I just got back from vacation in Ocean City, MD. It was touch and go that I would go because of COVID-19 and the impending tropical storm. I wasn’t sure what I would see until I got to Ocean City. It was like there was no pandemic at all in some parts of the town as I drove down Coastal Highway to my hotel.

Here are some things I learned from this vacation:

Masks & social distancing are open to interpretation

Masks and social distancing seem open to interpretation in this town because I saw a wide variety of people violating both things when I was out and about. I wore a mask for about a mile plus walking, and I can say it made me sweat more than usual.             

A change of scenery was what I needed

When I was deliberating on whether or not to cancel my trip, the overwhelming need to get a change of scenery made me go. Even sitting in my hotel room during the meteorological cinema that was Tropical Storm Isaias and watching TV felt great.  I spent so much of the pandemic splitting time between my home office, bedroom, and living room it drove me nuts at a few point hotel room on a rainy day was still a change of scenery.

It took me years to go back to Ocean City, MD, after my father passed away. It was his favorite place in the world. My family went there every summer for a vacation. My parents continued to make the trip well after I moved out of the house until my father’s declining health made it a no go. I returned to going to Ocean City only a few years ago.

Hotels during a pandemic just aren’t the same

While I like the Clarion Fountainbleu in Ocean City, they cut back on in-room housekeeping services to keep their staff safe. That meant nobody was making the bed, cleaning the bathroom, or refilling the shampoo during my stay. These things are among my favorite parts of the hotel experience, or so I came to realize. I can get that level of service at home just without the beach view. The only thing I can fault them on was the front desk clerk confusing my last name with my first name. It was quickly worked out, though.

If pandemic precautions are still around next summer, I could see myself skipping vacation. Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.

Back to reality

I’m rested and recharged from the trip and ready to face the world again. It was nice to be out of my house and familiar surroundings. However, the pandemic put a definite pale on the whole vacation for me, at least.

Have you taken a vacation during ht epand