Vaccine and Vacation

I was more than itching to make summer vacation plans once the vaccine began rolling out early January. I asked fewer questions regarding if I would be able to travel and more about what would be different and how to be safe. With the percentage of Americans getting vaccinated increasing every day, staying home and visiting the same Target every weekend for an outing again wasn't going to cut it. I got my two shots as soon as possible and am now proud to say that I am ready for a vaccine and vacay type of summer. I am here to take the responsibility of testing out the waters for everyone else. Here is what you should know about traveling in the States as we slowly come out of isolation.

COVID-19 restrictions and activity availability will depend heavily on your destination. Some states have a higher percentage of vaccinated population and others have had a fewer number of cases. To try and get a good overarching idea of policies and restrictions, I took a week off and went from Oklahoma to Washington D.C..

Just getting there

Flying is similar to what it was pre-pandemic. Because this is still the very beginning of a long revitalization process in the travel world, lines are surprisingly light. I got to the airport at 5 a.m. on a Monday to catch my flight going to D.C., so the lack of lines wasn't surprising at that time. However, getting through TSA at the Reagan International Airport around 11 a.m. the following Saturday morning took less than 15 minutes in total. Lines are short and security is speedy and efficient while still ensuring everyone's safety.

Masks are still required by everyone at all times in the airport and on the plane. I did not need my vaccination card at any time in either airport, but it's smart to bring it just in case. Snacks and beverages are slowly being reincorporated with limited options. But don't worry, you can still get your Coke and Delta biscuits on your flight (obviously the best part of the journey).

Transportation and Traffic

With so much to do all over the city and surrounding areas, I had to find an affordable and practical way around. This small town girl took (not the midnight train) the D.C. Metro. As a directionally challenged young female from a relatively small city, I had a great experience. It was so easy to understand, very clean, and very up to date. I always felt safe and it was never crowded. I paid $30 for a three day unlimited pass and was able to get from the Smithsonian, to a mall, to North Virginia, even to the airport with no hassle.

Though I over heard from my friends local to the area that traffic had significantly decreased with so many people working from home, I still would not have wanted to have to maneuver through the tangled mess of highways that resembled a plate of spaghetti on the GPS. A Metro pass was cheaper than Ubering or renting a car and a convenient way to see the entire city.

Reopenings: what, when, and how?

I can't emphasize this enough, get vaccinated and get out there! Do your research on what is reopening before you visit a city, but several destinations are opening major attractions with limited capacity and this was a great opportunity for me to experience museums, zoos, and gardens in such an intimate and personal way without the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.

As far as indoor attractions go, many are reopening with limited capacity. I was able to snag reservations to the National Gallery of Art, the National Zoological Park and The Smithsonian Museum of National History. I was able to make it to all of our reservations except the zoo, morning to sleep in and enjoy my coffee was much needed after a two crazy days of exploring the capitol. I am a major art history nerd and lost track of time for nearly three hours winding down Caillebotte's rainy Parisian roads or in the splotchy and vibrant meadows of Van Gogh during my visit to the National Gallery of Art. For crowd level reference, I was able to be the only one in a room with an original Da Vinci piece.

There were masterpieces that you would normally have to fight for a peak at available for me to linger in front of for as long as I wanted. Not to mention the great pictures you can get from nearly empty halls and galleries. So to recap: get vaccinated, go to cities on your bucket list before everyone else realizes this is the perfect time to travel, make reservations, and get amazing Insta-worthy photos.

There is a slight downside to restricted reopenings. Some attractions may not be operating completely the same. The Smithsonian and art museum had a few closed wings and exhibits and I wasn't able to go up inside of the Washington monument. The movie theaters opened at the end of my trip and the White House wasn't doing any tours. So there may still be some aspects of different activities that are not yet available (hence the importance of research). D.C. proved to be a great city to explore with several outdoor memorials, parks, and historic sights. I was able to have a great trip exploring the city's outside attractions, Great Falls, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the shops in Old Town Alexandria (all pictured below) and was grateful for the up close and personal experiences with the indoor exhibits.

Eating out

Restaurants are reminiscent of summer 2019, minus the long waits and crowds. Most restaurants in D.C. had indoor and outdoor seating. While indoor enjoyed the luxury of air conditioning and and not having to hold your hair out of your face, I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the café style, outdoor tables so many restaurants have. It is a great way to really take in the city. Restaurants had the least stringent masking policies. Most just required them until you were seated and a few even welcomed vaccinated guests to remove theirs. Old Town Alexandria in Virginia had so many unique restaurants and cafés. I had Lebanese Sfeeha and baklava for lunch and delicious fresh salmon with garlic risotto for dinner. Vacations are a great time to take advantage of the fact that you don't have to clean up after whatever you decide to eat, so get adventurous with your choices! After almost 13 months of using Ubereats and Grubhub to bring my food conveniently to my couch to complement a few episodes of the Simpsons, I was ready to go out to different restaurants and more than happy to tip for great service instead of speedy delivery.

All in all if you are vaccinated and ready to explore, wait no more! Pull out your bucket list and dust off your suitcase. The world is waiting for us to return to her photo ops and adventures in a safe way. Based off my trip to D.C. we are well on our way to normal life. Normal, with the addition of lots of wild trips and new adventures.