7 Must Haves for Vacation During A Pandemic

Last July, my husband and I spent a week in NYC. We loved it, but that was before COVID-19 was a thing. Travel was unrestricted. We could weave our way through the crowded sidewalks along Times Square when our main concerns were not getting lost or pick-pocketed.

This year, it's a different world. Though we're all spending more time at home, there's no reason we can't plan some vacation time. We just have to approach it differently.

On our most recent vacation, we discovered 7 things that made our trip safer and easier:

1. Location

Our cozy condo living room

This is THE most important thing when planning your family vacation. You want to avoid crowded places like New York City, for instance. Plane travel is also pretty risky now, so road trips are a better choice.

With road trips, you have a couple of options:

• Day trips - Now's a good chance to explore your local regional and state parks. Our family loves caves. We're lucky to have several within a couple hours' drive. Most are running on a limited schedule to so you'll want to call ahead to book your tour time.

• RV travel - If you don't own one, look into renting one and plan a few days along a scenic route. Make sure you find RV camping spots along the way. You may have to book a site ahead of time through BookYourSite.com or another service.

• Vacation rentals - If camping (even in an RV) isn't your thing, try to avoid hotels and opt for AirBnB, cabins, or other vacation rentals that allow you to have a whole living space so you don't have to share any communal spaces for meals, etc.

2. Masks

Buy Masks With Fun Patterns

In many areas of the US, masks must be worn in all public areas. Even if they're not, it's a good idea to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Make sure everyone in your family has at least 1 mask (2 is better) available everywhere you go.

Each night when you return to your lodging, wash your masks in warm soapy water and let dry or you can toss them into a washing machine if available. Before you go out for the day, put each person's mask in their own individual zip lock bags. When not using them, they should be in the bag so they stay clean and don't contaminate other items.

I recommend finding masks on Etsy - not only are there a gazillion designs to choose from, but you can also find masks with filter pockets. Some even include free filters with purchase. We bought several from this vendor on Etsy. They're super comfortable and came with filters. My youngest daughter loves her flamingo mask! Fun patterns make wearing them a little more enjoyable for everyone.

3. Sanitizer & disinfecting wipes

Keep the sanitizer handy.

Stock up on small containers of hand sanitizer. Keep one in your purse/tote bag, one in the car, and one in your vacation rental/RV. We found this 8 oz. Suave sanitizer was the perfect size for keeping on hand.

Make sure everyone uses it before meals, after bathroom breaks, when getting back in the car from an outing, etc.

Take along a container of disinfecting wipes to keep in your vacation rental and maybe one in your car too. Most vacation rentals are very clean, especially now when special cleaning protocols are a must. But for peace of mind, when you arrive at your lodging, take a couple of minutes to wipe down all those frequently touched areas:

• Doorknobs

• Light switches

• Faucets

• Remote controls

• Dining tables

• Counter tops

• Toilet flush handles

• Drawer handles

• Refrigerator/freezer handles

BIG REMINDER: Don't forget to wipe down your mobile phones and other devices after every outing.

3. Food & snacks

Don't forget the snacks!

This was a must-have for any of our vacations even before COVID. But now, it's even more important to stock up on snacks and water for road trips. Apart from bathroom stops, it'll keep you from spending time shopping in gas stations to lessen your exposure to others. Not to mention, convenience store food is pricey!

If you're staying in a vacation rental, you'll want to food for meals so you don't have to eat out all the time. Most vacation rentals include refrigerators, microwaves and/or stoves, plus all the dishes and silverware you need. So just pack some easy prep food like cereal, oatmeal cups, granola bars, sandwich fixings, chips, cookies, fresh fruit, frozen pizza, ramen noodles, etc. It's easy to throw together some sandwiches and chips to take along for a picnic lunch while you're out.

Don't forget your cooler and reusable ice packs!

5. Meal delivery

Get your dinner delivered!

Now's the time for food delivery services like GrubHub and Uber Eats to shine! If you're like us, one of the things we love about vacations is eating out at the local restaurants. For our vacation this year, we opted to use GrubHub to deliver dinner from our favorite spots in Gatlinburg straight to our condo.

