San Diego has really turned things around after closing the reopened bars, gyms, salons, etc. We were just taken off the state watch list, having met the six qualifying metrics. If we stay under the case rate threshold for 14 days, schools might be able to open if they meet a bunch of requirements. At the moment, no word on what else will be allowed.
My husband says the crowds are down at the beach. Our biggest problem is still the younger demographic. They see no need to follow mask and distancing protocols, so really our only safety is keeping them outdoors. Luckily that isn’t too hard here. However, I heard that a couple of friends attempted the zoo, which closed the few indoor attractions and stopped all zoo transportation like buses and the Skyride. They said it was difficult to maintain distance at popular attractions. The moment things open indoors, the case rates will increase again. The county was doing fairly well until indoor venues opened in the first place; hopefully they’ve learned not to rush this time.
Right now there’s a lot of controversy over the fact that the county is not releasing the specific locations of community outbreaks. All we know is “x” number were in bars, restaurants, private gatherings, etc. LA County is releasing specifics. If we knew that, hypothetically, almost all the outbreaks were in Pacific Beach and private homes, we would feel more comfortable attempting to dine out elsewhere.
Just did a big road trip that included the northeast. I will say in PA there is an issue with how people wear their masks. (they dont seem to like to cover their nose). In NJ better mask wearing and some wear outdoors, but always indoors. In DC everyone wears a mask, even outdoors.
Just my observations. We also stayed in various hotels and they all seemed to have strict safety measures.
This is quite frustrating to me. They hide this info all over the country…we need data. Instead of showing us cumulative cases since February (meaningless), I’d really like to see specific current data. Data is power.
@Marilyn My H was just complaining today about San Diego not releasing names of where the community outbreaks occur. We have dined outside here in La Jolla, Liberty Station and Point Loma. We don’t go to any outdoor dining in Pacific Beach since they had so many cases there. D1 and her bf live in PB and they don’t go out there either!
I hope the county doesn’t rush to open indoor venues either as I fear our numbers will just go up again. The bars were a big problem when they were open.
It looks like some private and charter elementary schools will be doing in person instruction beginning in the next few weeks and I will be watching closely to see how that goes. D1 teaches kindergarten at a charter school, but they will be fully online for now.
H saw a TV show about the Appalachian Trail and said- let’s go to Maine next week. So yours truly looked up pandemic restrictions and no way. Quarantine, testing rules for the states with few cases are onerous. Now in Florida- the states I would visit don’t want us, sigh. Best places in WI all booked. Lake Geneva friend complains about the hoards from Chicago crowding her town.
I’m saying “in four months” as I did four months ago- and likely will again for our desired Seattle trip. CAN’T go to Canada, overseas (Europe)- or other places. “Travel, the great American freedom” has disappeared this year. At least we did not get stranded like some we know. Our gilded cage retirement home is all too familiar by now- and way too hot/humid outdoors.
No use traveling when so many attractions closed and bringing food back to the hotel for every meal is not appealing. Not worried about flights currently and can request minimal housekeeping. But- too many closures (or crowds).
Venting here. Bored. Frustrated with being unable to travel. Retirement means getting away for vacations.
@wis75 I HEAR YA!!! We were lucky to go to Europe last October, before the you know what hit the fan a few months later. We should be 3 weeks from our Canadian Rockies trip—cancelled, of course by tour company. Rescheduled for next September, but we’re not holding our breath.
Here in MA, Cape Cod is being overrun with out of staters. We are a short drive from Maine, and go there often, but cannot do so now.
We are assuming there won’t be much travel in 2021 either. If by some miracle either there is a vaccine or the USA gets its act together, we will jump in the car and just go ‘somewhere’.
I asked our travel agent if she thought travel will be difficult in 2022, when, we all hope, things may be close to normal. She 100% agreed, saying that she is very busy getting cruises, trips, etc booked for 2022. When travel resumes, there will be lots of folks making up for lost time.
We are both fairly healthy, in our mid-sixties–prime traveling age. We both recognize that there is a finite number of years when we will be healthy enough to travel, and we feel like this pandemic has stolen away 2 of those years.
Like you, venting, bored, and frustrated. YES, retirement is for traveling. The only saving grace is that being stuck at home, our flower and vegetable gardens have never done so well.
There is an annual motorcycle rally that takes place on Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire traditionally on Father’s Day Weekend. It has been rescheduled for this current weekend.
I anticipate similar outbreaks of COVID as a result in the northeast, not expecting any masks or social distancing there. We can’t seem to get out of our own way.
I am going to an outdoor lunch in La Jolla with my close girlfriends who I am already co quarantining with. My first dining experience since probably February. We will see.
My D Day to cancel late November trip to Europe is looming. We told ourselves we would wait until Sept 15. But we are going to reschedule for early March hoping for the best
My D and SIL have a wedding to attend in the UK in December. As they are due to spend Christmas with his parents there, they will be gone with their toddler for 2 weeks. I can not imagine they will go, even if the wedding happens as planned, but they might. Not so much for the visit with the parents, but it is a wedding they really want to go to.
