How Families Can Spend Summer Vacation
Danielle's Family Vacation
BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER
Michigan’s stay-at-home order lifted right before when most families tend to vacation. However, even though air travel is back on the rise again, many in the community feel safer traveling by car or even forgoing overnight trips to stay local this summer.
Traveling by car
“I would actually love to travel once things settle down more but nothing far,” West Bloomfield resident and regular traveler Vanessa Tillo said. “I would hold off on planes for a bit but would definitely drive up north or even somewhere warm like Florida.”
Tillo just had a baby in February and said she would be nervous to use public transportation with her daughter still being so young and not having all of her vaccinations yet.
Bianca Boji of Farmington Hills agreed: “As long as things don’t take a turn for the worse, my family and I are planning to travel up north. We are dying to get away and feel comfortable going to a destination that allows us to be outdoors the majority of the time.”
Dr. Peter Sabbagh, a McLaren Health Care medical physician who specializes in critical care, pulmonology and sleep disorders, said even though things are improving, he thinks public transportation is still too high-risk for the summer.
“I don’t see a problem with traveling,” Dr. Sabbagh explained in May, “but if you’re going to travel, you still have to maintain social distancing. This means traveling by car with your own family but not anyone who is elderly or immunosuppressed, and if you do go out in public at any point, make sure you’re wearing a mask.”
With a good portion of the community interested in safe travel this summer, Raquel Jalou Orow, owner of Pure Star Travel in Troy, planned a five-night, four-day itinerary to the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee among several other driveable trips.
“There’s so much we can offer to our children and family by just getting in a car and driving, and right now, that’s probably our best bet as far as what the CDC wants us to do,” Orow said in May. “I’m not comfortable telling someone to go on an airplane yet, so I planned out enjoyable trips for families that are not only driveable but ones where they won’t have to be exposed to other people.”
Orow said the cabins would have everything travelers need from game rooms to theaters to pools, and lists of restaurants with carryout and delivery options will also be provided upon arrival. Additionally, with recreational access increasing, travelers will be able to spend time hiking, fishing and partaking in other outdoor activities that they may not always have time for or appreciate when life is “normal.”
“We all need a break from being trapped at home, and road trips are a creative way to get out in the world while still staying safe,” Orow said.
Staying local
If overnight traveling seems too risky at this point, there are plenty of local day trip destinations that are now open:
Zoos/Farms: Detroit Zoo (Royal Oak), Toledo Zoo (Toledo, OH), Maybury Farm (Northville), Domino Farm (Ann Arbor), John Ball Zoo (Grand Rapids), The Reptarium (Utica), The Creature Conservancy (Ann Arbor) and Indian Creek Zoo (Lambertville)
Drive-In Movies: USA Hockey Arena (Plymouth) and Canterbury Village (Lake Orion)
Parks: Kensington Metropark (Milford), Frederik Meijer Garden & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids), Indian Springs Metropark (White Lake), Stony Creek Metropark (Shelby Township) and Lake St. Clair Metropark (Harrison Township)
Other: Fairy Door Tour (Northville), TreeRunner Adventure Park (West Bloomfield), BBQ at the Ballpark (Utica), Disc Golf (Dexter/Milford/Shelby Township/New Boston), Sportsway (Westland and Brownstown), Midway Sports and Entertainment (Taylor) and Royal Oak Golf Center (Royal Oak)
This list will continue to grow over time but be sure to always do an online search or call each venue before planning your visit as each destination will have its own visitor guidelines.
Dr. Sabbagh believes the community is doing a good job keeping the cases low; nevertheless, he still wants everyone to be very careful whether people decide to travel or stay close to home this summer.
“It is still a very dangerous disease with people, even young ones, dying every day, and we really don’t have a good grasp on treatment yet,” Dr. Sabbagh said. “I appreciate those trying to find a cure and those maintaining the social distancing.”
The CDC recommends that if you do decide to travel, you need to protect yourself and others during your trip by cleaning your hands often; avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth; avoiding close contact with others and maintaining six feet of physical distance; wearing a cloth face covering in public; covering coughs and sneezes; and picking up food at drive-throughs, curbside restaurants services or stores (cdc.gov).
Danielle Alexander is the owner of Edify LLC, a metro Detroit tutoring, editing and freelance writing company, as well as the editorial coordinator for both West Bloomfield Lifestyle and Birmingham Life magazines. She is looking forward to taking a safe road trip to Gun Lake later this summer.