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What can we do this fall instead?

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by azlefty, Sep 9, 2020.

?

If I don't want to go to Vegas right now:

  1. Prefer to stay home

    8 vote(s)
    40.0%
  2. Prefer to do something else instead

    12 vote(s)
    60.0%
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  1. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    Not being able to do the things we normally like to do in Vegas etc. is unfortunate. But rather than thinking of what we can't do, I'm looking for ideas of what we can do on our vacation this fall. Many people here in Utah have RVs and travel trailers which would make for good distanced vacations, but they really cost more to rent than staying in an airbnb when you add the extra cost of insurance.

    National parks and state parks are obvious choices and under consideration.

    Criteria:
    • We would like to be in a place where we can be outdoors and unmasked most of the time. We are ok with masking when we go inside public areas.
    • I can only get my family to voluntarily go on a hike once or twice on a trip, so I need other activities (or non-activities) also.
    • I am looking for a place where my family can relax, unwind, and do something fun. Preferably with open pool and spa, or a body of water that is warm enough to swim in.
    • Would be interested in any kitschy roadside attractions.
    • We are not very good at camping; prefer staying in a hotel or airbnb/condo rental
    • Preferably within 1 or 2 days' drive from Utah. However, feel free to share ideas closer to you that others may be able to use.
    • If you are aware of masking requirements in any particular location, feel free to list.
     
  2. bubbakitty

    bubbakitty Doing retirement again and happily so....

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    Read @Richard Alpert ’s report. They apparently did all you want to do in the place you most want to go. If that doesn’t work for you apply it to any other place of interest. Good luck and post a report....
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2020
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  3. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I spent a lot of time thinking about different scenarios for our trip. At first we talked about going and renting our normal condo at the beach here in WA, but we always go there and Dan wanted something different. We looked for a rental cabin or VRBO somewhere in the Columbia River Gorge and ended up staying at the Best Western Plus in Hood River and were happy with our choice. We had a patio with a sliding door that gave us a place to hang out away from everyone else and some good ventilation. The cleaning was to our standards, but I admit to doing some extra wiping when we got into the room.

    I know a few people who have rented a cabin on the lake somewhere and had a little getaway. I think hotels are relatively low risk at this point, but always ask and do your research. I found recent reviews on the typical booking sites to be helpful in making my decisions.

    I don't know about UT, but OR and WA have rental buildings or yurts at some of the state parks. I don't know what their Covid policy is for renting them, but I would consider one over tent camping. Those days are behind me, I'm afraid. :)

    There are lots of areas in UT where you could get a hotel and do day trips exploring in the area like we did in Oregon. We even had one day where we just hung around the hotel for most of the day, other than a quick drive about 40 minutes away to put our feet in the spot where the Deschutes River meets the Columbia River. The rest was reading on the patio of our hotel room, walks along the river, sitting and watching the kite boarders, and a stroll downtown to pick up some dinner.
     
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  4. deansrobinson

    deansrobinson VIP Whale

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    Later this fall we're off to Northern Georgia & Western North Carolina to tromp around in the woods.
     
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  5. wesraft

    wesraft High-Roller

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    Lake Powell or Flaming Gorge houseboat? Uintahs hiking, fishing. Paiute trail UTVs, Zion hiking. Cedar City\Brian Head Ski lodge off season, during fall colors. Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon. Open casinos near Cortez, Colorado, near Mesa Verde National Park and Durango. Tetons, Yellowstone Elk bulging season. All of these and many more are pretty close.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2020
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  6. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    thanks for your ideas everyone. We will probably do something like some of these. I'm also contemplating a Route 66 tour thru Northern NM and Arizona.
     
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  7. flyguyfl

    flyguyfl MIA

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    Wife wants to do NC mountains but is a bit fearful of virus. We are thinking about Hilton Head too in Nov. Her parents have a second home there.
     
  8. Running late

    Running late High-Roller

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    I've been to Ventura beach a couple times this summer. At some CA beaches you aren't allowed to set up a spot and sit, but the times I was at Ventura it was allowed there. Restaurants are open with outdoor dining only. On their main street they blocked off a few blocks and restaurants had nice set ups in the street.
     
  9. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    Those sound to me like pretty low risk options. Disclaimer: I'm not an epidemiologist, nor do I play one on television.
     
  10. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    We recently moved from San Diego and considered going back to see friends, but everyone still seems pretty much locked down, so there isn't much point. Would love to visit the beach if it were allowed, although it probably starts getting a little chilly by late October.
     
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  11. flyguyfl

    flyguyfl MIA

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    Seems like quite a change Southern CA to UT. Hope you like the new digs. Must be better on cost of living.
     
  12. deansrobinson

    deansrobinson VIP Whale

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    @flyguyfl : Our line of thinking is that the mountains of N.GA/W.NC are a pretty good way to avoid unnecessary contact with earthlings. Up in the a.m., hikety-hike-hike-hike, back to the cabin as the sun sinks low. Do it again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after. The only interaction with the great unwashed would be commerce as conducted here (e.g. restaurant / groceries / fuel) which would still be CDC compliant. Very much a me & the mrs only sort of venture.
     
