Taking the Kids: On the road this pandemic summer
Similar mask-wearing ordinances are in effect in popular tourist towns like Aspen and Vail in Colorado. Breckenridge, Colorado, has gone a step farther, now requiring masks outside on the newly Walkable Main and surrounding streets, around the popular Riverwalk Center and the base of the Gondola. Vail Resorts is requiring the use of masks at all their resorts, including Breckenridge and Park City, Utah, in lines, when loading and unloading chairlifts, when riding in gondolas and on chairlifts, in indoor resort facilities, on activities such as an alpine slide or mountain coaster, and whenever it is not possible to maintain a six-foot distance from unknown parties.
Walt Disney World and other theme parks that have recently reopened are also requiring masks; hotels require masks in lobbies and hallways. (Wherever you go, be sure to check each resort’s website for additional safety protocols and information, as well as local town guidelines, prior to visiting to be adequately prepared.)
The Yeltons, like others we met traveling the past several weeks, believe they are safest outdoors and have opted for condos or Airbnb rather than hotels. Many others are choosing cabins or RVing — many for the first time. (More about that in an upcoming column.)
They are preparing their own meals, toting coolers so they can picnic for lunch and prefer takeout to restaurants. “Normally we’d eat out a lot on vacation, but not this summer,” said Missy Yelton, noting that her kids are missing that traditional vacation experience. “We are trying to stay away from people as much as possible.” That helps defuse some of the extra stress, she said, about worrying about cleanliness wherever they go.
But mask-wearing doesn’t help the stress factor. “When you see everyone in masks, it makes you anxious,” said Nathan Yelton.
“It freaks me out a little to wear a mask,” said Belle Copelan, a college student from Atlanta visiting Jackson Hole with friends whose summer internships were canceled.
Here’s an idea that might help: Make destination masks or bandannas — like the one I got at Grand Teton National Park, a donation to the park. Masks are your must-have souvenirs this pandemic summer, so wear them proudly.
========
(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia, the 13th in the kid’s guide series, will be out this spring.)
(c) 2020 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
