Travel this fall?

[Luzenac]

DW and I have been planning our first mega trip for September - a 6,000 mile jaunt from coast to coast. The plan was to be out six weeks visiting Memphis, the Utah national parks, Grand Canyon, Vegas, friends and relatives in AZ and San Diego (we're based in Delaware).

The planning was done before the COVID outbreak and we are conflicted about going. Do we go? I really don’t want to travel 6,000 miles if lots of things are limited or closed. Does it make sense to just bag it for this year and shoot for 2021? I realize nobody has a crystal ball (but if you do, please chime in). We are in our mid 60s and I have health issues which are well under control, but still put me in the compromised category.

Any thoughts you may have are welcome.

[Bob Denman]

Welcome to our campfire!
Four Months away? Keep your plans in place, and make every preparation.

My Missus and I have our first big trip also planned for September, and we'll be fully prepped for it.
Our cancel date is in the middle of August, and we will absolutely wait until the last second: if the state of things isn't looking good...

Good luck!

[paulwadley]

I agree with Bob. Keep your plans open. We are going out June 15 to Tombstone Arizona. Everything is open there right now again. We had it planned for the beginning of May but everything was shut down. We also have a week scheduled for mid July in Yellowstone National Park. It too has been opening up. The south entrance in Wyoming is now open and hopefully the West entrance will be open when we get there. Our campground is just outside the West entrance in Montana. There may be limited stores and food services but the park will be open. Most KOA's are open.

Paul

[Mr Sunshine]

Welcome to the forum! How about sharing a bit more about you and your Thor RV? First time RVer or seasoned veteran?

My chrystal ball has never worked as promised. Have to agree with your first two responses. Leave the plan in place and leave your options open to cancel. At this point, it looks like you shouldn't have a problem with fuel, campsites or groceries. It would be a shame to cancel now and regret that decision later.

Traveling to popular destinations after school starts, or before summer vacation, is a smart move. Hope your first mega trip goes perfectly as planned (as if that ever happens)!

[Lt Keefer]

We cancelled our trip for June and July, Texas to Montana and back, because we didn't want to be hampered by potential closings. We figured there is always next year. This year we'll stay in Texas, avoiding the metro areas, and enjoy our shorter trips.

[Bob Denman]

Sometimes: next year never gets a chance to show up...
My Missus is undergoing both chemotherapy, AND peritoneal dialysis treatments.
I just took measurements of the nightstand on her side of the bed so that we can build something that'll hold her dialysis machine.
(A Baxter Amia...)

[EA37TS]

I would continue planning routes and listing destinations but I would not yet be making campground reservations. If for some reason you have to cancel campground reservations it could get expensive. Since the re-opening is happening by state how one states decides to reopen or delay reopening could impact your plans one or two states down the road. By September campgrounds in state Y may not care that you are cancelling because you can't make it through state X and still charge the cancellation fee. It could get expensive.

[ArrrV]

So some things to consider--you should have no trouble getting food, fuel, and supplies. Campgrounds will most likely be open, though there may still be reduced capacity issues.
Here is what I would consider--is this your first time to these sights and parks and are you likely to do theses sights and parks again? It may well be that ranger guided tours, visitor centers, and sights and park activities will be curtailed or eliminated even in September. Will you feel a little cheated on the whole experience if you can't see or do some of the things you were looking forward to seeing and doing? Will your relatives and friends be comfortable visiting with you under Covid circumstances? As a member of an at risk class, will you be comfortable with a 6 week trip and multiple possibilities of exposure (while an RV is the ultimate in social distancing, that applies best if you don't leave it!) Covid will remain a risk until we have a vaccine and enough people have been vaccinated for herd immunity--that will not happen by September. So only you can weigh the pros and cons for your circumstances and comfort level.
Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

[Lt Keefer]

I know Bob, sometimes life doesn't let you have a next year. But this year we'll stay close to base and enjoy our motorhome. At least the travel cost will be reduced due to shorter drives. Maybe I'll get to see the Marfa Lights this loop around Texas.

[blw2]

My DW is starting to go stir crazy and is pushing to get going. She's scheming trips much smaller than yours, but coming up a bit sooner....one RV trip in June and one non-rv in July.

I'm sorta going along because there is no winning for me....but I'm not really on board. She's imagining focusing on things such as nature trail hikes, beach visits staying away from crowds, and she's imagining some very limited and careful visits to maybe one or two restaurants, maybe some tourist shopping, etc....

For me it falls apart because there's no way to to really keep away from exposure. Every gas station stop is a small risk, You can't properly clean the food and things at restaurants, can't put incoming groceries and stuff in a 2-3 day hold like we are doing at home, etc... When you go places eventually you'll have to go visit a restroom....more potential for touching surfaces or crossing paths with people in close quarters..... it just goes on and on....

Anyway the point I was originally going for....in our case we'll be going for a week so if we get sick we'll be home before it hits most likely. At 6 weeks, it's possible that it could hit you while on the road...and now you're miserable in someplace strange, without a support system, in quarantine, and worse case at the mercy of whatever hospital system is in that area.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by blw2

.....cut....