While I feel badly for his parents, as they haven’t seen the baby since she was 3 months old (now 14 months), I can not imagine flying overseas with a toddler who will touch every surface she can, and then put her hands in her mouth; pre or post pandemic!
@snowball, are they even allowed into the UK? My DD’s in laws were coming this fall to see the wee guy, but that’s a ‘no go’ and I did not even think it was a question yet.
We have FL planned for Feb - will decide later if camping still works or not, but know we can stay with my aunt/uncle assuming they’re still alive if camping doesn’t work out. They have other health issues besides Covid that could come into play. If things miraculously improve then we’re still considering Caribbean islands we want to explore.
Earlier today we planned part of March in NY due to Match Day (med students find out where they’re going for residency). That one will happen. We plan to be there with our lad for the celebration during “parent” time. He’ll be with his class for class celebrations. (Taking two weeks to be there enjoying time with him.)
He’s coming here for 2-3 weeks in Nov.
H still has to decide if we’re going back to FIL’s between now and then now that BIL is not doing any isolating and still going there on weekends. I’m for it. He’s undecided. I think he’s sure about not going until after Labor Day because he’d be too annoyed and not able to hold his tongue when they socialize extensively with the neighbors. He’s hoping after Labor Day they won’t be coming down there much since it’s the “end” of summer.
Retirement does not mean travel to me, and I must admit that I’ve been enjoying relief from the pressure to go anywhere, even to the grocery store, or be with people. For once in my adult life, I don’t have to push back or find excuses to stay home. It’s going to be very hard on me when this is all over and our friends and family expect us to pick up where we left off. Right now, they accept our low risk tolerance, but no one we know is as quarantined as we are. DH knows this is the life I prefer as I’ve always been this way, and I think my loner-ism was instrumental in him choosing a career that was almost 100% travel; we both got what we needed. In retirement, travel means driving to see his family in CA occasionally, local day trips in AZ, and our once-a-year summer stay with friends at their cottage in ME, which didn’t happen this year. I am very sad that we have not seen our son since the Christmas holidays, and we definitely plan to drive to GA to see him as soon as the Army lifts restrictions. I will travel to see friends and family, but I will buy the coffee-table book if I ever develop a curiosity to see someplace else.
@Creekland this spring, no parents were permitted at Match Day celebrations. Most med schools cancelled any parent activity. Even student celebrations were cancelled.
Yep - his school too. But that won’t stop us from being able to celebrate with him even if it’s a bottle of wine in his apartment. We’re fully flexible to work around whichever way things go in 2021.
@somemom Not sure what the restrictions are currently, but they have over 3 months to decide. If the wedding is postponed, they will not make the trip to visit the in-laws. COVID gives them an excuse not to go
We were real tempted to book a flight the end of October to visit the other GD as it is an hour flight and the airfare was dirt cheap. We still have our credit from the previously cancelled flights, so could use that and cancel the day before if we decided not to go. Both my husband and I knew we didn’t want to fly, and while we will most likely still make the trip, it will be by car. If things look bad, we will not go.
I would love to see my family in another state but the reality is…even if I drive there, all we can do is outdoor something with big social distancing. Two folks there work in health care. Many places we like to go to are closed or require reservations.
We’ve now missed 2 trips to se GS. He’s 3 1/2. DIL sent us a Portal and we now have weekly playtime with him. It is an interesting video call device for those who haven’t seen one. It is loaded with stories, interactive games, and special effects that he looks forward to playing with us. Not a replacement for a visit but it helps.
I am not giving up on 2021 and plan on doing alot of traveling next year. I do think a vaccine is coming and will REALLY reduce the risk (not make it disappear). I’m good with that.
Just returned from driving across 10 states to D’s new home for a year. We stayed overnight in four hotels, spraying disinfectant on surfaces from the minute we entered the room. I was surprised to see many people traveling and staying in hotels. At some of our gas station stops, some wore masks and others didn’t. Including some cashiers. Fortunately, we packed a lot of food so we didn’t have to order takeout for the first two days.
In D’s new city, we were pleasantly surprised to see everyone wearing masks in the stores. It was our first time shopping for non-food items since the shutdown and it felt weird. I’m not sure if it was the area but the Target wasn’t as well stocked as it was pre-covid. Didn’t they used to have inexpensive furniture like barstools and accent chairs?
I flew home via Southwest Air. Masks were required and they didn’t allow ones with vents or bandanas. It was a full flight with open middle seats. I put on my N95 mask and once onboard, I wiped down my seat and the area around me with disinfectant wipes. Tbh, I felt safer on the 5 hr. flight than I did on the 5-day drive. Hope this pandemic is over before I have to do this again next summer.
