It’s been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic locked us down and isolated us from our loved ones. Needless to say, it’s been a long year, and I know I’m not the only one who is eager to start traveling recreationally again.
Since it’s easiest to stay isolated on road trips, experts agree they will be the first facet of travel to re-emerge from the pandemic lockdowns. While it was anything but recreational, I recently drove across the United States at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to share my lessons learned and observations made so you can plan your next road trip once COVID-19 finally becomes a thing of the past.
1. The Country is Bitterly Divided
I’ve taken road trips to all corners of the United States over the past decade. Not once have I ever experienced the level of hate, bitterness, and animosity directed towards me as I did on this trip.
There is no better example of the bitterness right now than my state, Arizona. Its toxic political culture coupled with the corrosiveness of a very close election has turned the state into a cesspool of hostility and resentment. Over the past year, Arizona has been in the news far too many times for all the wrong reasons.
For me, it all started when mask mandates started to go into effect in the Spring of 2020. Regardless of whether or not you chose to wear a mask, you were constantly being heckled, harassed, and berated in public. While it’s easy to laugh off childish name calling, I draw the line at the threat of physical violence.
Once I started getting death threats at the supermarket over masks, it had escalated beyond an acceptable level. By the time it got to the point where I couldn’t do mundane tasks such as getting the mail and taking out the trash without having to constantly face death threats or the risk of being attacked, it had already forced my hand. And yes, I had people try to attack me on more than one occasion. This had spiraled well beyond just masks and the election.
Bottom line is this. I expect that I was so frequently targeted because I was alone all the time. The vast majority of people you’ll run into remain warm, friendly, and welcoming. However, expect that no matter where you go, someone will be judging you…and not in a good way.
2. But We Can Still All Agree on One Thing…We’re Sick of Covid
These days, it seems like we can’t get any more divided. With record levels of animosity, we can’t agree on anything. Maybe with the exception of agreeing to disagree.
Interestingly, I noticed one common thread in every location I passed through on this trip. And it goes deeper than “the sky is blue” or “water is wet”. From the reddest of conservative areas to the bluest of liberal areas, and everywhere in between, we are all sick and tired of dealing with COVID-19. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure yearning to get my old life back.
3. Rules Vary Wildly From State to State
One of the rules I stuck to on this trip was to treat each state like it was its own country. Why you ask? Because the rules and restrictions vary so much from state to state. What’s completely acceptable in one state could land you a hefty fine in the next. Even more frustrating, in some states, the rules can be completely different going from county to county or town to town.
Look at some of the southwestern states as an example. States like Arizona and Texas have issued few restrictions with little to no penalty for violating them. However, cross into New Mexico and it’s a much different story.
As soon as you cross the state line, they make it very clear that masks are required statewide, capacity limits are in effect in many sectors, and some businesses remain closed altogether. The state will fine you if they catch you violating those restrictions.
New Mexico is also one of the few places that actually enforces its COVID-19 restrictions, which is a perfect segue into our next observation.
4. COVID-19 Restrictions are Rarely, if ever, Enforced
I really surprised me just how few places actually enforce their COVID-19 restrictions. When I passed through Amarillo, Texas, you’d never know we were in the middle of a pandemic. Bars, restaurants, theatres, malls, and museums were all packed. I did not see a single mask or anyone even pretending to stay socially distanced. And this was on a Wednesday afternoon, back when Texas still had a statewide mask mandate and capacity restrictions in place.
Sadly, I found this to be the rule, rather than the exception. While Amarillo was by far the most flagrant example of this utter disregard on the trip, I saw it in just about every state I passed through. We’re all fed up with COVID-19. I get the pandemic fatigue. I want to go back to normal just as badly as you do. Unfortunately, the longer we fight the restrictions, the longer it will take for us to reach normality.
Thankfully, though, the majority of people still comply with COVID-19 restrictions despite the fact that they’re largely unenforced. However, there remains enough resistance to make it both concerning, and a times, dangerous.
5. States Fall into One of Two Categories
And those categories are:
- They take COVID-19 seriously
- They openly mock it and brag about flouting their own guidelines and restrictions
Sometimes, the most amazing things happen when you least expect them. That was certainly the case as I crossed the St. Francis River.
For those of you who are not familiar with the area, the St. Francis River separates Paragould, Arkansas from Cardwell, Missouri. Both towns are in a rural, deeply conservative area.
At the time of my trip, Arkansas had a statewide mask mandate. Missouri did not. As I drove down Main Street in both Paragould and Cardwell, the difference could not have been more stark. Everyone on the Arkansas side of the river was masked. Not a single person on the Missouri side was. Even When I came upon a fender bender leaving Cardwell, even the public safety officers at the scene had opted against putting masks on.
6. You Don’t See Any Out-of-State License Plates
I love playing the license plate game on long road trips. When I took my three-country road trip in 2019, I saw license plates from all 50 US States (plus Washington, DC), 10 Canadian Provinces, and 8 Mexican States. Contrast that to when I took my first COVID-19 road trip to Oregon in July, 2020. I only saw license plates from 6 states: Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
On this trip, it didn’t take long to notice that the freeways were basically void of passenger cars. The pandemic had kept everyone at home, which led to another fascinating observation. In normal times, when you approach a state line, you start seeing license plates from the state you’re about to cross into. There was none of that driving across the country at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. People were that reluctant to travel out-of-state.
Not surprisingly, the results of the license plate game were putrid compared to 2019. I passed through 16 states to get across the country. Besides those 16 states, I only saw license plates from two other states.
- An SUV with Florida plates near Albuquerque, New Mexico
- A small hatchback with Alabama plates in eastern Oklahoma
7. With the Right Safety Protocols, You Can Safely Enjoy a Cross-Country Road Trip in the Age of Covid
While I can’t under any good conscience recommend it right now (unless you’re fully vaccinated), it is possible to safely drive across the country. However, COVID-19 safety does come at the expense of comfort, and to some degree, fun.
Yes, I cut myself off from hotels, public restrooms, and all other public buildings. I spent nearly 48 straight hours in the truck, peeing in Gatorade bottles, and camping in the middle of an ice storm on the side of a mountain in Kentucky on just one leg of the trip. But I argue that it was fun in its own way. Regardless of the circumstances, any trip is only as fun and adventurous as you allow it to be.
Conclusion
Driving across the country unvaccinated at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic was a memorable experience I won’t forget any time soon. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, though. However, with the proper planning and safety protocols in place you can make it to your destination safely. Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, and have a plan in case anything goes wrong.
That wraps up the series on my cross-country COVID-19 road trip. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed reliving it. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below or email me directly. We’ll be back to our normal content next week, traveling the world through data, maps, and photography. Have a great weekend, and see you next week.
Top Image: Freeway Junction Sign on My Cross-Country COVID-19 Road Trip
Morgantown, West Virginia – Feburary, 2021
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