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  13. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    Cabin/house rentals in NC have been super hard to find this year - harder than usual. Beach rentals usually go early, but this year mountain & lake rentals have been sold out every time I've looked too.....
     
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  14. AlwaysUpForFun

    AlwaysUpForFun VIP Whale

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    If you haven't already considered it, Moab and Park City in Utah both offer a lot. Great scenery with lots of other stuff to do if you don't want to hike every day.
     
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  15. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    First things first, it is going to take weeks for AQ to improve, so keep that in mind. If CA is locked down we're not witness to that. Yes, you can't go see the Rams in person and on holiday weekends they try to shut down the beaches, and we're still a step away from indoor dining, but we just had five days of fun involving bikes, golf clubs, walks/hikes and wineries. And we ate all, too. Masks when around people, everything is outdoors, and it worked out great. Our last three getaways like this have all been Marriott and Hilton properties; I have no evidence to support this other than logic but I feel a major hotelier is going to do a better job of cleaning than Joanie renting out her guest room through Airbnb.

    What about up to Jackson and Yellowstone?
     
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  16. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    My vote is for Hilton Head, we love it down there, unfortunately, its a 11 hour drive from the Philly area. The folks probably have bikes, but if not, you can rent them for a week. There are many rental companies who drop off and pick up for a very reasonable rate. There are many miles of shaded bike trails and the beaches are perfect for social distancing. Plus, there are a ton of restaurants with outdoor seating, or you can just do take out.

    For what it's worth, the New Jersey beaches are open and some are even guarded during the month of September. There are abundant home rental options up and down the coast, Long Beach Island, Avalon, and Stone Harbor are fantastic and the kiddies are back in school, even if its virtual.
     
  17. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    We thought about Yellowstone - we put off a trip there last month - but it's looking like it could be cold in late October. Also, I'm a tightwad. For someone used to finding bargains during the summer in Vegas or finagling credit cards for international travel, it is apparently incredibly expensive to stay there and do things. Most places are independent mom&pop hotels and charge like 3 or 4x what I pay in most places, and everything is generally more expensive now that our kids are older and both need their own bed, so we are thinking we will go next year for an extended weekend instead of a week, or maybe after we know more people here and it is safe to comingle, we could share a rental house with another family, which might be a little more affordable.

    We are moving toward a plan of a day in Arches NP, continuing south to Northern Arizona to the Petrified Forest, and checking out some artifacts of Route 66, which is something I have been meaning to do for a while before it is completely gone. We will then head west. We may stay in a timeshare resort for maybe 2 nights in LV if their pools are open and we don't have to mask up poolside, and to eat at some of our favorite restaurants, but probably not longer because there really isn't a lot else going on there right now that we would be interested in and feel comfortable doing. But I would like to just sit by the pool and chill out for a few days and that does seem to be the best place for that that I can think of - most pools here in Utah are indoors which doesn't provide for the same feeling of relaxation and we would feel the need to mask up whether or not it is required. We are keeping our plans flexible and cancelable in order to make decisions as close to real-time as possible.

    If anyone can suggest any exotica along Route 66, or elsewhere on this route, that is worth stopping at and we might not find in a guidebook, please advise. I don't know if we will stay at the Wigwam but I'm sure we will at least stop there for a photo. Thanks for your thoughts everyone.
     
  18. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

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    I'm trying to go to some hot mineral springs within a day's drive of me. Spend 2 or 3 nights. There are some spa packages that are reasonable. I wanted to go up north to visit a friend but my brother travels for business, he says he's had a lot of cancelled flights and whatnot. He said the chances of me getting my trip ruined are high. If I drove it, it would be a 1.5 to 2 day drive at the fastest. I'm still thinking about it. Not sure what I'll do.
     
  19. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    I'll put it this way: it's a better place to quarantine during the summer. Our house is ridiculously large, so I now have an actual office instead of working on the dining room table, and our mortgage is considerably less than what we were paying in rent in SD. (Although our income tax is slightly higher, but not materially so.) One of my kids seems to have made the transition much better than the other, and it surprisingly was the one I had feared really wouldn't like it here. Also, both of our kids actually get to go to school here, for now at least, which is not the case for their friends in California. Most of the kids at school and the teachers all seem to be vigilant about masking, and so far so good, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them home again before too long.

    All that said, I haven't had to shovel any snow yet. Which is a thing here, and one of a few new responsibilities I have never had before. Someone gave us a snow shovel as a housewarming gift. So we shall see.
     
  20. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    That sounds fabulous. Are the spas open? I would love a shvitz. In vegas the spa's wet rooms apparently are closed due to covid, and in Utah they seem to be closed for the season.

    On second thought, I'm not sure I'd be able to relax in one unless I had the whole spa facility to myself.
     
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