As I predicted, states across the nation including my own Golden State of California are shutting down again. We may be weeks or even days away from another full shutdown and other sates are considering similarly harsh measures. It looks like 2020 will be the summer of staycation.
The concept of a staycation, even in 2020, is inherently problematic to the heart of a world traveler. Part of me want to just get on a plane and escape to Germany. The pandemic is far better managed there and I’d much rather quarantine in the cool(er) summer days of the Black Forest than in Los Angeles. Yet as my business endeavors face setback after setback, there is far too much going on here to even think about vacation.
With a formal vacation unlikely, it would be nice to get away for a couple days with my family just to clear my mind…but where? Carmel? San Diego? Santa Barbara? While the change in venue might be nice, hotels are not serving breakfast, indoor dining rooms in restaurants are closed again, gyms and museums are closed, and let’s address the elephant in the room. It seems like the only likely way we are going to overcome this issue in the way our Canadian neighbors have or the way most of Asia and Europe has, is to better discipline ourselves.
There’s such a duality to my thought process on this. Part of me, like most I suspect, is just totally over all of this. I’m so weary of the lockdowns and restrictions, which have severely hurt my business. But it isn’t the lockdowns that have as much as the underlying problem, COVID-19. Is the Swedish model best? Too early to tell, with “experts” on both side arguing strongly for their point. Part of me remains disgusted at the way this pandemic was handled by our leaders and how even today testing, PPE, and social distancing problems persist. Are we just, as a nation, incapable of dealing with it?
At this point, I’m agnostic as to how to solve the problem. I’m willing to re-open everything and warn the most vulnerable to stay home. But with hospital beds quickly filling up, that simply isn’t an option. I’m willing to shut down everything again if full shutdowns are actually enforced…like they were in Italy and Spain. I just don’t know. That’s an attitude of humility, but also one of defeat.
We’re in the era of fake news and I’m just overwhelmed at this point. And vacation isn’t even an option…so my family and I will try to make the most of a staycation. Morning walks together, extended breakfasts, plenty of reading and singing together, and maybe some time to finally read a couple books that have, by now, gathered dust on my bookshelf.
With everything shut down, I have no desire to experience a road trip without the restaurants and swimming pools or a trip up the coast with hiking trails and beaches closed. International travel is possible to Germany, but not ideal with all that is going on right now. Frankly, I don’t want to expose myself to others right now. I just want this problem to go away…and it won’t.
So staycation it is. How about you?
Went camping in some remote parts of CO where you barely see anyone. We will probably have a couple more of those before the summer is through. Stayed at a Homewood Suites in the mountains on the way back, but as you said it’s not really that nice of an experience with no common areas and prison-like to-go breakfasts.
What’s funny is my wife and I traveled a bunch last year and had no obligations for travel in 2020. We decided we’d just mostly stay at home and take the kids anywhere within driving distance. But now that’s it’s forced upon us it doesn’t feel so nice :-\
I went to Nantucket and it was great. Family house there. 2 weeks. People there comply and they largely have the issue under control. Will be going back again soon.
Question somewhat related to this article, though more broadly related to international travel. I’m in a situation similar to yours (I have dual citizenship US + Germany) and have one parent with only a US passport and one with only a German one. We would all like to go to Germany to visit family this summer, though we would not go if one of us is not allowed in. It seems like, based on this article and ones prior, that you are under the impression that direct family members of EU citizens (specifically German ones) would be allowed in, (which would determine if we are able to go to Germany or not) even without an urgent reason, which we do not have.
The wording from EU regulations was seemingly very clear that direct family members of EU citizens are allowed into the EU, even without urgent reasons. However, German regulations seem to not allow direct family members in, without urgent reasons; the German Travel Restrictions page states that “entry for family members for visiting purposes or for tourist reasons is still not possible, only on grounds of family reunion or for imperative family reasons, such as travel to funerals, weddings, visits by under-age children to their parents and similar cases.” I personally think that the German phrasing is very clear that family members of German citizens are not allowed to enter without urgent reasons. Is this interpretation correct, or am I missing something else which would indicate otherwise?
https://www.germany.info/us-en/service/covid-19/2321562
My understanding is still that you all would be allowed in. I suppose if you wanted to hedge your bet you could just claim it was for family reunion purposes.
America is big and a lot of places are open for exploration. It’s been a great few months of us enjoying this country from Florida beaches, to state and national parks in Utah, to Vegas casinos, to roadtrips and boating along the Great Lakes in Minnesota/Wisconsin/Michigan, to hiking and chasing waterfalls in the Pacific NorthWest.
All of the above have been open since early May, and there isn’t any indication of any of these activities shutting.doen,so anyone who wants a summer vacation has lots of options.
