10 Social Distancing Vacation Ideas
Just because you don’t want to be around lots of other vacationers, it doesn’t mean that your family can’t still take a summer vacation. That’s because you can likely find a fun destination where you only come into minimal contact with others. For example, instead of taking your family to a crowded theme park, take them on an exciting outdoor adventure where they get to explore and enjoy nature away from lots of people. Here are several fun vacation ideas that allow you to enjoy family fun while social distancing.
- Visit a State Park
Most national parks tend to be fairly crowded during the summer months. However, state parks are often less crowded – especially if you can visit them on a weekday. State parks usually include some hiking trails, picnic tables, and a visitor’s center with interesting exhibits about the park. You can find state parks around lakes and rivers, historical sites, and conservation areas. Visit your state’s tourism website and do a search for state parks.
- Go Camping
If you are looking for a vacation destination that offers plenty of social distancing, then camping is a good option. For example, you won’t have to stay at a hotel with lots of other guests. Furthermore, you will be outside and have your own campsite to yourself. In addition to privately owned campgrounds, you can find camping sites at most national and state parks, as well as in national forests and state conservation areas. Since you are social distancing, search online reviews to find a less crowded place to go camping.
- Rent an RV
If tent camping isn’t appealing to your family, they might enjoy an RV. You can rent an RV if you don’t own one, and it will be like your own little traveling hotel room. That way you won’t have to be around other vacationers at a hotel. Furthermore, you don’t have to create a vacation itinerary that’s set in stone. Instead, you can pick a destination based on wherever you feel like driving the RV to that day.
- Take Fun Day Trips
Going on a family vacation doesn’t have to mean driving hundreds of miles in the car. That’s because you can likely find several fun destinations within a short drive that your family will enjoy visiting. For instance, if your family enjoys history, take them to a historic site or museum. If they enjoy water recreation, take them to a nearby lake. Tourism websites often publish a list of day trip itineraries. If your city has a tourism website, check it out for some day trip ideas.
- Rent a Vacation Cabin
Returning to the theme of avoiding crowded hotels, you could stay in a cabin instead of a hotel. You can find vacation cabins near beaches and in the mountains. Many state parks also offer cabin rentals to visitors. If you are planning to visit a national park, you can likely find a vacation cabin to stay at nearby. Unfortunately, since vacation cabins are so popular, they often book up more than a year in advance. Therefore, if you are interested in renting a cabin for your next family vacation, you need to start looking for one early.
- Rent a Houseboat
If your family loves spending time on the water, you could rent a houseboat for your vacation. Even if you don’t want to travel the ocean, you can still find a houseboat to rent at most larger marinas on lakes. A houseboat can provide your family with everything that you need for your vacation:
- Kitchen and dining area
- Sleeping quarters
- Bathroom
- Privacy from other vacationers
Bring a few fishing poles and catch your own fish to cook for meals. Take along some kayaks to paddle around in the water when you are not on your houseboat.
- Visit a Wildlife Preserve
Visiting a popular city zoo probably isn’t the best option if you are trying to avoid large crowds on your vacation. However, you can still view exotic wildlife while social distancing from others. For example, you can visit a drive-thru safari where your family can view interesting wildlife without leaving the car. You can also find lots of wildlife preserves throughout America. For instance, there are buffalo preserves throughout the Great Plains – and alligator habitats in the swamps of Florida, Louisiana, and Southeast Texas.
- Take a Long Road Trip
If you are really keen on social distancing, then you will probably avoid flying. However, if your family doesn’t mind spending a lot of time riding in the car, you could take them on a long-distance road trip. For example, let’s say that your family has always wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park. Then, you could take a road trip to Yellowstone. Furthermore, you could find interesting places to stop and visit along the way to make the trip more fun.
- Extreme Outdoor Adventures
There are several extreme outdoor adventures that your family can do while social distancing on their vacation:
- Whitewater rafting
- Multi-day canoe/kayak trip
- Long-distance hiking
- Mountain climbing
- Scuba diving
- Extreme sports
Choose an outdoor adventure that your family enjoys, and make that a big part of your summer vacation.
- Glamping
Glamping is a new take on camping! Instead of taking a tent to a campsite, you stay in a structure that someone else has already built in a natural setting. Furthermore, glamping usually includes nicer amenities than standard tent camping, such as:
- Beds
- Bathroom
- Refrigerator
- Heat and cooling
You can learn more about glamping on the Internet to see if it’s something that your family would enjoy.
In short, social distancing doesn’t mean that you have to go into complete social isolation and forgo a family vacation. If your family enjoys the outdoors, then you have many good vacation options. For instance, you could visit a state park, go camping, visit a wildlife preserve, enjoy an extreme outdoor adventure, or try out glamping. If you love the water, rent a houseboat. You can likely find several interesting places to visit that are just a short drive. If your family doesn’t mind riding in the car, go on a long-distance road trip.
