What could be scarier on Halloweekend than traveling during a global pandemic?! Would our risks really match our pre travel anxieties?

I thought I’d take a few minutes to review what our experience traveling through the Midwest during COVID times.

We are fully vaccinated (due for boosters soon, but our Moderna vaccine is proving to provide the best protection available)

We had a family wedding scheduled in late October and decided to use the opportunity to travel throughout the Midwest to meet friends and family, many we hadn’t been able to see in over a year.

I’ll be the first to admit I was anxious about getting back to travel. We’d be taking our first flight in over 18 months, renting a car and traveling through states in the news for not masking and vaccine refusals leading to increases in cases. It felt like a real leap, and a fine line of doing what we need to be safe and also fitting in with the culture of a place, which is different from where we live in New England.

So What Did We Experience?

TERROR IN THE AIR!?

We flew to Chicago from Boston, and being a traditional business route, there weren’t very many people on the plane, so social distancing was very easy. Everyone was compliant with masking and following “crew member instructions.” Our flights were very inexpensive, about $150 per person, relative to our car rental in Chicago which for 12 days was well over $1500. Flying turned out not to be terrifying at all, and actually more comfortable and relaxed than pre pandemic for us. While federal regulations require masking on the airport and on the plane, my advice, if you can, choose an airport in a major city to experience better compliance with the mandate.

TERROR ON THE GROUND!?

We’ve learned that cars can be a place where COVID can pass after a family member caught the virus from contactless car service, and got a mild case after driving her car home after the technician she never met had worked on it who was Ill.

So we learned the important lesson to open the windows and let the car air out when picking up a rental car or taking the car from a valet.

The biggest “terror” renting a car right now is the price, due to high demand and lack of cars available. Obviously, driving your own rental car is a bit safer than using a car service, but even the car service we experienced in Chicago, most drivers were properly masked when they picked us up.

TERROR IN THE HOTEL!?

We stayed in 3 hotels in 3 states; Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Staff and guests were masked some of the time. (Except Chicago see below) Some of the hotels were offering only towel service and since we had short stays of two nights, even those offering full cleaning services, we didn’t accept them, leaving the Do Not Disturb sign up at all times, so no one other than us was entering our room. Where windows opened, we open them to get fresh air in at the start of our stay, but generally we found hotel ventilation systems are good and getting better during this pandemic at filtering air. We chose to mask inside the hotel hallways for our own safety and to protect others from any exposures we may have during our travels.

TERROR IN CHICAGO!?

What could be scarier than a big crowded city, surrounded by places where many people are maske and vaccine reluctant? Chicago had an indoor mask mandate during our visit. On one hand this made us comfortable because we knew most people would be masked inside, but we also know cities can be crowded places where the virus can spread easily. Luckily, late fall is a quiet time in Chicago for tourism, and it was clear many of the offices were empty with people still working from home.

We had the experience of being at the cloud Gate- also known as the bean, with almost no one else around because of the season and the rainy day. You don’t often get a “photo” opp at the bean all by yourself.

We also visited the Wiliis tower Sky Deck which was indoors, but we masked and had this top tourist attraction literally to ourselves, so distancing was no problem and we were able to enjoy the enlightening interactive queuing displays without worry of crowds.

Dining in Chicago was interesting because while there is an indoor mask mandate, once you sit to eat, masks come off in the often cramped and crowded restaurants. We decided before leaving we’d take each situation on a case by case basis. So some restaurants were quiet enough to be socially distant from other patrons, had high ceilings, open windows or fans circulating. Those we chose to eat in. Staff was always masked.

Other places, like a popular deep dish chain, had a 90 minute wait for a table on a rainy night when no outdoor dining was available. We ordered our deep dish to go and dined in our hotel room.

Its so important to check each state, city, and business for their local regulations regarding masking and vaccination. For instance, Illinois doe not have an indoor mask mandate, but the city of Chicago does (as of this writing! Things change all the time!) Nebraska did not mandate indoor masks, nor did city of Omaha, but the zoo required them indoors.

TERROR AT A WEDDING!?

