I broke down and went to the beach. With everything going on it was a difficult decision. But in the end, I decided to do it. I drove to Myrtle Beach. Yes, I know Myrtle Beach is in South Carolina, a Coronavirus hotspot. But I took lots of precautions and turns out I had a great weekend. Here’s what I learned.
Location: Because we are in the middle of a pandemic, going to a familiar location might be a good idea. I decided on Myrtle Beach because I am very familiar with the destination. I picked a hotel in North Myrtle because I knew that was a less crowded section of the beach. So when we went out to enjoy the beach and get some sun, we had no concerns about overcrowding or people being too close.
Timing: Avoid popular dates and times. Stay away from busy times. The less crowded it is during your visit the better. The
Your Hotel Room: For the most part, hotels have been going overboard with sanitation and cleaning of the rooms. But if you are uneasy, be sure to bring your disinfecting wipes. Wipe down your common surfaces when you check-in. Go over the door handles and faucets. And don’t forget the phone. Who knows when you’ll need to call down to the front desk.
Dining: Ok now this gets a little tricky. Most states have re-opened restaurants. But I wasn’t particularly comfortable sitting inside a crowded restaurant. So there are 2 options. The first is to find a restaurant with spacious outdoor dining. The next is to carry out using curbside pick up. Take the food back to your room and sit out on the balcony and enjoy your meal with a view.
The other stuff. When you’re indoors and in public places be sure to wear your mask. Even when you’re wearing a mask be sure to keep your distance from people you don’t know. As they keep saying, wash your hands frequently. Lastly, use the stairs if you can. And, if you can’t steer clear of crowded elevators or elevators where people aren’t wearing a mask, wait for the next one or take the stairs. For the most part, I was able to patiently wait for empty elevators for my entire trip.
As I type this, It feels like I went through a lot to enjoy my trip. It would seem that these extra measures were a huge inconvenience and annoying for me. But the truth is they weren’t. They took very little time and effort to implement. And in the end, I really enjoyed my much-needed beach getaway.