Covid-19 vs. the Journey

While the coronavirus could be a serious threat to the well-being of some of us, it is going to be a major disruption in the every day lives of all of us. And that is especially true for our journey. Today's news included the closing of some state parks, most public schools, sporting events, and major gatherings, like the Family Motor Coach Association convention in Tucson. Not to mention toilet paper.

Under normal conditions, it would be difficult to find a site for a week at a campground without having made a reservation, let alone three campgrounds in a row. Next week we were planning on purchasing our Thousand Trails Camping Pass and begin making reservations for the Pennsylvania leg of our journey. Now what do we do? Just how long is this "social distancing" going to last? Do we make the reservations with the hope that the commotion has settled down or do we hold off longer in hopes that we get a better sense of the future?

If we wait to make reservations, we run the risk of not being able to find a campsite. The consequence of lack of available sites would likely cause cancellation of some or all of the trip. If we make the reservations as planned, we run risk of having to cancel at the last minute The consequence is the cost of the cancellation fees and they increase the closer you get to the date. Many of the "experts" feel that the curve of new cases will flatten out during the month of April. Even if they are off by a month, that takes us into May. But our trip starts in July. So bottom line is we'll go ahead and make the reservations as planned.

Unless we are directly impacted by the covid-19, we plan to pick up two grandsons in Manchester, NH on July 18th and head south. We hope to make some great memories with them in Lancaster County, Gettysburg, and Hershey, PA. In the meantime, we will practice 'social distancing' while we make a number of repairs and upgrades to the motor home.