A few months after Covid-19 rocked the world, I got the itch. I am someone who is constantly on the move. Being stuck in one place with nothing to do was proving to be exceedingly difficult. You may be thinking: you’re not special; we were all going stir-crazy.
For me, though, not traveling makes me feel stagnant and sluggish. I crave the feelings of excitement I get from movement and adventure. International borders stayed closed and the weather got hotter by the day. I knew I needed some sort of adventure to keep me sane. Then it hit me, a road trip! What better way to travel safely than a solo drive around the US?
We’re so eager to jump on a plane to exotic destinations that we forget the unbelievable sights immediately around us. The Covid-19 pandemic forced me to take the time to explore more of my own country. It deepened my appreciation for the things I have right here at home. The U.S. offers countless, truly amazing, sights to those willing to seek them out. I’m so thankful that I took the time to enjoy so many of them during this trip. Yes, I missed the excitement of busy airports and landing in a new destination after a flight. But I cannot tell you how good it felt to be on the move again! It was unbelievably refreshing and exhilarating to be traveling again and exploring new places for the first time in months.
The Trip
With my car packed, I set off from Atlanta and headed straight for the beaches of sunny Florida. After reaching the southernmost point in the contiguous US, I hit a quick U-turn and headed north. With a full tank of gas, my sights were set on crossing the country all the way to its far northwest corner. I was excited by the idea of how much of the country I would see. Especially knowing that this trip could finally be my first time exploring the Pacific Northwest. Northern California, Oregon, and Washington had been on my shortlist list for a long time. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there were several places that I, unfortunately, wasn’t able to visit. Rioting, political protests, and shelter in place mandates, meant many places I visited were only a shell of their normally lively selves. However, I wasn’t going to let any of this stop me.
At times, I found myself in big cities that felt more like abandoned ghost towns. Initially, this was a bit of a letdown. I forced myself to alter my perspective and search for silver linings. This was a rare opportunity to visit some of America’s biggest and busiest cities, but with clean air and empty streets. There was no traffic, no crowds, no noise, only a previously unimaginable urban calm. I was intentional about taking time to reflect and appreciate what a unique experience I was having in those places because of Covid-19, and not in spite of it.
Covid-19 Safety Precautions
Each state had its own variation of rules and regulations for COVID-19. Most states required masks to be worn within eating establishments whenever you weren’t seated at your table. New Orleans, Louisiana, was only letting bars and restaurants operate at a 25% capacity. You would sign in with your name and contact information so they could get in touch with anyone potentially exposed to the virus. Many places didn’t even allow you in the door, though.
I remember specifically Austin, TX, and Miami, FL, would only let you order meals ahead online or via phone. Restaurant employees would hand you your goods over a table that blocked the door when you arrived to pick it up. After leaving Austin, I adjusted my route. I chose to avoid cities and sought out scenic routes to lesser-visited parts of the country.
It was initially frustrating to visit cities without being able to fully enjoy all they had to offer. The pandemic had forced many of the main attractions, museums, restaurants, and coffee shops to shut down. The smaller, more rural towns tended to be more relaxed and enjoyable. In part, I think this was due to a general, welcoming, small-town mindset. That, combined with the unfortunate reality that so many small businesses throughout the country were in desperate need of revenue.
Covid-19 Mask Mandates
The state with the most stringent enforcement of mask and social distancing regulations was, without a doubt, California. In San Francisco, I even had to wear a mask during a bike ride through the city to Golden Gate Park. With some places being a little more relaxed than others about social distancing, nowhere felt “normal” by any means.
In Kanab, Utah, I returned to a cafe that I had been to a few years prior and had the most amazing almond croissant I have ever tasted in my life. This time, though, it felt like walking onto the set of a Sci-Fi movie. Clear plastic tarps draped from the ceiling all the way down to the counter. Cut into the plastic beside the register, was a small hole, barely big enough to reach out and take your coffee through. The most challenging part of it all though; they were sold out of my almond croissants!
