I think we can all agree that 2020 has just been the absolute worst year in recent history and I suggest this New Year’s Eve we all go big, as long as we’re still not in some sort of Quarantine that is. I wouldn’t declare myself as a big traveler, but once a year in August I like taking time off and vacationing anywhere. In 2015 for our honeymoon we traveled to San Fransisco and Hawaii, 2016 we went to Myrtle Beach, 2017 we went to Miami, 2018 we went back to Myrtle Beach and 2019 we went to Orlando in March so in August we did a mini stay in Wildwood, NJ at the good old Jersey Shore. This year my family and I planned on doing a nice week-long stay in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We booked it back around Christmas time. I love Myrtle Beach, mainly because there is something there for everyone. When COVID-19 hit us in March I didn’t think our August family vacation trip would’ve been affected. Then June arrived and we were all still in the same spot except now we were able to shop at places that didn’t consist of Shop Rite and Stop and Shop and we were able to dine al fresco.
“Vacation, all I ever wanted”
Once New Jersey’s numbers started going down, our Governor, Phil Murphy, wanted to keep our numbers down and declared that anyone that traveled to certain states would need to quarantine for 2 weeks before going anywhere in Jersey again. That was the first reason we began to start thinking of canceling. Then we got the news that South Carolina’s numbers just like North Carolina’s and Florida’s and everywhere else that are vacation spots were rising. So we made the bold decision to cancel our highly anticipated family trip. After feeling pretty depressed about it, along with everything else this year has thrown our way, we decided to do something. We booked a trip to Lake George, New York.
We wanted to go to New York because like New Jersey their numbers were going down and it would be impossible for Governor Murphy to make anyone quarantine from New York since so many people commute to work from Jersey. I contacted several places in the area and received confirmation that they allow 50% of indoor dining and of course outdoor dining, the beaches were open (at 50% capacity) and their shops were also open. Masks are strictly enforced everywhere, (I still don’t understand why anyone would have a problem wearing a mask but that’s a whole other blog post) and some hotel pools were open for service.
“Take vacations, go as many places as you can. You can always make money, you can’t always make memories.”
We decided to stay in a hotel right near Lake George Village. We were about a mile from the beach and from everything happening in the area. Going away during a global pandemic looks a lot different than when things are normal and not having to stress about catching a contagious virus. Before the pandemic, I’ve always carried hand sanitizer. I have it in my purse, my gym bag, on my desk at work, in my car (yes I know that’s dangerous but I need it), you name it and my hand sanitizer is most likely there. But other than the occasional squirt of hand sanitizer I never thought twice about the possibility of contracting a deadly virus until now of course. I never liked touching elevator buttons or doorknobs, but now during COVID-19, that has escalated to an extreme degree. We brought wipes with us to wipe down the remote, the doorknobs, the light switches, the shade handles, the phone, etc. inside the hotel room. I used my room key to touch the elevator buttons because it grossed me out so much. Having to remember to bring and wear a mask wasn’t hard because in Jersey we have to wear a mask but it definitely was a pain to have to remember when we were walking outside near people in the heat.
“Vacation, had to get away”
Having never been to Lake George, we were not exactly sure what there was to do there other than go to the beach. Doing some research ahead of time, I found this place called Revolution Rail. It’s an old railroad track located in North Creek, NY that has these bikes built onto them so you can essentially ride a bike at your own pace on this hidden railroad deep into the Adirondacks. By some miracle, I was able to snag tickets a few days before our arrival. Reservations are needed because they fill up really quickly. This railroad ride was definitely a highlight of our trip and the sights were beautiful! We took the South River Run (there are two to choose from-North or South- but the South one was the only one available when I booked the tickets!) It’s an approximately 9 mile out and back trip that takes you along the Hudson River shoreline and you get to see some pretty neat sights of nature. It was almost exactly 2 hours long, and the staff there are friendly and courteous and made sure everything was safe and secure before heading out. Did we take our ride during a full-blown monsoon? Yes, of course, because that’s how 2020 is, but it just made the ride that much more memorable and laughable when we look back now.
The downtown area of Lake George is quaint and picturesque. Sometimes it felt as though you were traveling back in time with the buildings and shops set up. They had novelty shops and ice cream parlors and restaurants that filled the streets on both sides. They also have a ton of outlets! You can easily spend an entire day outlet shopping as one street had plaza after plaza of shopping. Had I known there was a ton of stuff to do, I would’ve stayed longer.
The beaches were beautiful. The water was fresh water-no salt which was something I’ve never experienced-and surprisingly clear! The beaches were very small, but laying on the sand and having the view of not only the water but the mountains in the background was amazing.
We got lucky in our dining because we only ate outside once during the whole trip. It was very, very hot when we were there so it was really nice to be able to dine indoors in the air conditioning. Lake George turned out to be such a great spot for my family and me that we definitely want to head back again and hope that when we do, we will be free of any COVID-19 restrictions!
If you’re interested in vacating your life during a global pandemic, here are a few tips and tricks to help make your getaway safer!
1. Bring hand sanitizer with you at all times. Use it after you touch anything in a public place such as menus, elevator buttons, doorknobs, etc.
2. Whether staying in a hotel or a house, bring your own pillows and sheets and make sure to bring some sort of Lysol wipes or disinfectant to spray down communal items like remotes, doorknobs,
phone, light switches, etc.
3. Call the hotel or home before you go on vacation to make sure that things are open and functioning in the area before you make your way there and realize everything is shut down.
4. Plan ahead. If where you’re going things are open at only 50% make sure you make reservations. If you plan to go to a public place that caps off at 50% capacity leave early and make sure you get there in time. The beaches at Lake George were only open from 10 am-5 pm so most people will spend the majority of the day there so you don’t want to stand in line for hours waiting to get a spot.
5. Have a backup plan. If you head to the beach and they can’t let you on, think of something else to do ahead of time, because if you go to the zoo or a museum or anything else “touristy” chances are other people have the same thought and you’ll be SOL when they won’t let you in there either because that’s capped off too.
6. Bring multiple masks with you. Even if you’re going somewhere where masks aren’t fully enforced, you don’t want to be denied of doing anything because you don’t have a mask. Also, having to walk around in a mask when it’s super hot out is gross when you start to sweat. Change out your mask often especially if you’re going somewhere hot.
7. If you are traveling a distance by car, like we did, make sure you bring plenty of sanitizer if you need to stop into a public rest stop. We only stopped once along our road trip and the one rest stop we went into was remarkably clean. They even had cleaning staff in the bathroom cleaning in the stalls while we were there, which was in the middle of the day so it was comforting to know that the toilets and sink area was being disinfected periodically throughout the day.
8. Accept the fact that this will most definitely be a vacation like no other. Accept that you may not be able to do everything you want to do and that’s okay. The important thing is that you were able to vacate your life for a few days, didn’t have to listen to the news, or soak up anything else that has caused you stress and anxiety this past year and enjoyed time with family that you probably haven’t seen in six months.
“Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about.”
JOHN MAYER
Have you gone away this year during the coronavirus? Do you have any advice for someone looking to go away?
