7 Realities of Road Tripping During COVID-19
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What a year 2020 brought us! Who would have ever thought we would live in the midst of a global shutdown?! As many of us have a wandering soul and a deep desire to travel, COVID has definitely put a damper on that. Sadly, many flights, accommodations, and attractions have been cancelled and we have had to console our grieving hearts at home while staying 6 ft away from everyone around us.
However, as we learn more and more about this virus every single day, regulations are changing and travel is at least a little more possible now since we are out of full lockdown and many places are starting to slowly open back up again (at least in the US).
While I was so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend a little bit of time back at home with my family during quarantine, my soul was definitely yearning to get out and see more of the world. With a little help from my family, I was able to convert my beloved Ford Escape, Jack, into a place I would soon call home. So as soon as it was safe(r) to start traveling, I hit the road!
On August 5th, I started my road trip with just about zero plans except to be in Utah by October.
Going into it, I knew life on the road might look a little different than what I was expecting due to COVID. However, I didn’t know how drastically things would change.
I was on the road for a little over 5 months and this is what I have seen in traveling 2020:
Restrictions are Different Everywhere
Traveling throughout New England, mask requirements were very strict, almost every single food venue was takeout only, and many tourist attractions were shut down for the season. However, when traveling through the south, you would never guess a global pandemic was happening due to restrictions being basically nonexistent and most places remaining open at almost full capacity.
With local politicians individually deciding the regulations in their own region, there is almost no consistency, even when just moving one state over. Make a plan and know if the destinations you’re planning on hitting are even allowing visitors right now.
Before traveling to a certain destination, make sure you understand what their regulations are and be willing to follow them. Please don’t be one of those people who gets so angry when asked to put your mask on. We’re all doing the best we can and trying to save lives by taking simple precautions. If you do plan on traveling during all of this, please please please do your part in protecting the lives and well-being of those around you and help prevent the spread of this deadly virus.
Restaurants are Mostly Takeout Only
Experiencing local culture through the food scene isn’t much of an option right now. With many places being known for the atmosphere or ambiance of their local dining spots, it’s quite a bummer that most places are offering takeout only. And even the few places that are open, typically only have outdoor seating and it’s very limited.
If you do plan on getting some local cuisine, just be prepared to take all meals back to your dwelling place (and be sure to leave a good tip to support those workers who are still hustling during these crazy times!).
Most Tourist Attractions are Closed
Sadly, even if you are able to travel safely during this time, don’t expect to accomplish everything on your list of fun places to explore. There are lots of places that usually have tours, free tastings, or festivals that are no longer available at this time due to COVID.
The few attractions that are still operating during all of this are limiting the number of guests they are allowing and you typically have to reserve your spot in advance. This definitely puts a damper on things if you’re typically a more spontaneous traveler and like to not make too many plans in advance. Before making your way to certain destinations, be sure to check the availability of any attractions you were hoping to hit and plan ahead!
Bathrooms are Nearly Impossible to Find!!!
One of the biggest challenges I ran into was the infamous “Restrooms Closed” signs. The number of times this happened on my road trip, I could literally write a book on it! When on a road trip, you typically rely on gas stations, rest areas, and fast-food joints to be your main source of squeezing the lemon and taking the browns to the superbowl 😉 But sadly, with COVID and an attempt to keep people from traveling and spreading germs in public places, about 90% of the restrooms I encountered were not open to the public.
Rest areas or welcome centers were definitely the most reliable, but definitely don’t count on it for every one of them. Also, be prepared to use a porta-potty since many places are not allowing people inside.
If you are hoping to travel during these crazy times, I would suggest becoming comfortable peeing in a jar or become skilled at finding natural places with easy access to nature pottying. If you do plan on using mother nature as your porcelain throne, please be sure to follow all Leave No Trace guidelines. To keep our environment safe and thriving, we all need to do our part to lessen human impacts on nature as much as possible.
I also recommend to females to purchase a Kula Cloth (microbial reusable pee cloth). This might be a little TMI, but I’m here to be real with yall. After my first couple weeks on the road and just putting my used toilet paper in my car trash bags, my poor little home definitely started to get a little stinky. Having a Kula Cloth is a great way to keep the smell minimal and also reduce your amount of waste, so it’s a win, win!
