Traveling During a Pandemic: Owls Head
Owls Head, Maine is a charming town known for its resorts and fishing. In mid-August of 2020 Brian Chima and his friends headed there for a week of tranquility.
Q. What was your purpose and itinerary for this trip?
A. Two friends invited me to join them for a relaxing week in Maine where we rented a house on the water.
We flew nonstop on JetBlue from Cleveland to Boston, rented a Ford Mustang convertible, then drove 3.5 hours to Owls Head, Maine.
Q. What was your favorite part about the trip?
A. This was a very different trip for me. For anyone who knows my usual travel style, I’m very much a go-go-go type guy. The first night I arrived I thought to myself, “Did I really just commit to one week doing nothing with 2 friends in Maine?”
By day four I thought to myself, “I wish we had more than one week!” I learned that I do enjoy relaxing and doing nothing on a vacation. For the first time in a long time I felt rejuvenated by the end.
Q. Did you do any excursions and are there any excursions you wish you would have done?
A. On our penultimate day in Maine my friend Isaiah and I took a ferry to the island of Vinalhaven for the afternoon (it was a one-hour ride each way). However, we didn’t bring our car with us because there was no room left to bring a car.
On foot it was difficult to get around such a large island. So we walked to the nearby town, got lunch, got a coffee, and returned. I wish we would have gone longer (even stayed a night there!) and brought our car. The island seemed very interesting, but a car is needed.
Also, I’ve received a lot of flak from friends and family for not doing Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Our house was a 2.5-hour drive one-way from this area, and I admit the ‘chill life’ roped me in to just staying in Owls Head.
Q. How was traveling during COVID? What was different about the flights and experience?
A. We were very nervous about flying to Boston without having our negative 72-hour COVID-19 test results. But since we were just passing through Boston (and not staying there) we gave it a shot. Upon arriving at Boston Airport no one asked us for test results or advised us to quarantine (actually the airport felt like a ghost town).
However, when we were returning home to Cleveland after our stay I did notice Airport Ambassadors advising arriving passengers to fill out a travel form, quarantine, or provide a 72-hour negative COVID-19 test result.
It’s best to visit the CDC or airport website before traveling to see the latest terms and conditions.
And I must add that the airline snacks / drink in a sealed ziplock baggy was a new experience for me (but I couldn’t get my ginger ale!)
We've definitely seen an increase in road trips since the start of COVID-19. Whether you want to fly, take a road trip, or even take a train, we can plan a custom vacation just for you.
If you're ready to travel or have questions about traveling, give us a call or email us. We make sure to stay up to date on the latest policies to ensure our clients can travel safely and comfortably.
