It’s a strange new travel world, so drive off prepared
If your Spring Break or summer vacation plans involve a road trip, you have some work to do. Just hopping in the car and going? That’s so 2019. Today’s car traveler must be a road warrior, never caught unaware by this strange new travel world.
Here is what to know before you pile the kids in the back and head off.
Leave nothing to chance …
Gone are the days when you hit the road carefree and ready for adventure. Today, the best kind of adventure is the one you want to have, not the one you have because you didn’t do your research. Problem areas to consider:
Safety: Of course you’ll have hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, a “restroom kit” with soap, hand sanitizer, a few paper towels and toilet seat covers. You’ll also carry masks and understand what the mask mandates are at your destination. You know that President Joe Biden has mandated masks on public transportation, which includes ride-hailing vehicles and taxis. Why would you take these forms of transportation instead of driving? Sometimes it’s cheaper than parking.
But let’s say you’re going to Oregon. Quick, what do its laws require? How about Arizona? Nevada? Check out the U.S. News & World Report’s list of what’s required where at bit.ly/statemaskrequirements.
Lodging: You’ll want to map out where you’re staying and check whether the lodging’s cleaning protocols match your expectations. In perusing websites of four well-known chains, three mentioned COVID-19 precautions on the homepage; the fourth never mentioned them. ( Just because a lodging chain says it’s taking
extra precautions doesn’t make it so, but not to mention this at all seems tonedeaf.) If you have questions, call and ask.
Gasoline:a year ago, a gallon of gas in Texas hovered around $2.13. You’ll now pay an average of $2.42, AAA Gas Prices reports, a slight increase but not a deal breaker.
Hotels may be less expensive this year: Occupancy was down more than 44 percent for 2020, and the average daily room rate declined 21.3 percent to just over $103 a night, according to STR, which provides research and analytics to the hospitality industry.
Dogs: Taking your pet on vacation is another reason to ensure you have lodging in advance. There may be more travelers on the road with their hounds in tow, especially now that many airlines have banned emotional support animals in the cabin. If you want your BFF along for the ride, do your homework. The American Kennel Club offers a list of pet-friendly motels. Call ahead.
… except shopping
Remember that walnut bowl you didn’t stop to look at in Arkansas? How about the gorgeous rugs you passed up in New Mexico? Yes, you want to keep to a schedule, but you need flex time. Remember the shopping mantra: You regret only the things you don’t buy. That’s how I ended up with an Amish console table that wasn’t on the agenda during a trip to Arizona. Good table, great memories.
Don’t sacrifice sleep
It’s not a good idea to skimp on sleep, said Dr. Ann Romaker, professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati and director of the university’s sleep medicine program.
“Being sleep deprived is considered as bad as drinking and driving,” she said. “You have a moral and legal obligation to get better than adequate sleep at night.”
About 100,000 auto accidents occurred because of drowsy driving, according to a National Safety Council report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2020 statistics.
You may be tempted to press on to get another couple of hundred miles in before you end the day. You might want to ask whether it’s worth it, said Dr. W. Christopher Winter, a neurologist and sleep specialist in Charlottesville, Va.
“Our brains work best on a schedule, so the more you can build in regularity, even when traveling by automobile, the better,” said Winter, author of “The Sleep Solution” and “The Rested Child,” the latter to be published later this year.
Factor in fatigue: National Safety Council statistics show that most fatal accidents in spring and summer happen between 8 and 11:59 p.m. Also, stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show more traffic fatalities, not fewer, in the first nine months of 2020 (fewer cars meant increased speed) over the same period in 2019.
Better to call it a day, grab some dinner, check in, bed down, and queue up a movie for the kids.
And just in case kids have built up a head of steam after long hours in the car, Romaker, mother of four, suggests these solutions: Find a park in a small town and let them run, and/or stay in a motel or hotel with a pool.
Finally, remember the clock springs ahead on March 14, the start of daylight saving time almost everywhere except Arizona, which does not observe it, although the Navajo Nation does.