"Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread

[Count Walewski]

The Flight 93 Memorial was a but too understated for my taste in monumental architecture, but I also did not tour the visitors center because of COVID concerns, I only went to the Memorial Plaza at the site of the crash. I also visited the "Tower of Voices", where they eventually will have 40 windchimes inside of a carillion-like structure to mark the 40 victims. Right now there are only 8 windchimes installed and it was not windy enough for them to be making much noise.

We passed through Bedford, PA on our way back home: a charming little town that I would love to visit one day after the pandemic ends.

Next trip is in September. Seems unlikely that air travel will be particularly safe by then, so I'm likely looking at another roadtrip. Anyway, on to uploading my 600+ pictures to Facebook.

[1995hoo]

....

We passed through Bedford, PA on our way back home: a charming little town that I would love to visit one day after the pandemic ends.

....

Ms1995hoo and I highly recommend the Omni Bedford Springs, which is off US-220 Business south of town. Extremely nice place, especially if you play golf on the Donald Ross course (though there are plenty of other things to do besides golf. The 1796 Room is a fantastic restaurant.

We may go there next year for our anniversary. We were at the Inn at Little Washington this weekend (our anniversary is Tuesday). We go there every five years so far, though we might just try to go more often in the future. Biggest thing is, it’s expensive enough that we can only go for one night due to the cost, whereas Bedford is a Friday-to-Monday destination for us. We go out to Cumberland and up US-220 to avoid Breezewood.

[OldChelsea]

Well it was fun while it lasted - Britain and Spain open 'airbridge' to enable each other's nationals to travel between the two countries...beaches fill up, COVID cases spike, and now Brits are back to quarantining for 2 weeks after returning: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12239783/brits-summer-holiday-chaos/

[RobDibblesGhost]

So my Alaska trip fell victim to COVID so I'll have to wait til next year to join the 50 states club. A friend and I did drive down to the Smokies a couple of weeks ago and the main areas of the park, like Clingman's Dome, were packed. We stayed off the beaten path after that.

[imref]

So my Alaska trip fell victim to COVID so I'll have to wait til next year to join the 50 states club. A friend and I did drive down to the Smokies a couple of weeks ago and the main areas of the park, like Clingman's Dome, were packed. We stayed off the beaten path after that.

Bummer. Sorry to hear.

[skippy1999]

So my Alaska trip fell victim to COVID so I'll have to wait til next year to join the 50 states club. A friend and I did drive down to the Smokies a couple of weeks ago and the main areas of the park, like Clingman's Dome, were packed. We stayed off the beaten path after that.

That stinks, but probably best to wait and go when you can really enjoy the whole experience.

I’m traveling from one hot spot to another next week-Florida to Texas. My baby boy is getting married, can’t have the big Mexican wedding they’d planned so doing a very small, immediate family only lakeside wedding with his newly ordained brother in law officiating. Sad for them it can’t be what they’d envisioned when they started planning last year, but honestly kind of happy we’re not going to the area of Mexico my future daughter in laws family is from and where we were assured “just stay with her family and you’ll be fine...” ya, none of my family was all that thrilled for that

[OldChelsea]

Word of warning - if you're travelling the USA watch out for states with quarantine requirements: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/travel/state-travel-restrictions.html

Gotta face the facts...we're all grounded for the foreseeable future.

[varoadking]

Gotta face the facts...we're all grounded for the foreseeable future.

As it should be, IMHO...

[Natsinpwc]

As it should be, IMHO...

Florida finally closed it's I95 checkpoint.  Cmon down!!

https://www.news4jax.com/health/2020/07/20/floridas-covid-19-checkpoint-on-i-95-finally-closed/

[wj73]

Word of warning - if you're travelling the USA watch out for states with quarantine requirements: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/travel/state-travel-restrictions.html

Gotta face the facts...we're all grounded for the foreseeable future.

Yep. My rescheduled trip to Cooperstown to see the Nats WS exhibit is again a no-go after NY just added MD to its quarantine list. The first trip was scheduled in early April, but was off when everything was shut down.


