What scares me about entering Canada is the requirement for a negative PCR test result a max of 3 days before we fly. I am already anticipating nightmares where I am checking my email every few seconds waiting for a test result, with the plane about to leave! Reading on line that some have waited 8 days for a 24 hr test result didn’t help my anxiety!
We’ve been traveling all year dealing with this. Made some calls and found a lab here in Atlanta that always got our PCR results backs in within 24-48 hours max.
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And you have to have a negative test to return to the US too.
We traveled to HI several times during Covid (had hotel and air incentives!) all of these trips required testing. First time around, I was very nervous. Same requirement, sample taken no later than 72 hours before the scheduled takeoff of the last leg of the flight (that would be transpacific). HI required a test from one of so called “trusted providers.” We used Carbon Health because that was the lab partnering with Alaska Air and guaranteeing fast TAT. Testing was expensive, but results were given to us in less than a day. Unless there are sudden spikes in testing demand, you will get your results fast! Kid and her BF traveled to Mexico; the hotels and airports there are apparently well equipped with getting you your test results for flying back to the US. Many airports now have testing labs (Seatac does!).
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is the requirement the same for driving? Considering a spontaneous trip to Quebec City as soon as the border opens…
The Canadian annoucement applies to land border crossings as well.
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My college aged son is in an opera summer program that is usually in Germany, but this year is in Fairhope, AL due to COVID. We would have been all over going to Germany to see him sing, but that will have to wait until next summer. In the meantime, Fairhope is driving distance for us. We were looking forward to being in an indoor concert hall and seeing opera live again. It was great, though we did decide to mask up. We are all vaccinated, but it’s hard not to think about all the Delta around when you go to a new place that is crowded.
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My D, SIL, and 2 year old GD have a trip planned in a few weeks to Colorado. With positive cases on the upswing, they are rethinking the trip. GD just turned 2 and doesn’t understand mask enough to keep it on for long. She also gets sick very easily, so they are worried about having her in a busy airport, plus a plane for any length of time. They had until today to get a full refund on the AirBNB, so they are thinking hard about what to do; the plane tickets can be a credit for another flight.
I feel badly for them as they haven’t had a break or vacation since the baby was born. They were so looking forward to this trip, and to cancel and loose the money, while not the end of the world, is another disappointment for them. The last weekend getaway they tried with GD was a drive away, where it was rainy and cold, when it should have been warm so they could swim and hike. The GD had croup so they came home.
To me, I would defer travel with a kid who gets sick easily and doesn’t wear mask for the prolonged time needed to protect her while traveling. The risks in my mind would greatly exceed any “break” they’d get in travel. Losing money is sad but getting very sick is worse.
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Where are they going?
The airport is PACKED. Early, late, PACKED.
Many of the mountain towns are really packed too because other places are experiencing mudslide and limitations on camping. Last fall we had about 4 big fires and now those areas are experiencing mudslides after any rain. I-70 in Glenwood Canyon (Grand Junction to Denver, how you’d get to Glenwood Springs or Aspen) has been closed on and off for almost two weeks. The work around for big trucks is up through Steamboat Springs, a 3-4 hour detour. Yesterday Loveland Pass was closed, which is over the continental divide (to avoid the tunnel). All around Rocky Mtn National Park were fire areas, and there is quite a bit of flooding and black, gross run off into the rivers.
Colorado is wonderful, but be careful where you are going.
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They are flying in and out of Denver and staying In Breckenridge, if they decide to go. I don’t think they leave for a week.
Any idea how that route looks? Of course if they do go, they know to check before hand.
Airport to Breckenridge is I-70, thru the tunnel, turn left and go to Breck. Easy, except that’s the same road 9 million of your closest friends will also be taking. I-70 along the way was closed for a short time this week due to water, but that’s not unusual.
It will be crowded but not unsafe for a baby. Good medical facilities available if needed. In Colorado, a lot of people are wearing masks even if they are vaccinated so if they choose to do so no one will stare or mock.
I’d go. Expect crowds everywhere. Breck is big so lots of restaurants, stores, etc.
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We are headed to JFK tomorrow to fly to Athens. Then Athens to Milos. There are definitely a lot of extra forms. We are completing the e-verify tonight. They are currently rejecting my youngest covid vaccination card because her first name was misspelled. We tried to get that corrected for the past few months but the vaccination site has been closed, also for months. Hopefully the fact that it’s on her Jefferson Hospital medical portal will be a backup.
I’ll sigh in relief when we get there.
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I am leaving for St. Croix for brief family reunion tomorrow at 5 am. USVI covid screening app complete! It will be wonderful to see the family members I didn’t see at the end of June when I was in MA–a Venn diagram of the two reunions. Alas, back to Brooklyn late Wednesday night and back to work late Thursday afternoon. I haven’t been on a plane since the summer of 2019. So glad I had a fabulous three-week trip to Israel with dear friends before this awful pandemic. At least tomorrow’s flights are not so long–JFK to San Juan, San Juan to St. Croix. And I paid for extra-legroom seats on JetBlue.
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Oftentimes AirBnB refunds 100% of what they pay the host, but, conveniently, not their fees. Usually if you call in you can get those fees refunded, too. Don’t be afraid to escalate to get the ABB fees back.
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Glad it was only a domestic flight but seriously?
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Ok, we did it. My best friend and I just returned from our ‘toes in the water’ 3 night trip in the local mountains…a few things
Good:
Relaxing, refreshing, and wonderful to commune again with trees and stars (and that full moon this week!). We cooked “at home” (nothing elaborate) because we enjoy that. Gentle hikes , sunrises and yoga on our deck. Sunsets in the hot tub on the same deck.
Bad:
Almost no one in the village wore a mask. Visitors nor workers. That was stressful for us. We visited a coffeehouse, but turned down an offer to enjoy live music there due to no masking.
This was a way for us to see what’s going on (travel wise) without too much investment - we head to Maui for a week in 6 weeks…we both agree, we will be staying close to the condo (thankful it’s on the water so we have snorkeling at our fingertips), take lots of drives (which we love), and probably will find a similar experience mask wise (which we would not like). (and I hope I’m wrong)
Would we do it again? Probably, but only if we agreed that it would be less than we “usually” would do.
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Looking forward to hearing about your Maui experience. We will be going to Maui and Kauai in late Feb/early Mar, and hoping some of the current craziness will settle down by then.
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Travel to Hawaii during the pandemic was not stressful for us. Granted, we only visited Oahu and the Big Island, so Maui can be a different experience. Hawaii residents are good at wearing masks. Most visitors where we stayed were, too. Maybe referring to masks as “face bikinis” and “face Speedos” does the trick? 
The Uber drivers wore masks and even had plastic partitions in their cars, the hotels we stayed in were super clean, and the airports in HI have plenty of open air spaces. Plan ahead, leave a lot of time to go through the security, and don’t get frustrated if things do not go as planned. Hang loose. 
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Daughter and her boyfriend just got back from the BVI. The day before they were to arrive, a curfew and restrictions were announced because they found the delta virus. Apparently it was from the nightclubs.
They had to be in their hotel by 7pm. Dining rooms were closed but outside dining allowed. One of the resorts they were traveling to on an island closed. They went glamping and at that resort, they were the only guests for a couple days.
Said it was fun and weird all at the same time. They didn’t mind the curfew as they aren’t big bar nightclub people. One of their resorts gave them free room service lol!
So it was very relaxing. But thought I would report as it definitely was different than they thought. And the weather was mid 80’s and breezy. They thought the weather was perfect.
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