You order, choose a delivery time, and pay right on the app. Most drivers also do no-contact delivery so they can leave your dinner right outside your door.

The only downside to this is that if you are missing an item or your order is wrong, it's not easy to get it corrected, especially if the restaurant isn't nearby. This happened to us once, but the good thing is, we reported our missing order on the GrubHub app, and they quickly sent a refund for that part of it.

Other options besides dining in are carryout or curbside pickup, while some places like pizza joints have their own delivery service. I highly recommend Ski Mountain Pizza, which is super close to our condo for quick delivery. Their pizza and garlic knots are delicious!

6. Maps

Maps are still your friend.

Like everyone else, we depend heavily on Google Maps, Waze, and other mobile GPS apps. We sometimes take for granted that these resources will always be at our disposal no matter where we travel.

Nope.

Take the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, for instance. You won't get very far beyond the park's boundaries before your cell signal goes kaput.

And there goes your GPS. We've found ourselves wandering about the park more than once while driving and trying to find our next turn. That's risky too, because there are no gas stations in the park.

That's another thing - make sure your car has a full(ish) tank of gas before heading out into the great unknown.

When traveling to any out-of-the-way area with little to no cell phone service, it's important to have a backup map. You can either:

• Find maps/directions on your phone and screenshot them.

• Take along an old-fashioned folding map or road atlas.

• Bring park brochures or other literature that includes road and trail maps.

7. Games

Last but not least, entertainment during a pandemic looks a little different from before. For instance, we love wandering the "strip" in Gatlinburg, browsing the shops and getting tasty food and drink samples. The kids love the arcade. We love all the fun things in Pigeon Forge like the Ferris wheel at The Island. But this year, we opted to stay out of those high-traffic areas.

We spent the days hiking and driving through the Smokies and came back to the condo in the evening. There, we had dinner then spent the rest of the night playing games with the kids.

Yes, video games are fun. But on your next vacation, break out those old-fashioned board and card games. Pop some popcorn and gather around for a fun game of Uno or Sorry or any of your family favorites. It's such a great time to bond with one another and share some laughs.

The good thing is, you can take those games anywhere, whether it's camping in the middle of the Smokies or in a condo. No electricity or chargers needed! It sounds so simple, and the kids may grumble at first, but soon you'll all get into it, and memories will be made.

Isn't that what vacations are all about?

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Get out there and make some memories. Come stay with us at Misty Mountain Memories. Our 3 bedroom condo is perfect for a family of up to 8, a vacation with your friends, or even a writing retreat. We have everything you need to social distance while enjoying all the beauty the Smoky Mountains has to offer.

5 Hidden Gems in The Smoky Mountains

When we vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains, we challenge ourselves to find new, lesser-known spots. While the pandemic goes on, it's even more important to visit places that are less crowded. So, here are 5 of our favorite hidden gems you should visit during your Smoky Mountains vacation.

1. Mingus Mill:

Mingus Mill

Dr. John Mingus and Sion Thomas Early built this water-powered grist mill in 1886 for just $600. They finished it in just 3 months. The mill supplied the local community with corn meal for several years until the National Park Service purchased it in 1930.

Today, millers are still on-site from mid-March through mid-November 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST to operate the mill for guests. Cornmeal is available for purchase.

Note: As of July 2020, guests cannot go in the mill itself or purchase cornmeal due to the pandemic, but you can still explore the grounds and talk to the miller from a distance.

Playing Near the Flume at Mingus Mill

Follow the flume all the way to the end, which takes you along a lovely trail where you'll see Mingus Creek. There's a lot of pretty creek side land to explore nearby. In warm months, beautiful butterflies congregate around there. It's a great place for pictures or a small picnic lunch.

If you're up for a bit of hiking, the Mingus Creek Trailhead is located near the parking lot. Of special note is a slave cemetery located up a hill near the trailhead. Look for the plain stones that mark the head and feet of the graves. If you see a coin placed upside down on the stone, it's a means of paying respect to those who are buried here.