Wedding super spreaders make news, but people have delayed for months or years, so lots of folks are having weddings. We were in WI to attend a family wedding. In addition to seeing family from Florida we hadn’t seen in over 2 years, we wanted to support our cousin and her new husband, but I was nervous. There was no checking vaccine status at the door, but the wedding was outside and the reception was held in a facility that had a capacity of more than 3 times the amount of people who were there. The bride also kindly placed us at a table with other vaccinated guests. So after my initial misgivings I felt comfortable.

We are all navigating our comfort levels with indoor gatherings, and family events add an extra layer of communication. I specifically asked about what the Bride and Groom were planning for safety measures and we made calculated risks based on that. Ordinarily, I’m a social butterfly at a wedding, but I kept my distance from folks I didn’t know were vaccinated, and used the opportunity to visit with family I hadn’t seen in a long time!

TERROR AT THE THEATRE!?

Live theater is back, and theaters all over the country seem to be more consistent with their requirements than most other businesses. In Chicago we attended a performance at Second City, and consistent with our local community theater, and Broadway productions, everyone had to be vaccinated and show proof of that with an ID at the door. Patrons enjoyed the performance masked and although food and beverages were served patrons were asked to remask between bites or sips. Again, each theater has to comply with federal, state and local regulations, but many are going beyond those rules, so its good to check before booking tickets.

TERROR AT THE ZOO!?

This was our closest “shave” with corona virus. We had hoped to meet some friends at the zoo, but had to scrap the visit when one of the children was exposed at day care. Thanks to rapid testing, our friends were able to change plans quickly and avert getting exposed!

The zoo is a outside and therefore a pretty safe place for people to visit during the covid pandemic. Sadly, we are learning, that its not so safe for many of the animals who can neither be vaccinated or masked. Zookeepers have added plastic panels and moved animals like the large cats and primates into indoor glass enclosures. We visited two zoos and despite a lack of local regulations, many of the zookeepers request you mask while touring the zoo.

TERROR AT THE MUSEUM!?

Museums aren’t known for being scary places, but indoor touring can be unnerving Luckily, The Art Institute of Chicago has a huge facility with high ceilings and limited admissions. Most art museums in the east with smaller facilities may require timed tickets to spread crowds out, but ARTIC was able to easily spread crowds around. Sometimes when we visit a major museum, we would hire a guide or take an included tour to get an insiders look at the significant pieces and hidden gems. But during these times we used the excellent app provided by the Art Institute of Chicago to navigate through the galleries with the curators sharing their insights through our ear buds!

TERROR AT LAKE OF THE OZARKS!?

The subject of a scary television series I couldn’t even finish, it was not nearly as terrifying as I was expecting. News of low vaccination rates, mask refusal and overflowing hospitals is non fiction. But we were visiting with vaccinated friends and staying in their private home.

We were visiting off season, with hardly any people on the streets of the main strip, we explored outside rather than indoor attractions and despite a few quizzical looks, we masked in stores. People were polite, we didn’t encounter any of the rudeness for masking or distancing here that we have in New England occasionally. Whether it’s better manners or just that the culture here is that anyone who is masked must have a serious health reason for it and locals aren’t inclined to mock someone for that. Overall, we felt comfortable exploring outside and using social distance and masks indoors at museums. The few places I didn’t feel comfortable because of over crowding and drinking, I took a pass and didn’t enter.

ONE Thing That WAS Actually TERRIFYING!!

Our friend (and we wonder if we can still call him this after this tour!) arranged for us to see a museum in his hometown that is written up in the Atlas Obscura, The Glore Psychiatric Museum, where the sometimes barbaric history of the treatment of mental illness can be explored. Without a doubt, the scariest place we visited was the exhibit about how to perform a lobotomy! Luckily, the family of museums housed in this former psychiatric hospital also includes, several other interesting and less terrifying exhibits.

Conclusion: NOT SCARY AT ALL!

Despite my misgivings and being out of practice, our first flight and big trip wasn’t scary at all. We stayed healthy throughout and after our trip, we took precautions that were required or increased our comfort level. No one gouged out my eyeball at Lake of the Ozarks, the only scary moments we had were at the tiger and snake exhibits at the zoo, touring in the big cities felt safer in our own rental car and during a relatively quiet tourist time. Our friends and family were kind and gracious hosts and it was just great to be out exploring the world again!