Originally Posted by Christina

I'm doing a trip by car this summer instead of flying. So that's safe enough. I don't think getting coronavirus from a gas pump handle is very likely. I don't do a lot of things people on here do, though. FOr one thing, I just wear gloves when going shopping or actually pumping gas, then remove them stripping inside out and put them in a paper bag. I have several pair I rotate so I don't wear the same pair unless a few days have passed. I used to wear winter thin stretchy gloves but now that it's hot, I wear those real thin white cotton medical gloves you can buy in CVS (you can get two in a box and they call them dermatological gloves or something). I prefer that to constantly using hand sanitizer and you can't wash your hands immediately a lot of the time anyway. I do not wear vinyl gloves as some suggest as I don't like them and also anything like viruses sticks to slick surfaces more than fabric/cloth, I know from all the info out.

For activities, I'm mainly doing outdoors stuff and will see how many people are around -- light hiking, kayaking, etc. Then road trips in some park areas for scenery (like Blue Ridge parkway). There are a few museums I have on my list or similar things, I'll see if they are open when I go in July. These are not huge things where I'm going (not like the NY MET), they are very small and I suspect there won't be a lot of people in them. I'll see what the situation is like when I go.

Of course I'll take my own PPE, masks, etc. I plan to stay in hotels, will just sanitize (wipes or whatever, at least when driving you can pack a lot more stuff easily in the trunk) main handles, bathroom fixtures, TV remote, etc upon arrival and then will request (with emphasis) that I want no one in my room my entire stay, absolutely no housekeeping, etc. Sometimes even when you request that they mess up, so I'll stress it. I figure sure I may talk to someone when checking in (and I'll wear mask and keep distance), but that should be it and hopefully I can avoid people in the hallways/elevators the few times I'm coming/going.

I'm not an Airbnb person, just not into that and it's too much trouble. I also am not a fan of that company in general. I could see the point if you had a large family, but not for 1-2 people. If I were going to do that, I don't think it would be risky at all if they told you the place had been empty for one week before your arrival. The virus doesn't live that long, only a few days. That may not be likely to get, however.

I imagine I'll eat takeout, all the hotels I've booked have frigs and microwaves, so I could buy simple stuff at a grocery store or something easily enough. I wish I could find a hotel that didn't book people into the same room for several days, I've read some hotels are considering doing that. That would be great, but I picked out my hotels based on my route and hotel itself (and I'm not going places with a lot of choices), so can't discriminate by that. But if you had several choices, you could call and ask about that, what procedures they are doing in that regard.

I'm not going for another month or so, will see how I feel at the time, but since this is road trip, I can wing it. I can always cut my trip short if I'm getting stressed and just drive home, I'm not going farther than a one days drive the entire trip. I already got my National Parks Pass a couple years ago (lifetime), when you could get a senior lifetime pass for about $10, just before the fee went up to $80. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

oh, I also forget to mention, I"m mainly going to a state with a very low rate of infection, and what they do have is mainly in the urban areas, of course, not in the rural parts.

Originally Posted by StantonHyde

I would skip Moab. Utah is experiencing statewide spikes in Covid cases. (I live in Salt Lake City and work in healthcare) Those small local hospitals don't have ICU beds. Just steer clear.

Originally Posted by Surfergirl

I will repeat here my mini-break road trip from another thread on California.

This was last week's first trip since the outbreak from Los Angeles to Paso Robles (a three hour drive). We left Saturday morning, and returned Sunday afternoon.

The preparations for this trip (and the amount of stuff brought up) for one night was more like planning a 3 week trip abroad. One bag for "on the road" toilet/gas stops, consisting of disposable gloves, sanitizing wipes, toilet paper, and sanitizing spray. One bag for the motel: pillow, blanket, and duvet cover, which was like having a sheet sleeping bag, as well as more sanitizing wipes and spray, A third, very small bag with a change of clothes. 4 masks. Yeah, I over-did it, but it made me feel safer.

I would not and will not stay at AirBnBs for most of the reasons stated above by those who won't. But let me also add the fact that hotels and motels in California (and I assume elsewhere) are heavily regulated right now on sanitation. I must assume that private residences are not. Think about how hard it's been to get a quart of bleach, and home sharing people unless they are of a certain age don't even know how to use the bleach slot in the washing machine, much less use the hot water selection. Do you really think they wash and sanitize the bedspread or duvet or blankets after each use? I'm telling you, if you brought a UV flashlight with you (yes, we have one. No, we didn't take it), and lit stuff up, you'd probably walk right out of the AirBnB!

We stayed at The Adelaide Motor Inn, which has been open all along for first responders. For that reason, they had a lot of practice in sanitizing and practicing all of the rules. Every employee wore masks at all times, and housekeeping also wore gloves. The room itself was absolutely spotless. The bedding looked brand new. No blankets, no scary bedspreads, no throw pillows (I've always tossed the decorative pillows into a corner of every hotel I've ever been in. They are a hot bed of germs!). Instead, there were white sheets, white pillow cases, and a heavy white cotton duvet, all of which if not brand new had to have been washed and sanitized in bleach. The room smelled as though everything had been sanitized.

Despite all of that, I still used sanitizing wipes on all counters, door handles, table tops, tv remote, light switches, chairs and chair handles before putting anything on them or touching them. You never know!

In short, I did a LOT differently than before, I guess because before I wasn't the germaphobe I am now. Well, I still think germs are good and help with the immune system, so I'll probably go back to normal when this is all over.

I was really, really afraid to use a public toilet, but it worked out well. It had to, because I drink a lot of water, so I'm constantly needing to find a loo. Used a gas station bathroom in Isla Vista on the way up . . . made sure before I gassed up the car that the toilet facilities were available and clean, which they were. I still brought in and used my wipes, wore gloves, and papered everything. Stopped at the same gas station on our return, since I knew it was a good one.

The really interesting thing to me is that after such a long period of confinement, it was like seeing the world whilst on the road in a whole different, enhanced light. Like seeing the sun and the sky and the ocean after being imprisoned for a period of time. It was so beautiful. I found beauty in big things, like the landscape and seascape, and little things like a flower that just bloomed.