May 22 - June 10, 2020, Gulf Shores, AL, Luxury RV Park
Today marks the one-year anniversary of living full time on our RV. The first 8 months went just as we planned. Then COVID -19 restrictions went in place and we’ve been in Gulf Shores for five months! I can definitely say that RVing is more fun when you’re moving! But we have been SO blessed to have this place to hide out. It’s become our second home. And, while we swore we had too many places to see, we’ve come to know the people, and we may come back next winter. Mind you, I don’t want to get stuck in a rut. But this is a nice spot to weather the cold. I think I like the beach better BEFORE Spring Break. There are far fewer people to contend with.
We’ve also gotten to know the restaurants! Especially the ones with outdoor dining and take-out. (We always take handy wipes and sanitizer!). For bbq, we get pulled pork sandwiches at Hog Wild. For fried shrimp, we go to the Shrimp Basket, just across the street from us. For sub sandwiches and pizza, Chico’s - again, an easy walk across the street. Good Mexican food is harder to come by, but we found Pedro’s in Perdido Key and El Paso up in Foley. And of course, the granddaddy of home cooking (but very pricey and touristy) Lambert’s Cafe. The best thing is the “throwed rolls” Yes, they throw them across the dining room. They are light and fluffy and hot. Yum!
Bill has finally gotten back into fishing with the warmer weather. Though for some reason, Gulf State Park decided to close and repair their pier during the best part of the year. So we found the pier at Little Lagoon Pass (thanks Ron!), which is also near a beach. I can wander the shore looking for shells, and Bill can catch lunch for the herons who always hover nearby begging for a handout.
Thank you, Alabama for taking good care of us. We’re leaving next week with many good memories. Now we can move more freely around the country. The check point into Florida has been removed, and the Keys are reopening. So we’re headed that way. Then, we’ll go North, maybe see Brendan, before we get back to Texas for the holidays. Each state is reopening at different rates. It’s the right thing to do to protect their citizens, but difficult for travelers to know what to expect. We’ll keep our masks and sanitizer handy, just in case. Open road, here we come!
Showing posts with label COVID-19. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COVID-19. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Friday, May 22, 2020
Haircuts!
4/18/20 - 5/22/20 - Still in Gulf Shores, AL
Alabama was one of the last states to issue stay-at-home orders and one of the first to open up again. I have to say we enjoyed having the place largely to ourselves. Many of the snowbirds in our park delayed going home because their homes were still under orders and their kids urged them to stay. There’s nothing like a pandemic and physical distancing to make people crave social closeness. We need each other. And this group of folks have become our friends. Because they are older, they are very careful about getting too close. But we gather for “happy hour” most afternoons, outdoors, with six feet between, and no more than 10 people.
We’ve decided to stay one last month, to make it through Memorial Day weekend, but are making plans and reservations to move on. FINALLY! We’ll be one of the last of the winter folks to leave. From here, we’re headed into Florida, where Covid-19 is still on the rise. Some very generous friends offered us their site at an RV resort for two weeks around July 4. It is very difficult to get reservations during that time. It will be HOT! But the lovebugs swarms should have died down and viruses don’t spread as easily in hot climates (so the theory goes).
Just before the lockdown, Bill and I got our hair cut at Great Clips. I can usually go 6-8 weeks between cuts. Bill used to get his cut every two weeks, like clockwork. He had one trusted stylist who knew how to do it just right. Two days ago, I cut Bill’s hair for the third time. I must be doing an okay job if he keeps asking. In fairness, I only let him clean up my neck because I have pesky hairs that grow upward and make the hairs stick out.
It’s been about two and a half month since my last cut. Now that the salons are allowed open again, I decided I’d venture to Great Clips to get my mop cut. I used their online check-in that put me in the queue for 154 minutes and read their website about safety measures they’d put in place. I was pleasantly surprised.
When I arrived, I was met at the door by a mask-wearing “hair traffic controller”. It is his sole job to maintain distance and keep everyone safe. All people inside had to wear a mask. He asked me a series of questions about if I’d been sick or been around others who were sick. Then he made me wash my hands. There were only two people allowed in the waiting area with one customer at each of the four workstations with their stylists. I wore my mask the whole time, even holding it to my face as the stylist worked around my ears. He was all business and got me in and out quickly. I thanked him for the safety measures and he said they had to follow CDC guidelines to be open. He thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each cut. I got out to the car, took off my mask and sanitized before I drove away.
So, I survived. I suppose, in theory, I should wait 14 days to be sure I’m symptom free to say that. But as places open up, this is going to be the new normal until a vaccine. It makes you appreciate the service workers, truly ESSENTIAL WORKERS, who haven’t had the ability to quarantine. I always said the custodians and janitors were the true superheroes in disguise. This pandemic proved that. Maybe they should get paid more for their essential work.
How are you faring? Have you ventured out to do a simple task that now seems monumental? How do you show your gratitude for the people you encounter who are just doing their job?
Alabama was one of the last states to issue stay-at-home orders and one of the first to open up again. I have to say we enjoyed having the place largely to ourselves. Many of the snowbirds in our park delayed going home because their homes were still under orders and their kids urged them to stay. There’s nothing like a pandemic and physical distancing to make people crave social closeness. We need each other. And this group of folks have become our friends. Because they are older, they are very careful about getting too close. But we gather for “happy hour” most afternoons, outdoors, with six feet between, and no more than 10 people.
