How to Plan a Pandemic Road Trip
Top 5 things to consider for Covid travel.
Hey all, greetings from San Diego!
I’m writing this on day 9 of my road trip. The journey so far, by the numbers:
1400 miles
3 hotels
2 friends’ homes
1 mask left in the car
I wasn’t sure about traveling during Covid. It seemed risky.
But when my friend Lauren asked me to join her on a drive from San Francisco to San Diego, I leapt at the opportunity.
How do you plan a road trip in a pandemic?
Weighing the risks
For some, travel right now isn’t an option. For others, it comes down to an assessment of reasonable risks.
Last week the New York Times ran a story on “travel shaming”. It featured a Brooklyn couple who decided not to share their summer travel pictures for fear of public judgment.
I asked people on Instagram:
“Is it ok to travel right now if you do it safely and responsibly?”
A majority of people (85%) said yes.
The official advice on travel is “don’t.” And yet people are traveling. Airbnbs are getting booked up. People are doing road trips. They’re leaving cities and heading out into nature.
I missed traveling. The open road. Adventure.
I decided to take the plunge.
Preparing to hit the road
As I started planning, a few questions came up:
Where to go? I wanted to pick spots within driving distance, with ample nature and outdoor activities, that are not currently a Covid hot spot. (See the Harvard Global Health Institute map of risk level by state and county.)
How to get there? Driving feels like the safest way to get around. It’s been said cars are the ultimate PPE. Millennials are snapping up “COVID cars.” Camper van sales are way up.
Hotels or Airbnb? I asked for travel tips in a group chat. One friend wrote:
“Motels are great. You can park next to your room and don’t need to go inside to use elevators.”
My friend Marc prefers Airbnbs. He’s spent the past 5 months traveling through national parks from Colorado to Yellowstone. He has a protocol for every time he enters a new Airbnb:
“I wear a mask when I enter. I wipe down every surface and open the windows right away to get ventilation. I asks my host to make sure cleaners are out within 24 hours of check-in. I always get a place to myself — the entire home, not a room or a condo, and no shared spaces.”
What to pack? Sanitizer, Clorox wipes and masks. A charger and battery pack. Snacks and drinks for the road.
What’s open? Some popular tourist attractions in California are closed, like Hearst Castle. It’s a good idea to check ahead.
(Note: As of this writing, dozens of wildfires have swept across Northern California. Dry brush and high winds are fueling the spread. Thousands have been ordered to evacuate.)
The Journey Begins
I felt an adrenaline rush as I hit the road from LA to San Francisco. I listened to a health podcast with former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, who talked about vaccines.
I imagined I was the hero of a sci-fi thriller, racing against the clock to deliver the vaccine to a sick family member — only to discover the virus had mutated and I was back to square one.
San Francisco
As I drove across the Bay Bridge into SF, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was good to see the city adjusting to the new normal. Outdoor dining areas have popped up on Chestnut Street in the Marina and Polk Street in Russian Hill. Farmers markets are still going strong.
Some people have moved out of San Francisco because of the crazy home prices. The pandemic has accelerated that trend. Home buying has picked up in neighboring towns in the North Bay: Napa, Sonoma, Marin.
Carmel-by-the-sea
On the way to Carmel we did the 17 Mile Drive, an old road for horse-drawn carriages. It’s a gorgeous stretch with lookout points at Seal Rock, Lone Cypress, and Pebble Beach.
Carmel-by-the-sea is pure magic. (Fun fact: Clint Eastwood was the mayor here.) The town reminded me of Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard with its beautiful old houses and quaint shops and restaurants.
Big Sur
Big Sur is a rugged stretch of California’s central coast known for winding turns, seaside cliffs and dramatic views. We drove across Bixby Bridge, Big Sur’s version of the Golden Gate — a dramatic concrete span that soars 260 feet above a steep canyon. We did an 11-mile hike through hills, ponds and a driftwood-lined beach.
Driving south from Big Sur feels like being in a James Bond movie. This stretch of PCH is all curves and hairpin turns along the coast. The jaw-dropping views made it hard to stay focused on the road.
Solvang
I was curious to visit Solvang, known as the Danish capital of America. The town feels like being in a Hans Christian Andersen fable.
We rolled into town to find all the traffic lights were off. Apparently there was a heat wave that strained power systems and they were doing rolling blackouts.
Waiting in line for Danish pastries at the popular Olsen’s bakery, I was reminded that not everyone has the best spatial awareness (I call these people social distance violators, or SDVs). Sometimes you need to speak up and ask people to keep their distance. The Danish almond kringle was worth the 45-minute wait.
Santa Barbara
Spending time in Santa Barbara, it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of a global pandemic. The beaches and downtown area were hopping on a Saturday night. The city feels like a cross between Santa Monica and Palo Alto with its palm tree-lined beaches and sun-drenched Spanish architecture.
My friends who live in Santa Barbara say life there hasn’t changed much, as Covid rates have been low. I can see why people from LA are coming here for a change of scenery. It feels like paradise.
San Diego
I stayed at a friend’s home in Del Mar, with a beautiful terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Had lunch at the Hotel del Coronado (the “Del”), a charming old Victorian hotel on Coronado Beach.
Dinner was in Little Italy, at a spot where the restrooms have piped-in sounds of actors reading all the 1-star reviews people have left for the place on Yelp. Had some great Mexican food. Got my fix of fish tacos and breakfast burritos.
Have you traveled recently? What’s been your experience? Let me know in the comments or shoot me a note!
Until next week,
By Daniel Zahler
I’m Daniel, a healthcare and life sciences consultant based in Santa Monica, California. Every week I write an email newsletter with perspectives on health and wellness trends, and strategies & tactics on how to optimize cognitive, physical and emotional health.
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