Take a Road Trip During the Coronavirus 

We’re all itching to get out of the house right now– and you may need a mental break from being cooped up. Before the lockdown, we spent our weekends going to the movies, shopping, or having date nights out on the town. Now, we can’t leave our homes for anything but the bare necessities. But what if there was something we could do with our families that got us out of the house without putting ourselves at significant risk? Well, there is! 

Road Tripping During the Coronavirus

It seems far-fetched but think about it – gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in years, and there are ways to safely pump your gas while practicing good hygiene and social distancing. Make sure you wear your gloves and mask while you pump your gas, wipe down the pump with disinfectant before you touch it, pay at the pump (and if you can’t at one gas station, go to another where you can), stay at least (but ideally more than) 6 feet away from anyone else, and don’t go inside for anything other than a quick bathroom break. Make sure you bring plenty of hand sanitizer, disinfectant, and fresh gloves with you and don’t touch any public surfaces with your bare hands. Make sure to follow all CDC guidelines when stopping anywhere in public. 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/visitors.html

Pack a Picnic 

Make sure to pack plenty of snacks and food so you can avoid fast food pit stops. Packing a picnic itself can be a fun activity for the family – you can set up a sandwich-making assembly line to excite the kids about going on a trip and get plenty of food made for it at the same time. Look at different mess-free meals, snacks, and drinks that you can bring with you so you can avoid coming into contact with others and save money on meals. 

Once you’ve got your pandemic gear packed and picnic basket set up, you’re ready to hit the road! But where to, you ask? 

Explore Nature with Your Family 

Reconnect with the world around you by exploring the beauty and wonder of nature at a national park in your state. This is a great way to get some time out of the house with your family that doesn’t require being in a high-density area. 

First of all, do some research to see if any national parks in your area are open right now. You can do that using this link and searching by state.  

https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

Next, make sure you’re able to follow the National Park Service’s guidelines about recreating responsibly. Carefully read any news or guidelines related to the park you’re planning on travelling to. Don’t go during peak hours, park only where designated, follow their “Leave No Trace” principles, etc. 

Here, you can read about how the National Park Service is changing their operations to comply with CDC and state guidelines to stay safe during the pandemic. 

https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/public-health-update.htm

Don’t have a national park near you that’s open? Consider taking a scenic car trip. Here is a list provided by the Department of Transportation of all of America’s scenic byways and highways that you can traverse for a breathtaking journey from the safety of your vehicle. 

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways/byways

Remember that Part of the Fun is in the Journey 

At the end of the day, no matter where you decide to safely go with your family on your road trip, remember that half the fun is in the journey. Even if you go for a day ride down a scenic route and don’t leave your vehicle at all, you did something that enriched your family and lifted your spirits during this difficult time. 

Have your kids bring travel games that you can all play together (you can even make a family activity out of finding DIY travel games online to put together before your trip) while you drive. Have them use a phone or camera so they can take pictures of the scenery as you go. Take note of license plates from other states, play “I Spy”, or have a family sing-along to some of your favorite tunes – whatever brings the fun! 

Remember that this time together is precious and all the more important to have during hard times like this. Invest time and energy into doing what you can to have fun with your family while staying safe and secure during such unprecedented times.