There was also lots of difficulty with finding local showers. Many van-dwellers rely heavily on gyms for cleaning off the van smell when living on the road. With almost all gyms being closed, showers are definitely a little more challenging to come across. During the warmer months of my trip, I was able to take weekly nature showers in either rivers or waterfalls (making sure to use biodegradable soap). And during my time in Moab, I camped with my friend Bex who had a solar shower that we used when needed. But when these amenities weren’t as easily accessible, I rotated between finding cheap hostels to shower at or the good ole classic wet-wipe shower. Before hitting the road, be sure to do your research and see what options you will have for being able to take showers or learn how to become really comfortable with sitting in your sweat!
Water is Not as Easily Attainable
When I’m on a camping trip or road trip, I fill up every one of my water containers from the soda fountain machine any time I am at a gas station. Sadly though, to help stop the spread of COVID, soda fountains have basically become extinct over the past year. At most gas stations and fast-food restaurants, the soda machines are typically blocked off or they’re completely non-existent.
Read about all my other adventures here
I was very lucky that for my first month-ish on the road, I was in the east with lots of access to natural, flowing water. After purchasing a water purifying kit, I was able to collect all the water I would need from a fast-flowing river and I’d be set for about a week!
However, this wasn’t always the case. When I found myself in the midwest or in the desert for long stints of time, I would have to get creative. I can proudly say that while on the road, I never once had to buy water or more plastic water containers. I would either fill up all my containers at a friend’s house I was staying at and be set for a while or I would find free fill up stations in different destinations. This requires a little extra research or just reaching out to locals for insider information.
Solo Travel is a Bit Lonely Now
One of my favorite things about solo travel is that you are almost never alone. At least not if you don’t want to be. I have met some of the absolute most amazing people out traveling on my own. However, I was always using hostels, bars, karaoke nights, swing dance nights, or live music events to meet them. Sadly, as well all know, all of those things are not happening right now, or have very limited access. Even if you are able to explore around town, during this crazy time, people have become significantly more standoffish and keep mostly to themselves in order to not mix too much with strangers.
I am absolutely more of an extroverted person, and this reality was pretty difficult for me throughout my road trip. Sometimes it was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to focus completely on my own personal self-care and have more alone time then I ever have. While I genuinely loved this personal growth journey, there were definitely times I would have loved to have more human interpersonal interactions.
If you’re hoping to live on the road to escape people for a while and work on your own personal journey, then this time is perfect for you! However, if you do value human connection and interactions, be aware that while COVID is still happening, those interactions are a little harder to come by.
This did push me a little more out of my comfort zone and forced me to start up conversations with people I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. After watching the sunset on a lake in New Hampshire, I started talking to this couple having a picnic in the back of their car while I cooked dinner in the back of mine. We talked for almost two hours and they told me all of the best things to do all around Vermont and New Hampshire and some of those ended up being my favorite spots in those states! I have a million stories like this of meeting so many beautiful souls along my journey, some of which may never have happened if we weren’t all craving human interaction right now.
Working Remotely is a Nightmare
When traveling, I rely heavily on coffee shops and cafés to get the majority of my online work for my blog and YouTube channel done. During Covid, though, the places offering dine-in services were few and far between. More often than not, I found myself posted up in a McDonald’s or Starbucks parking lot bumming off their wifi (which sometimes wouldn’t even reach my car…).
If you’re a remote worker and fully rely on wifi to get your work done, I would highly recommend investing in your own personal hotspot. Otherwise, you will be at the mercy of McDonald’s, is not quite as exciting as it sounds.
In Conclusion…
Even with all of these drawbacks, the five and a half months I spent in my car were some of the best in my entire life. This was by far the hardest road trip I have ever embarked on, with a million and a half problems that arose and in the midst of a global pandemic. It did however, give me an incredible amount of resilience, mental strength, and self-confidence that I would have never gained if it would have just been a walk in the park.
If you’re hoping to road trip during these times and not sure if you should or not, I would say go for it a million times! While it was incredibly stressful, my trip helped me realize what I was capable of dealing with and figuring out. I have never had to use as many problem-solving skills as I did over the past five and a half months!
There are also significantly less people traveling right now, so it does leave many places that would normally be overrun by tourists basically ghost towns. If you’re hoping to see some beautiful places without the stress of massive crowds, this is definitely the time to do it.
If I had the option, I would absolutely do it over and over again! I have currently been settled in Bend for about two months and my soul is definitely longing for the open road again. So after saving up a bit, I’m definitely hoping to hit the road! Hopefully, with more people receiving the vaccine, travelling might even be a bit easier in the near future. Fingers crossed!!
Have you been able to travel at all in the midst of COVID? If so, what has your experience looked like? How do you feel about traveling during this time? Comment below 🙂
Love reading about my experiences on the road?? Check out my other posts here!!
When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond. That’s where your power is
-Unknown