In terms of mask requirements around the country, Florida, with the exception of Miami, Montana, and Wyoming, were by far the laxest. Many places were slowly reopening when I started on my journey. By the time I arrived, some of them were closing down again due to the protests for the BLM and rising Covid-19 infection rates. I was occasionally in a city at the time of protests and rioting, but I never actually witnessed any of it firsthand. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the news, I would have never had a clue where or when they were taking place.
Accommodation
I stayed with friends and family whenever I could along the way. Most nights, though, I stayed in hotels. The hotel experience during the pandemic has changed quite a bit. Room rates weren’t particularly low, but the perks normally offered were essentially non-existent. Pools, spas, and fitness centers were closed almost everywhere I stayed. I found my first open pool when I reached Jackson, Wyoming. You were limited to a one-hour time block though, which had to be booked in advance.
Hotels offered pre-packaged breakfasts in place of dining in. Contactless delivery, with meals wrapped up and packaged like to-go orders and left outside your door, now qualified as room service.
Hotel staff would not enter your room during your stay. You could request additional toiletries, clean sheets, and towels as needed, and they would be left outside your door. You would make your own bed, leaving any used towels and linens outside your door to be picked up by hotel staff.
A plexiglass divider usually separated you from the front desk staff and concierge, who wore masks at all times. I was usually able to book my stay and check-in through an app and then completely bypass the front desk by using the digital key on my phone. After leaving Austin, there was really no option or benefit to splurging on high-end hotel rooms. The pandemic also severely limited most ‘perks’ like fitness centers, pools, and spas, and room service. On the bright side, I was able to rack up points and keep Diamond status with my Hilton Honors Membership!
Activities
The forced closure of many restaurants, cafes, museums, and other attractions mean that hiking, hiking, and more hiking became my go-to activity. National Parks quickly became my go-to destinations. Some parks were only offering a limited number of visitor permits per day. They needed to be applied for in advance, and I definitely learned that lesson the hard way. My dad and I spent a day driving over 8 hours from Wyoming to Colorado to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park. We got up early the next morning, arriving at the park around 7:45 am. A sympathetic park employee told us that after 7:00 am, they were no longer letting visitors in the park without a reservation! We were disappointed and embarrassed by our mistake, but all we could do was laugh it off as we eased our way through small mountain towns, enjoying the scenery.
The Strangest Part
I could have never guessed that exploring my home country would lend itself to some of the loneliest travel moments I’ve ever had. The reality was, though, that it did. I was lucky to meet up with friends and family along the way, but in between, it was just me, myself, and I on long stretches of open road through empty deserts. The feelings of loneliness hit me harder than normal on solo trips, even ones of much longer durations. I think this had a lot to do with the fact that even though I would see people around, I couldn’t really interact with them or strike up a conversation as I typically would.
When traveling abroad, it’s easy to spot other travelers at hotels, on trains, or at popular attractions and have a friendly conversation. Spending so much time in my car, only to arrive somewhere and hide behind a mask, made that much more difficult. There was certainly no cozying up to a bar and chatting up a local for some insider tips! I was fortunate to meet some interesting people during the occasional times I was able to enjoy a friendly conversation with a stranger, and I did get to meet some interesting people along the way.
After a couple of months on the road, my dad decided to join me for a leg of the trip. A childhood friend of his invited us to dinner at her home in Jackson, Wyoming. Afterward, he and I enjoyed a few drinks and live music at the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Even with socially distanced table seating only, the bar still held a fair amount of people enjoying themselves and singing along with the band. It gave us a small glimpse of the “normal” world we had only recently lost touch with but desperately missed. That night was one of the best nights of the whole trip.
Recap
Over the course of my Covid-19 pandemic road trip, I drove 11,504 miles across 20 states. While this was definitely not your normal American road trip, I am so grateful to have experienced this country in such a unique way. I traveled scenic routes to experience the small towns and sprawling landscapes that make America so beautiful. When in cities and national parks, I often felt like I had them all to myself. I took my time to enjoy places that would normally be overrun with tourists. I explored new places in my home country and revisited places I had been to before. But this time, through different eyes and new perspectives.
This trip provided me with an opportunity to visit friends and family from coast to coast. I even saw friends I hadn’t seen in years. Despite the long, lonely stretches, I walked away with more friends than I started with.
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