How a Travel Writer Coped During Corona Time

By Kurt Jacobson

When I hit the trail to Denver in March, there were already concerns about the pandemic. My wife and I planned to travel to Colorado to join my brother and sister for my stepmom’s memorial in Loveland.

Being a practical travel writer, I decided to stay an extra three days in Denver to see what was new in my old stomping grounds.

It occurred to me I’d rarely spent three consecutive days in downtown Denver, even though I called Colorado home for almost four decades.

On this trip, we’d stay at a condo-hotel next to Union Station, then transition to the historic Oxford Hotel at Union Station. The weather was fabulous, and we walked the town each day eating, drinking, and being merry.

We met up with my brother and his family at Stem Ciders in the RiNo neighborhood. This cool area has changed tremendously since I moved away 12 years ago. Where there were a bunch of run-down warehouses and other old businesses, were now hundreds of new condos, apartments, bars, and restaurants.

Headed Home

After four days in Colorado, we headed home in full realization the pandemic was going to be a huge event.

We were wearing our masks as we boarded the very full plane to Baltimore and noticed only one other passenger donning a mask. Back on March 15th, masks were rarely seen.

Upon arriving in Baltimore, I shopped for a two week stretch of quarantine, laying groceries, and additional wine.

My wife resumed her work schedule of Monday-Friday, and I hung out with my cat Zeus and dog Sophie. Two weeks of reading several books, shopping for wine online, and watching gobs of movies made me yearn for the travel world I was used to.

Flights Grounded

By the end of March, most commercial flights were grounded, and on my frequent walks with Sophie, I hardly saw any planes in the sky over our Baltimore County home.

It was clear to me travel writing was on pause as was plane travel.

Hit The Road

By mid-April, my wife and I were going a bit stir-crazy and started what would become a weekend routine of going for a drive.

Most everything we would have usually gone to see, do, eat, or drink was closed, but the roads welcomed us for sight-seeing. The roads were sparsely populated at that time, with most local folks still hunkered down.

Parks, Wineries Opening

In early May, a few parks, wineries, and more restaurants started opening up. We hit the road each weekend to see how life was progressing. Since I was gardening 2-4 hours a day, I loved checking out new plant nurseries.

I’d buy veggie plants, and my wife would buy flowers for me to plant in her garden. It turned out many people were gardening like never before during this stage of the pandemic, a trend that continues to this day. Who knew that gardening and baking would replace travel?

Instead of my usual routine of writing in the morning, I was in the garden. It was big fun to squish bad bugs, pull weeds, and watch my veggies grow. My lettuce crop was bountiful in May and kept us in excellent greens for five weeks.

Wine Time

When we got the news that Black Ankle Winery near Mt Airy, Maryland was open, we reserved a spot for a weekend visit. Unlike previous visits to Black Ankle, dogs were now allowed, and Sophie got to be a winery dog for an afternoon.

It felt great to be sitting outside sipping excellent wine and eating our picnic dinner in the expansive old farm, turned winery. The winery was packed; showing that lots of folks needed this kind of distraction. We felt like life was normal for a moment.

The next venue to open was Longwood Gardens. They were taking reservations for visits but for members only that first few days.

Most of Longwood’s inside facilities were closed, but miles of trails were open for a much needed outside experience in the woods, fields, and flower gardens that Pierre Samuel DuPont designed then opened to the public after his death.

The 1,077-acre estate breathed life back into our pandemic-trapped souls and refreshed us for another week of bad news.

A week later, Longwood opened to the general public again, ushering in a bit more normalcy.

A Trip To The Mountains And Shore

Few have heard of the first Washington Monument located near Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland. Completed in 1827, this stack of stones on a mountaintop is a mere 30 feet tall but holds a commanding position overlooking one of Maryland’s prettiest valleys.

Our picnic lunch in the lower part of Washington Monument State Park made for a wonderful getaway on a sunny day.

Some visitors like to walk a bit of the Appalachian Trail while visiting this monument, which bisects the trail near the top.

With the Fourth of July coming up, we decided to take a chance on an overnight stay and booked the Tidewater House in Easton, Maryland.

The stately Eastern Shore home built in 1874, is one of the coolest bed and breakfast stays in the Mid-Atlantic.

Breakfast at the Tidewater Inn

Instead of onsite breakfast buffet, breakfast was now offered in their other property just up the street, the Tidewater Inn. With the Avalon Theater closed, and not a whole lot to do in town other than eat and drink, we spent mornings and evenings walking the town when the temperature was bearable.

The old Easton armory looked grand in the evening sun, and the downtown Easton neighborhoods were a joy to explore on foot. Residents almost always waved or said hello, making us feel welcomed.

To-go meals from Sunflowers and Greens, Scossa, and Piazza Italian Market were enjoyed in our spacious room. We felt very grateful to be able to travel overnight again and didn’t mind the two-night minimum stay.

What’s Next?

In August, we hope to hit the trail to either Maine or Virginia for a five-day road trip.

It breaks my heart seeing how restaurants, hotels, and travel tour operators are suffering. I’ll do my best to spend as much time and money as possible to patronize these establishments.

I hope as many of us as possible will venture out and slowly bring back the l industry that has kept so many employed.

The hospitality industry has satisfied so many travelers, diners, and thrill-seekers for decades and needs our help now more than ever.

Yes, it’s been a long strange moment in history, but better times are ahead.