Anyway the point I was originally going for....in our case we'll be going for a week so if we get sick we'll be home before it hits most likely. At 6 weeks, it's possible that it could hit you while on the road...and now you're miserable in someplace strange, without a support system, in quarantine, and worse case at the mercy of whatever hospital system is in that area.

Agree 100%, and feel that’s the main risk I’d focus on. Everything else I could handle as an inconvenience or setback, but one or both of us ending up sick far from home in an unpopulated area is a little different.

On the other hand, when one takes a trip to any remote area there’s no guarantee one is not going to have a car accident, heart attack, stroke, or some other medical emergency, so there’s always added risk associated with travel; although probability of virus is much greater.

In a motorhome, I’d assume that if one of us got sick, so would the other. If not bad enough to end up in hospital, what would I do for a week or so to avoid others? With a “what if” plan to handle that, I’d go for it. I’d just want a contingency plan so I could relax and enjoy the trip without worrying.

[Travelin' Texans]

The good Lord is the ONLY one that knows what's in store for tomorrow!
That's 4 months away, don't cancel now!
If you want to go, GO!
Around here all the RV parks, gas stations, grocery stores are all open.
Where we're at they've loosened up the stay at home stuff, restaurants are slowly reopening, some stores require masks, most don't so hopefully things will get make to something close to normal everywhere soon.

[Bob Denman]

Governor Cuomo just announced that all of the RV parks and campsites in New York State could open today...

[hatwate]

If you decide to go, I would advise buying travel insurance (we have Good Sam's travel assist but there are other brands) so if you have serious medical issues there is a way to get yourself, spouse, and RV home. Also having been on the road home from our winter campground, keep your groceries, gas, etc. so you can get home if there is a problem. I can't tell you how relieved I felt when we got our last required gas fill and knew we could get home if things got shut down before we got there.

[cinderella]

Do not live in fear. Go for it if that’s what your gut tells you. Life is short And you will be together. So go have fun! and call ahead to see if most or all of your places are open. If some r closed be open to altering your plans. Sometimes the most fun is when you end up doing something off plan. FWIW.

[Cpd]

We're headed back east after 6 months in texas. We stayed an extra 2 months due to covid. Still lots of things closed up. KOA and other campgrounds have limited services like laundry, bathrooms,etc. As long as you're self contained it's ok. Hopefully it will open up by then. We'll be headed out again then as well.
Best of luck. Hope we meet up somewhere down the road!

[IDguy]

Originally Posted by blw2

My DW is starting to go stir crazy and is pushing to get going. She's scheming trips much smaller than yours, but coming up a bit sooner....one RV trip in June and one non-rv in July.

I'm sorta going along because there is no winning for me....but I'm not really on board. She's imagining focusing on things such as nature trail hikes, beach visits staying away from crowds, and she's imagining some very limited and careful visits to maybe one or two restaurants, maybe some tourist shopping, etc....

For me it falls apart because there's no way to to really keep away from exposure. Every gas station stop is a small risk, You can't properly clean the food and things at restaurants, can't put incoming groceries and stuff in a 2-3 day hold like we are doing at home, etc... When you go places eventually you'll have to go visit a restroom....more potential for touching surfaces or crossing paths with people in close quarters..... it just goes on and on....

Anyway the point I was originally going for....in our case we'll be going for a week so if we get sick we'll be home before it hits most likely. At 6 weeks, it's possible that it could hit you while on the road...and now you're miserable in someplace strange, without a support system, in quarantine, and worse case at the mercy of whatever hospital system is in that area.

Much more likely to have something else than Covid get you! I know a lot of people have trouble not getting drawn into the thing the media is focused on but be realistic. You are much more likely to be in an auto accident when traveling in your RV than contracting COVID19.

You will have no issues traveling. Consider boondockerswelcome.com. Also get and use US Ultimate Public Campgrounds App. Many out west do not have reservations. One of our favorite type CGs are county fairgrounds. Up to full hookups for $20. Good news is no Fairs this year so lots of availability. The App will show you where and provide gps cords. They don’t need reservations either.

Currently in Zion National Park which reopened camping a few days before our res. Been RVing in OR, NV, Utah, WA, and ID (home) since March w no issues.

[IDguy]

Originally Posted by Chance

...

On the other hand, when one takes a trip to any remote area there’s no guarantee one is not going to have a car accident, heart attack, stroke, or some other medical emergency, so there’s always added risk associated with travel; although probability of virus is much greater.

.

Probability of virus is MUCH SMALLER! Use your head.

[The_Breeze]

I'm outside of Moab. According to two sources I read, the NPS is considering timed entry into parks to reduce over crowding. The articles don't go into specifics about which parks so keep your ear to the ground.

It mentions using recreation.gov to obtain a 'time slot'. Watch this development in case something like that affects your plan. You may need to make advanced reservations, just as you do for campsites. I hate having to be 'somewhere' on a specific date, but it's what Rving has amounted to. Would be a shame to arrive somewhere, only to find out you can't enjoy the reason you came in the first place - like the hoarding that takes place in State and NPS campgrounds on weekends.

Articles:
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/05/...national-park/
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...eP7kPEGshuOBD8

[Chance]

Originally Posted by IDguy

Probability of virus is MUCH SMALLER! Use your head.

How so?