Did someone say vacation?! Being trapped inside for so long for quarantine, we all have been dreaming of that precious, well-deserved vacation time. It’s natural to be a little nervous about taking that first vacation. But rest assured there are ways to take safe and socially distanced vacations for families. Before you decide to hit the road, make sure you check the safety protocols for the destination you are heading to. Once you’ve done that, now you can start your planning!
Whether you are heading to the beach, mountains, or somewhere in between, you are going to want to know these tips and tricks for socially distanced vacations.
1. First thing is first: Mask Up (obviously!)
Come prepared and have back up masks handy. You absolutely don’t want to be caught in a pickle without your mask. And you definitely don’t want the locals to dub the tourists visiting their town as unmasked bandits! Keep extras in your car at all times. Wear neck gaiters so you always have one readily available. These are a great option to use for outdoor activities, and can be quite stylish too!
2. Take a road trip:
Drive somewhere rather than flying. (Even with many airlines not booking the middle seats, you still aren’t technically social distancing.) Are there some local places near you that you have forgotten about? Oftentimes we overlook the opportunities in our own area because they’re so normal to us. Maybe you live within a few hours of a national park or are just a hop, skip, and a jump from the beach!
Load up the car with an ice chest and whatever gear you need and explore the places near you! You can decide as a family how far you are willing to drive in order to get away. Pack food, water, and snacks for the drive to eliminate stops. Bring hand sanitizer, wipes, and gloves for the few times you do need to stop for a bathroom break or pump gas.
3. Book all reservations in advance:
Most businesses are taking and/or requiring reservations in advance. Whether you are planning to go out to eat, rent a paddle board, have groceries delivered, or rent a baby crib, you better book those things in advance and not wait until the last minute. Do your research ahead of time. A lot of businesses are working at half capacity or are only accepting reservations made online with a no-contact form of service. Be prepared and book as much as possible in advance.
Related articles:
- 5 Best Virtual Vacations for Families
- Best Tips for Long Term Travel with Kids
- 20 Coronavirus Travel Tips to Keep Your Family Safe
4. Order take out or cook your own meals instead of going out to restaurants:
You have a couple good options for socially distanced vacations. You will need to decide whether or not you want to stay in a hotel or a vacation home. Some hotels offer kitchenettes or full kitchens! But oftentimes they don’t have much more than a microwave. You may have to shop around and ask for a room with a full kitchen.
The benefit of choosing a vacation home is you can have a full kitchen available to store and prepare food! If you cook for yourself you will be killing two birds with one stone. You’ll be choosing the more socially distant option as well as saving money. You can check out grocery delivery service options in the area; such as Instacart, Shipt, or even BabyQuip!
But if you’re one of those people that do not consider it a vacation if you have to cook for yourself, you can order take out from those restaurants you’ve been dying to try. Set the table in your vacation home, light some candles, use the fancy glassware, and pretend you’re out to eat at a restaurant!
Pro-Tip: BabyQuip Quality Providers offer grocery delivery service as well as many other unique to their location items such as beach chairs, umbrellas, hiking backpacks, etc.
Plan to engage in outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, etc. All these fun activities can be done in a relaxing and socially distanced manner. Go camping! Whether you rent an RV or go traditional with a tent, camping is a fantastic option for socially distanced vacations.
Did you know that when kids are outside they move much more than when they are inside? Movement gets the lymphatic system pumping which helps clean all the bad stuff out of our bodies, giving the immune system a boost! Going outside for a few hours will eventually lead to some vigorous play, which is just what the lymphatic system needs to start working! And being outside actually decreases stress! Taking kids (and adults!) into nature will help their immune systems by helping them relax.
Pro-Tip: Check out the AllTrails app for some hiking or biking trails. It gives great information regarding how heavily trafficked a trail is, difficulty rating, terrain, etc.
6. Relax:
Find a quiet beach and curl up with a book or two! Bring a yoga mat and do some yoga with a view with the actual sound of the ocean behind you. Grab your art supplies, writing utensils, or musical instruments of your choice. Bring whatever project you started during quarantine and finish it while on one of your socially distanced vacations.
7. Take a Virtual Family Vacation!
Maybe you are not quite ready for an out of the house vacation, but you could sure still use a vacation. Consider trying something a little outside the box and going on a virtual family vacation. Virtual socially distanced vacations for families are a new thing and are seriously a lot of fun! You can stay safe at home while you explore and engage in places all over the world! Tour a museum, take a cooking class, visit tourists sights, all things that can be done virtually now!
Now that you have some good tips to keep in mind for socially distanced vacations, where are some of the places you are going to go explore first? Will you be taking an RV trip? Do you and your family plan to visit any national parks? Tell us all about it! And of course, leave your own tips for socially distanced vacations in the comments below as well.
Juliana is a BabyQuip Quality Provider in Truckee, CA. and is excited to provide quality service to families visiting Lake Tahoe and surrounding areas! Pack light and rent all the baby’s necessities and more while you travel. She is a homeschooling mother of 3 and enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and coffee!
Hoping to take my first socially distanced vacation with my family at the beginning of the new year. Great tips!!
great tips and great time to explore the great outdoors!
I love the idea of taking an RV! It’s cold where I live so a road trip down south sounds like a dream come true! Thanks for all the tips to help make it successful!
Great advice! You can also redirect your Blue Apron box to a rental house for a vacation!
Good tips! I think it’s wonderful how much more families are getting outside these days. It’s been a plus to being at home more for our family.
Thanks for the helpful tips! We are definitely road trippers and nature lovers so I see a socially distanced vacation in our future! (And soon)
I love the option to book a vacation home to be the most socially distanced as well as the option for meal amd grocery delivery. Nothing better than arriving at a destination and the groceries have already arrived. And nothing better than enjoying nature with the family. Get out side!!
We are looking to rent an RV in the near future. Don’t care where we go. Just need to get out
The Country has such amazing beauty! Great ideas to get outside and explore. Even in winter!
There is something freeing about just getting in your car and driving on your schedule! And enjoying the outdoors!
Get back to nature!
Definitely agree with making all reservations – for everything – in advance! Dinner, sightseeing, tours! Book it all.
Ooh! I feel like I can do this now!