By now, many of us, especially those living in the north, are running out of steam being cooped up during the cold winter months, sheltering in place with new mask mandates while longing to be on some faraway exotic beach. The pandemic continues to rage on and is now mutating, becoming more contagious.  I for one,  am being cautious while earnestly plotting how to escape from the daily boredom of working at home and not being able to socialize or be outdoors.

As the population that chooses to be vaccinated continues to grow exponentially, it does widen the opportunities for scheduling more day trips, weekend outings, and week vacations.  The hospitality industry is already gearing up to what they hope will be hordes of pent- up travelers seeking some form of escapism.

As more folks become vaccinated, there will be a wider range of possibilities to look forward to as the US and the rest of the world gradually return to a new normal.

For pure fun in predicting what the possibilities can be, I have brainstormed a wide range of trips for each season based on my own gut predictions of how long it may take us to be vaccinated in the US (Disclaimer: I am not a scientist).  Some of these are on my personal checklist.  If you need help planning for each season, click here for a template to get you started.

Spring 2021  Weather getting warmer with maybe 10%-20% of the US population vaccinated.

Day Trips: Hiking at a reservation, picnics at a park, skiing at a lodge, ice skating, biking, golfing, camping, walks on the beach, visiting monuments,  museums,  wineries, farms, sculpture parks,  a boat tour, or a spa day.

Weekend Trips: Girls or Boys weekend out at a beach, lake, or mountain location,  weekend skiing or golfing, family weekend outings,  a spa weekend.

Summer  2021  Time to be outdoors with maybe 40% – 50%  of the population vaccinated… so much to do, so many places to go…

Rent a beach or lake house for a week; boating, fishing, waterskiing, sailing, and canoeing at the river, lake, or the sea; more day and weekend trips with fewer restrictions in cities that you can drive to as planned getaways with family or friends; more indoor tours, museums, art shows where you can stay indoors longer with a mask.

Fall of 2021. Best time to get away and enjoy the foliage with maybe  50%- 60% of the population vaccinated …. definitely time to hit the road driving to other states.

More weekend gateways visiting cities,  lots of hiking, biking;  visiting parks, farms, wineries, foliage watching, more indoor tours of museums, castles, and historic homes.

Winter  2021. Perfect time for that long week or two-week vacation before or during the holidays. By now, maybe 75% of the population has been vaccinated. Hopefully, this is also true of most countries eliminating their travel restrictions.

Finally, if you have not already done it, plan that memorable getaway trip to other parts of the US or a foreign country.   Plan for it early cause you will not be the only one getting away. Bon Voyage!