We’ve decided to stay one last month, to make it through Memorial Day weekend, but are making plans and reservations to move on. FINALLY! We’ll be one of the last of the winter folks to leave. From here, we’re headed into Florida, where Covid-19 is still on the rise. Some very generous friends offered us their site at an RV resort for two weeks around July 4. It is very difficult to get reservations during that time. It will be HOT! But the lovebugs swarms should have died down and viruses don’t spread as easily in hot climates (so the theory goes).
Just before the lockdown, Bill and I got our hair cut at Great Clips. I can usually go 6-8 weeks between cuts. Bill used to get his cut every two weeks, like clockwork. He had one trusted stylist who knew how to do it just right. Two days ago, I cut Bill’s hair for the third time. I must be doing an okay job if he keeps asking. In fairness, I only let him clean up my neck because I have pesky hairs that grow upward and make the hairs stick out.
It’s been about two and a half month since my last cut. Now that the salons are allowed open again, I decided I’d venture to Great Clips to get my mop cut. I used their online check-in that put me in the queue for 154 minutes and read their website about safety measures they’d put in place. I was pleasantly surprised.
When I arrived, I was met at the door by a mask-wearing “hair traffic controller”. It is his sole job to maintain distance and keep everyone safe. All people inside had to wear a mask. He asked me a series of questions about if I’d been sick or been around others who were sick. Then he made me wash my hands. There were only two people allowed in the waiting area with one customer at each of the four workstations with their stylists. I wore my mask the whole time, even holding it to my face as the stylist worked around my ears. He was all business and got me in and out quickly. I thanked him for the safety measures and he said they had to follow CDC guidelines to be open. He thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each cut. I got out to the car, took off my mask and sanitized before I drove away.
So, I survived. I suppose, in theory, I should wait 14 days to be sure I’m symptom free to say that. But as places open up, this is going to be the new normal until a vaccine. It makes you appreciate the service workers, truly ESSENTIAL WORKERS, who haven’t had the ability to quarantine. I always said the custodians and janitors were the true superheroes in disguise. This pandemic proved that. Maybe they should get paid more for their essential work.
How are you faring? Have you ventured out to do a simple task that now seems monumental? How do you show your gratitude for the people you encounter who are just doing their job?
Monday, March 16, 2020
Keep Calm and Beach On!
1/17/19 - 3/1719 - 2 months - Gulf Shores, AL, at Luxury RV Park.
We were expecting to leave tomorrow to head toward Washington, DC to meet Brendan by Easter weekend. But because of the COVID-19 scare and after many emails that tours are cancelled, and museums are closed, we’ve decided to stay put for another month. We’ve even heard stories of people getting kicked out of parks. Some states are using them for emergency quarantine areas if necessary.
I’m not too disappointed. The weather has finally changed. We sit outside, sunning ourselves like turtles on a rock, soaking in the vitamin D. I’ve taken to putting on sunscreen EVERY morning so I don’t leather like some of the folks here do.
Spring Break is here! The average age of the crowds has come down significantly. Although there are many college kids, there seem to be more families, especially now that their holiday has been extended. The traffic to the beach has doubled. There’s loud music and car horns and sirens well into the night. Even so, there aren’t as many people on the beach as I had expected. I still walk down every day, past Wade Ward Nature Park and look for alligators. And look what we finally saw on Thursday! Evidently the weather is finally warm enough for them to come out of hibernation, too!
So, if we need to quarantine, this is a pretty good place to be. We plan to go out to eat a few more times before they close the restaurants. As long as I have my beach, I’m happy!
We were expecting to leave tomorrow to head toward Washington, DC to meet Brendan by Easter weekend. But because of the COVID-19 scare and after many emails that tours are cancelled, and museums are closed, we’ve decided to stay put for another month. We’ve even heard stories of people getting kicked out of parks. Some states are using them for emergency quarantine areas if necessary.
I’m not too disappointed. The weather has finally changed. We sit outside, sunning ourselves like turtles on a rock, soaking in the vitamin D. I’ve taken to putting on sunscreen EVERY morning so I don’t leather like some of the folks here do.
Spring Break is here! The average age of the crowds has come down significantly. Although there are many college kids, there seem to be more families, especially now that their holiday has been extended. The traffic to the beach has doubled. There’s loud music and car horns and sirens well into the night. Even so, there aren’t as many people on the beach as I had expected. I still walk down every day, past Wade Ward Nature Park and look for alligators. And look what we finally saw on Thursday! Evidently the weather is finally warm enough for them to come out of hibernation, too!
The second gator we heard about at dinner Monday night, and headed right over to Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. There’s a bayou on the side of the road, halfway to the beach. A lady with a telephoto lens waved us over, pointed her out and showed us where the year-old babies usually can be found. We didn’t see the babies, but the beach at the end of the street was nearly deserted. We stayed and watched a glorious sunset! Amazing shells!
I’ve grown to love every mood of the beach. The clear, sunny days are beautiful, but so are the storm-cloud, windy and foggy days. Each one affects the water and sand in its own way, and I can’t take enough photos. I can only post so many on this blog, but if you follow me on Instagram @toberving, you’ll see many more.
Also, even though I have plenty of shells, I can’t keep myself from stopping and looking and picking up the very best ones. I’ve gotten very picky! Some of the tiniest shells have holes in them so I can string them onto bracelets. Sadly, I have not found one whole sand dollar the entire time I’ve been here. The waves must be too rough. I find huge hunks, that if complete, would make sand dollars at least six inches in diameter.
So, if we need to quarantine, this is a pretty good place to be. We plan to go out to eat a few more times before they close the restaurants. As long as I have my beach, I’m happy!
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