Coronavacation 2020 – we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming

We took a break from movie watching to go on a vacation to BC, which is a) where we already live and b) what Dr. Bonnie Henry has deemed to be acceptable. And what better place than to head to the Okanagan Valley, aka Wine Country, to stock up for a several more months of potential lockdown. We like to plan ahead like this!

We learned some valuable lessons about Pandemic Travel as well. If you are thinking of taking a vacation, some of these tips may be useful:

1. Where a mask any time you are indoors. Nobody else will be wearing one, and some people will give you odd or dirty looks, but if they do, just pretend they are saying “thank you for protecting me” and give them your best “you’re welcome” smiling-eyes.
2. Do not be afraid to order people to move away from you to practice 6 foot distancing. If you do this loudly in a retail or service shop, the staff will give you a grateful smile. Possibly, this smile actually means “don’t alarm the crazy lady any further” but “grateful smile” looks pretty much the same, so go with that.
3. Stay away from hotel pools and hot tubs. I watched a lot of pool activity from my balcony and just trust me on this one.
4. Winery tastings are generally fine, but I recommend calling ahead to ask about their specific COVID protocols and also to reserve a tasting time in order to avoid crowds. It’s also wise just to avoid the popular locations regardless and maybe try an “off the beaten path” journey instead. If you must go to a popular winery, practice your best “please step back 6 feet from me” voice before you go.
5. If you have a reservation, show up exactly on time. Showing up early is a rookie mistake, and will relegate you to milling about outside with personal-space invading tourists.

My trip blog posts are below, if you are interested. If you really aren’t, you might enjoy the last post which has lots of pictures and little to say.