The journey home was interesting. We didn’t know what restrictions we would face while traveling or how bad the infection rate was. We had left Montana cautiously optimistic about continuing our trip.
We were in Mexico when the virus infections started increasing. When we arrived at the airport, video screens assured travelers that the state was free of the corona virus. I had bought disposable masks at a small grocery store in Big Sky but we weren’t using them at that time (early March 2020). As the month progressed, it became clear that we would not be traveling beyond Mexico.
Our first encounter with social distancing started at the resort in Mexico over the course of three weeks. The first tactic they implemented was replacing the reusable cups at the communal water jug with disposable cups (much to my environmental dismay). Then they spaced the chaise lounges 6 feet apart and clustered them for groups, They started elbow bumping instead of shaking hands. They cancelled the water volleyball game. The food staff started wearing masks. As fewer and fewer guests arrived, the social distancing was easier at the pool. Soon the occupancy of the resort dropped to 8%. Additionally, the U.S. issued notices that citizens needed to return to the U.S. or risk being stuck where they were indefinitely. While at the time it seemed like Mexico would be a good place to be stuck, we knew we couldn’t take the chance.
With disappointment heavy in our hearts and uncertainty on our minds, we turned east from Los Angeles toward the Mid-Atlantic instead of west toward Oceania. But we were determined to have an adventure even if it was not the one we had planned, so we chose to drive northeast to the Grand Canyon National Park. Luckily, the park was still open; and we hiked the Bright Angel trail into canyon. Link to post.
We stayed in Williams, AZ, where some businesses were still open. Thank goodness Mountain Man Mercantile was open because we needed some warms hats and gloves https://mountain-man-mercantile.business.site/. We ordered carry out from https://www.pinecountryrestaurant.com/ Pine Country Restaurant and Station 66 Italian Bistro https://www.thestation66.com
At that point, we decided it wasn’t safe to travel back to Maryland so we wanted to find a place we could be for several weeks, if necessary. We switched our timeshare reservation in Rome, Italy to one in Sedona, AZ. It turned out to be the best decision we could have made.
Rental prices were very low during the last few weeks of April. So after the resort closed, we rented a nice townhouse for two weeks in the middle of Uptown. The kids really appreciated being in a house again after weeks of sharing a room.
During our weeks in Sedona, we learned how to live in the time of corona virus: queuing to get into the grocery store and pharmacy; wearing masks; not allowing the kids to go to indoor public places; distancing ourselves in outdoor public spaces; supporting the local businesses through pick up orders; using drive-through and walk-up restaurants.
We had a couple of ‘drive thru days’ in Phoenix and Flagstaff where we drove to whatever fast food the kids wanted and drive around the town eating. We drove through the empty Arizona State University campus and discussed what it would be like to attend. We even visited the drive through part of the animal refuge, Out of Africa.
The best thing we did was hike nearly every day. There are more than 200 trails covering 300-plus miles in the Sedona area. We walked into a canyon and up to a mesa. The boys walked across a natural bridge. We visited three of four vortex sites. During the Summit hike, we had the vantage point of the sun setting in the western sky and the moon rising in the eastern sky. The most popular trails were closed mainly because social distancing was difficult in the parking lots.
Finally it was time to head back to Maryland. We were concerned about crowded flights, and wanted something different than driving and staying at hotels as a way to prolong the adventure. So we rented an RV. It was the best social-distancing we could have done. The parks weren’t crowded; and we lived in the vehicle comfortably.
To be continued…
Find our Wild Ride 