Fortunately our VRBO host has been very accommodating. We had the cutest little cabin reserved, and they were even going to let us bring the dog. I wonder if the HOF will leave the 2019 WS exhibit up longer than usual since hardly anyone has been able to see it this year.

[Count Walewski]

The trip I just got back from would technically have been illegal had I gone just a week later: Chicago is now requiring people coming in from Wisconsin to quarantine.  I took two weeks off in September (before the pandemic began - it was supposed to be a trip to Europe) and I refuse on principle to give that time back, but it looks like I will need to delay planning whatever I'm doing until I have a better understanding of where I can and can't go domestically in two months.

[OldChelsea]

The trip I just got back from would technically have been illegal had I gone just a week later: Chicago is now requiring people coming in from Wisconsin to quarantine.  I took two weeks off in September (before the pandemic began - it was supposed to be a trip to Europe) and I refuse on principle to give that time back, but it looks like I will need to delay planning whatever I'm doing until I have a better understanding of where I can and can't go domestically in two months.

I know the feeling. I have four European trips booked for September through December (all originally booked before COVID hit, and one of them already re-scheduled) - fortunately my regular airlines (BA and KLM) have liberalised their re-booking policies so re-scheduling shouldn't be much of a problem; the only thing I'll definitely be out is a non-refundable hotel bill for Vilnius in September.

By the way, according to the two travel insurance companies I use (TravelGuard and Allianz) COVID-caused cancellations are, as a rule, not covered by the travel insurance policies they sell.

[Count Walewski]

To its credit, Chicago is fully transparent about the data it uses to determine which states are banned, they even have a list of "next 5 states up" and Virginia is one of them.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/emergency-travel-order.html

I should reiterate that when I was in Chicago last week, I didn't see anyone enforcing this. There was a sign on the highway when you entered from Indiana asking you to quarantine if you are coming from a hot spot, without listing any hot spots. Maybe if you stay at a hotel they get you that way, but nobody was pulling me over en route to my parents house asking if I had been to Florida. 

[Five Banners]

To its credit, Chicago is fully transparent about the data it uses to determine which states are banned, they even have a list of "next 5 states up" and Virginia is one of them.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/emergency-travel-order.html

To my credit, I proactively avoid Chicago

[Count Walewski]

Illinois is on that list btw and is near the middle. It will be curious to see what happens when Illinois technically meets Chicago's objective standards for mandatory quarantine...

[tomterp]

Florida finally closed it's I95 checkpoint.  Cmon down!!

https://www.news4jax.com/health/2020/07/20/floridas-covid-19-checkpoint-on-i-95-finally-closed/

I went through that in June.  The reality is, other states should be blocking anybody coming out of Florida.

[skippy1999]

I went through that in June.  The reality is, other states should be blocking anybody coming out of Florida.

none of it matters, virus is here! Just deal with it as best you can, these “don’t come to my state” decrees are stupid

[Natsinpwc]

none of it matters, virus is here! Just deal with it as best you can, these “don’t come to my state” decrees are stupid

If you sat in the traffic jam the checkpoints caused..,,

[skippy1999]

If you sat in the traffic jam the checkpoints caused..,,

I did on I-10, dumbest thing ever

[Natsinpwc]

I did on I-10, dumbest thing ever

Wonder how much they spent on those.

[skippy1999]

Wonder how much they spent on those.

If it was $1 it was too much, just a freaking joke

[Count Walewski]

I've officially given up on Europe in September. I've made alternate plans: just like our July trip, we are driving from Arlington to Chicago, handing the kid over to my parents, and this time exploring the wonders of downstate Illinois. Like Springfield and stuff. We don't want to cross over into another state because of the risk that Chicago may add them to the quarantine list. Iowa and Wisconsin are already on the list.

The real fun part will be if VIRGINIA gets added to the list, and honestly it's on the bubble right now. Then we'd be handing off our toddler to my parents in a suburban parking lot, won't look sketchy at all.

[varoadking]

Spotted on I95 South today around Thornburg.  This you Count W? 

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Road coelacanth

[bluestreak]

Spotted on I95 South today around Thornburg.  This you Count W? 

(Image removed from quote.)

FIB