Yes it sucked that we had to scrap our European vacation, and had a few cancellations, but most of America is definitely open without too much hassle besides mask wearing when in stores or airports.
There is no better time to stay home than the summer in MN. We have 14,000 lakes here, tons of golf courses, parks, etc… that you can stay outside the house most of the time and even better for free. We get sunshine until 10PM, lots of grilling and spending time with family outside. BTW, for anyone that will complain, social distancing is normal for Minnesotans.. We have counties in the state with less than 2 people er square mile so there are lots of ways to avoid getting Covid without shutting down the state.
Boring post. States the obvious. How is this a blog and not a personal sad diary?
I feel a lot of this frustration too, and really have just lost faith that America can dig its way out. I would flee to South Korea, even with the 14-day quarantine, but my company doesn’t allow it (and I absolutely want to keep my job).
I did just finish a road trip through Colorado, a week of work-remote from an AirBnB in Denver, and a further road trip through Nebraska and the Dakotas. Colorado struck the balance I support: keep as many businesses as sensible open (ie not bars, concert venues, etc…) while encouraging masks and distancing (I wish enforcement was better). The Dakotas felt like time travel; everything was open, only a few restaurant employees with masks, and even a hotel hosting karaoke in the lobby…
Personally, (except for Nebraska, boring!) my road trip was everything I could’ve hoped for, and more. I think a road trip can be really enjoyable this summer, but you have to be willing to be much more flexible dealing with closures and roadblocks along the way.
With the young children your “staycation” approach is probably best, much as I’d love to see you and your family travel again. I would encourage you to come up with a “breaking point” where you’d flee to Germany if the situation does devolve badly enough here
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone,” wrote French philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
I am planning a safe vacation in 2 weeks. It will be a driving vacation, all food and water brought with us (no restaurants). Only contact with the outside world will be buying gas and a possibility of one night hotel stay.
As mentioned by the other commentators, there are a lot of options for the western half of the US. I’m also based in CA, and I’ve been able to safely visit Oregon, Washington and other parts of California. Quiet rural areas, some even with open restaurants that exercise safe operating procedures. Do they involve transoceanic travel with high end point redemption hotels? – No. But they do offer the type of trip that normally you might not take. If you’re open to a different type of travel, you might really enjoy seeing the great western US. I’ve found Oregon outside of Portland particularly beautiful.
He? Weren’t you once served in the air force? Don’t they have some kind of discipline mentality?
Seems that american nowdays never cease to amaze people in the whole world…
Agree with getting into nature. I’d grab a cabin/ AirBnB up in Big Bear lake if I were you Matthew. Augustine would love a lake week Im sure.
What you describe isn’t a staycation. It’s sheltering in place. To which I say: nope. We’re getting our COVID tests and heading to interior Alaska to hide from everyone for a couple of weeks. Booked cabins with fully equipped kitchens so we won’t have to do the restaurant thing as often, though in Alaska they are open (though about 2/3 of our trip is out in the middle of nowhere where you don’t have restaurants period).
I’d encourage you to consider the same thing. Someone above suggested a cabin at Big Bear Lake. Go do that, or last time I checked, Utah is about 8 hours away by car and is still mostly open. Pack a cooler, stop for groceries along the way, and enjoy picnic lunches out in the sun and a home-cooked meal or takeout for dinner. We’ve been doing that for years on our road trips, and it’s really enjoyable.
We’re leaving Indiana for a road trip to Connecticut on Saturday morning. It will be a 12 hour drive. We’ll take all food and drinks with us and only stop for gas. Sating with family when there and repeating the drive protocols for the return trip. We need a change of scenery and our son needs to see his grandparents and other extended family.
@Matthew,
Are you still going to Germany in August? I feel the same way you do. Americans haven’t committed to everything and now I’ll be darned if I’m going to be told to stay home for another three months, just because the government and my fellow citizens screwed things up the first time. I really want to go to Europe — I have an EU Passport — but I also dread being identified as an American there, even more so than during the Bush years.
I’m in Sweden now. Interesting comparison from the US. Everything is open except large events, haven’t seen a single person wear a mask, and social distancing seems more about theory than practice. Yet the stats here are similar to the US. Very nice to escape somewhere that feels normal for a few weeks to be honest.
Yet a massive (negative) outlier in Europe…being compared to the US not a great thing these days
Even in Italy people aren’t wearing masks much anymore and there’s a tremendous amount of normalcy.
Is the U.S. failing because of lack of masks and social distancing or because our government is incompetent?
This is frankly a bit defeatist – hotels, restaurants, beaches, pools are open in a variety of destinations nationwide, including California (outdoor dining, beaches, etc). I am going on a trip within the Northeast this weekend and will probably head out west in August. Vacations can be had.