Road Trip Vibes {in the midst of Covid-19}
I have been planning a trip all year. Starting with hopes of going to the Super Bowl (#ChiefsKingdom) but when that didn’t work out, plans for a trip to Seattle, Nashville and Hawaii were next in the planning stage. As we all know Covid-19 laughed at all of our plans this year of 2020. Fast forward to July. After months of working extra long hours, crisis schooling the kids and the regular single Mom life stuff - I was ready to go! I thought about a stay-cation, but I really wanted to get out of town, so I settled on a road trip to St. Louis. St. Louis, Missouri is just 3.5 hours down the road (3 if I’m driving).
Here’s what we did and what I wished we did differently:
Stay:
In hindsight, an Air B &B situation would have probably been a better choice, less foot traffic and people, but I was happy with our hotel. They had a very specific cleaning policy that the rooms are cleaned, sanitized and sealed. The housekeeping staff does not enter your room the entire time you are there and if you need extra towels or toiletries, you can get them sealed from the front desk. The desk was equip with shields, all staff wearing masks and posted requirements for guest to wear them too. We wore our masks in and out of the hotel and cleaned/sanitized our hands after the elevator. We didn’t spend any time in the common areas (pool, gym or restaurant). It has a great view, lots of room, amazing bathroom so all is well that ends well.
Play:
We happened to pick a weekend where Live Nation was presenting their Drive-In Concert series and caught the 20th anniversary of Nelly’s Country Grammar! So, let’s talk about this. I was super excited to see live music again in this very non-traditional way. There was a stage and several large screens, each car had a space and an extra space for tailgating (or dancing in our case) and you could bring a cooler of drinks and food. You could walk around, but mingling with others was frowned upon. Was it an intimate concert, no - but it was perfect to catch some live music in a socially distant way and enjoy some time outside, dancing and that not to miss view of Nelly that has not missed a single day in that gym!
St. Louis Sights:
Seeing The Arch is a must do. The best way is to go off peak. We could see The Arch from our room, but we also got closer on Sunday (in masks). Not close enough to run into all the people sight seeing and for now going to the top is closed due to Covid-19. There is also a Ferris Wheel smack dab in the middle of Downtown and I was probably a little too excited to see. He indulged my whim and took me after dinner around midnight. Needless to say there weren’t too many people, just a few taking pictures like us. I really just wanted to see the pretty lights, I had absolutely no plans to get on that thing, pandemic or not!
Eat:
It’s always best to eat like a local. I happened to be traveling with one, so that part was easy. We made our way to a terrific steakhouse with a green house in back with fresh, organically grown produce. That same place, had a chain of 3 restaurants that all looked good, including a brewery with burgers that we stumbled upon and it was freshly prepared and amazing. The only thing I regret is not getting Chop-Suey, an STL must! The other must for me is coffee and there happened to be a cute coffee shop, called Park Avenue on Park Avenue, grabbed coffee and made our way to the one of the largest parks in the area. Beautiful green space, swans swimming, walking/biking trails and plenty of space to get outside and still be safe.
To Do’s:
If you’re going to take the leap and travel now, I recommend a road trip. I haven’t convinced myself to get on a plane yet.
Do your research, checking what travel regulations/restrictions are in place for where you’re headed. See what safety measures and being taken for where you’re staying / playing. A lot of places are non-cash, but from a lesson learned several trips ago, I usually put money on a pre-paid card for my trips that I use on a regular basis that isn’t connected to my main checking account.
Stay in a place with less foot traffic, Air B&B, Traditional Bed & Breakfast, campground…etc.
Be prepared: take your masks, sanitizer, wipes and soap - any of the things that might be in a shortage when you get to your destination.
Be Flexible. Trips don’t always go as planned, we ended up leaving a lot later than originally planned, but as soon as we hit I-70 - it was cool.
Lastly, Have a great playlist and roll out!
