Then it was hand sanitizers in every feasible location: my purse, car console, glove compartment, back seat, and day backpack.
Finally, a GIANT tub of Clorox wipes.
We did all this in preparation for a road trip from Augusta, Georgia to Little Rock, Arkansas in order to spend the long July 4th weekend with our son.
During our time in Little Rock here's what we did on repeat: Mask On, Mask Off.
Mask On for walking through hotel lobbies, crowded streets, gas stations, grocery stores, and to-go counters.
Mask Off for when we were outside with no one around, inside our hotel room, at my son's apartment, and in the car.
It's interesting to travel when not everything is open, or not open all the way, which means it becomes necessary to plan meals in advance (is the restaurant open or closed?) and, most importantly, know where to find a restroom.
I'm not kidding. The restroom thing was an issue. Most public places are still closed, so this means the public restrooms are too.
On the drive to Little Rock we didn't have a problem. The timing worked out so that when we needed a break we were able to stop at a rest area or welcome center which were all open ... sort of. The information offices were closed, but the restrooms were (thankfully!) open and clean. We also were surprised to discover they were not crowded. And since we packed our lunch, we ate outside and had minimal contact with anyone.
Our return trip was a nightmare. Nary a rest area or welcome center when we needed it. For lunch, we stopped at a Chick-fil-A to get some food and to use the restroom. Ha! Drive-thru was open, dining area was closed. So no restrooms. But were we ever impressed by the efficiency of that drive-thru! The entire parking lot was a maze of lanes, and the Chick-fil-A employees walked along each car taking orders as we slowly progressed to the pay station and then to the pick-up station. Employees were gloved and masked. And friendly. It was amazing.
We received our order but SOMEONE still REALLY needed to go to the restroom. So we drove two blocks to a gas station and stood in line because A/ one stall for the men, and B/ two stall for the women, and C/ every member of a youth group had to go too.
Finally back in the car, we pulled out our lunch. Remember how impressed we had been with the efficiency Chick-fil-A? Well, they forgot Joe's sandwich and boy was he hopping mad. After all that hassle of bathrooms and lines and traffic and the chirpy youth group he was DONE. It was almost funny, except he was so MAD we knew better than to laugh (which just about killed Timothy and me;-) I did share my grilled nuggets with him, and Timothy gave him some fries.
Fast forward to later, and we needed to make another bathroom stop (this was a 10-trip, so please don't think we have bladder issues).
We stopped at a KFC because it was right off the interstate and it looked open. Ha! Restrooms were closed but Hey! would you like a chicken biscuit? Well, Joe was mad again and walked stomped across the road (and in the rain) to a Waffle House.
What's the moral of the story? It's this: traveling during COVID-19 makes a simple road trip into something ... not simple. The restroom issue made our drive home longer--either because we were looking for one, or standing in line for one; additionally, the fact that we couldn't make one stop to take care of all our needs--food and a restroom--meant we had to make multiple stops. And then ... then there was news of an accident ahead which resulted in the GPS re-routing us and Joe, who has a love-hate relationship with Google Maps, got mad again because it tried to take us a stupid way so he pulled over and re-routed the re-route.
Sheesh.
About one hour to go, SOMEONE (not Joe this time) needed to you-know-what, but the decision was made to hold it together until we arrived home.
And then Joe couldn't open the front door fast enough.
2 comments:
I cannot even fathom trying to do a road trip right now. The logistics would make The Husband's head explode.
Gigi ... lol!
Post a Comment