Travel during a Pandemic

 From Andrea & Roger Monaghan              Feb 2021

 

As we all know how strange life has become with all of our other travel plans cancelled, we decided to take to the road.  We traded in our 2015 Tiffin Allegro Red for a 2020 Tiffin Allegro Bus in January last year and thanks to that change in travel plans have done over 19,000 miles in our new coach.  Not being ones to sit for very long we weren't looking to stay somewhere but we did want to go.  So here's the question.  Are you the type that likes to plan and reserve in advance or wing it?  I'm a planner.  Anyone that knows me knows I have spreadsheets for everything.  With campgrounds closing and state executive order limitations and an unknown amount of time needed for trips to Red Bay service, planning ahead went out the window.  Not really having a destination in mind, many of our trips were based on another excursion to the Red Bay Service Center in Alabama.  This past year's travel taught me patience (who knows when we'd be finished at the service center) and how to find a reasonably priced campground while we drove.  We'd learned from our previous coast to coast road trips that 200-300 miles was comfortable and prevented sniping at the end of a long day.  So quite the success for us.  Unknown variables and no sniping.  Definitely a win.

Overall, we've had a wonderful year: putting 24 states on our map.  New coach meant a new map and starting over.  Some of the stops felt a little sad in that we couldn't do much socializing with others in the campground as is our wont and the stress of the unknown in regard to health safety with different areas not requiring masks and distancing.  We did however make new friends and after isolating arranged to meet in Arizona and trek back to Red Bay together.  

On the way we hiked the Gila Cliff Dwellings and went sand sledding in New Mexico.  

Walked the San Antonio Riverwalk and around the outside of the Alamo in Texas. Saw a wonderful Chihuly exhibit and got to pay our respects at the Oklahoma City Memorial.  Enjoyed King cake and had a chance to meet my new boss outside of Baton Rouge.  While it was a bit chilly to sit outside in January, having a toasty fire was the way to go to reduce any exposure.

 

Balancing travel and seeing our country with safety has been challenging but do-able. We saved the NE to do with our Dogwood family in August.  Here's hoping restrictions from the pandemic are behind us.

 

Wishing Health and Safety to all,

Andrea & Roger Monaghan