2. Masonic Monument:

Masonic Monument off the Blue Ridge Parkway

Located in North Carolina on the edge of the park just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, lies a unique monument dedicated to Freemasons around the world. It was completed in 1938 and is composed of 687 pieces of various kinds of natural materials, including granite, quartz, marble, jade, onyx, and more. The pieces all came from several places in 41 different countries including Antarctica. Many of these are engraved with their dates and locations. The Masons still hold their NC summer assembly there each year.

It's really more fascinating to behold than we first thought it would be. The area leading up to it is pretty and just a short walk from the parking lot. It's peaceful and would be a good place to stop for a picnic lunch or snack.

3. Oconaluftee Visitor Center:

Mountain Farm Museum @ Oconaluftee

This location is one of the newest visitor centers in the park. Located near Cherokee, NC and the nearby Cherokee Reservation, it serves as one of the Southern gateways into the park. The Mountain Farm Museum is located here, which leads you through a farmstead of preserved buildings from the 19th century. There's a log cabin, a barn, apple house, spring house, blacksmith shop, and more. The great thing about this place is that it's very wide open and easy to keep your distance from other visitors. We actually ate a picnic lunch on a bench just outside the administration building and watched the gentle afternoon rain.

Elk Fields @ Oconaluftee

Nearby are wide open fields where you can see herds of wild elk grazing. They've become quite used to visitors and will often venture right into the farmstead close to the trail. Take pictures! But be sure to keep your distance. They are not pets!

Oh, and watch for the elk droppings as you walk.

Note: As of July 2020, visitors are not allowed into the farmstead buildings due to the pandemic, but you can explore all around their exteriors, walk through the open barn, etc.

4. Little Greenbrier School/Walker Sisters Cabin:

Little Greenbrier School

Pack a lunch and head out to the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area. Then take some time to visit a couple of local landmarks that once belonged to the small, yet thriving community of Little Greenbrier. Find the Metcalf Bottoms Trail close to the parking lot and hike an easy 1.5 miles. You'll come across a well-preserved one-room schoolhouse. John Walker and his son built the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse in 1882. It operated as the community's only school and a church until 1936.

You can also reach the school by car via a gravel road off Lyons Springs Road and park nearby in the parking lot. During normal operation, you might find a volunteer "school teacher" who will show you what life was like for the school children back then. Children and parents both will love this little trip back in time.

From the schoolhouse, take the Little Brier Gap Trail another mile or so to the Walker Sisters

Cabin. This is the last standing cabin from the Little Greenbrier community. The home belonged to five Walker sisters who never married. They lived here and worked the land until the last sister passed away in 1964.

Walker Sisters Cabin

Unlike most of the homes in the National Park lands, the Walker sisters refused to give up their property, which ultimately drew visitors for many years. The sisters were able to earn a little money from making and selling food and souvenirs until they became too frail to do so anymore.

The Park Service purchased the property and preserved it so we can still enjoy it to this day. It's a very pretty, peaceful location, and the trails leading to it are not busy. You will need to keep an extra eye out for bears because of that, however, but it's worth it for a nice day out.

5. Tail of the Dragon/Foothills Parkway:

Tail of the Dragon - 11 Miles, 318 Turns

If you're a car or motorcycle hobbyist, you've likely heard of this 11-mile stretch of Hwy. 129. It's famous for the 318 sharp, twisty curves that adventurous drivers love to brave. The Foothills Parkway leading up to the Dragon is a nice straight, beautiful drive in itself. You'll pass by some beautiful vistas with the Smoky Mountains on one side and the Tennessee Valley on the other. Once you reach Hwy. 129, it'll be another rather straight drive along Chilhowee Lake until you reach the beginning of the Dragon.

A word of warning - this road is not for the fainthearted. Groups of motorcyclists and car drivers congregate in parking areas to start their race to the end. They don't drive slow. If you're up for it, just keep in mind that you can't putter by and sight-see or you may well get rear-ended. We managed just the first little stretch until we reached the first lookout point.

If you're like us, and traveling with kids who tend to get car sick, head the other way (north) on 129 and stop into eat at Dragon Pitt Inn & BBQ or the 129 Hub. Great food! Take the Foothills Parkway or another smaller road back through the park and back to your comfy condo where you can order pizza and talk about how you survived the Dragon (or part of it).