deplete a local supply; and you won't be interacting with locals. You could plan to do take out one night, perhaps.

Also know that folks in that area might not be happy to see you, even if they welcome your tourist dollars.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:59 PM on June 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

> Also know that folks in that area might not be happy to see you, even if they welcome your tourist dollars

I'd like to stress that. I know people in small touristy towns in a few different US states, and they all complain about the people coming right now and increasing their risk of disease.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:35 PM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Get a COVID test before you leave so you don't end up unknowingly spreading the virus while traveling. Other than that, everything else you posted seems reasonable. Good luck!
posted by Amy93 at 6:27 PM on June 22, 2020

boost s/b boat. I can't type, esp. on mobile.
posted by theora55 at 8:19 PM on June 22, 2020

With regard to testing, you can review this recent article: What a Negative COVID-19 Test Really Means (Sarah Zhang, Atlantic, June 21, 2020) ("as Americans weigh the risks of attending protests, rallies, birthday parties, dinners, and all the social gatherings that make up normal life, they will have to contend with the uncertainty that a negative test result does not rule out infection. [...] Understanding false negatives from COVID-19 tests is especially important because people who do not yet know that they’re sick play a major role in the spread of COVID-19. [...] the FDA cautions that negative results do not rule out infection.")

Your location and destination are not available in your question, so I'm not able to research either jurisdiction's advice, guidance, and current public health orders to help you figure out what a "weekend AirBnB getaway" looks like in the context of the pandemic. However, this is an example from a similar recent AskMe of what that research can look like.
posted by katra at 9:57 PM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Please do not do this. I empathize with wanting to get away, but............... don't.
posted by kaelynski at 6:15 PM on June 23, 2020 [2 favorites]