Before the Coronavirus hit the United States, I saw the damage it was doing overseas. I was nervous and some people I spoke with would say things like “Oh, it’s nothing to freak out about, More people get struck by lightning each year…,The flu is a bigger issue.” I tried to let my worries subside but thinking of my family’s sake, I decided to look into what a pandemic kit would contain. I searched on Pinterest and found items such as cleaning products, masks, gloves, canned goods, other non-perishable foods, toilet paper, and other essential items. I decided to make a dollar store run and grab a few of each thing just to stock up and make myself feel more prepared. While shopping I thought to myself, the people in here can probably tell that I’m shopping for a pandemic; I think the excessive canned goods and bleach would give it away. I brought everything home, put everything in the proper place, and labeled a box “Pandemic Kit” with all my extras inside.
A few weeks later we were emerging to spring break time at school. The news was becoming heavily filled with Covid19 information and things were quickly changing. Ideas of social distancing and shutting public facilities down came to be but nothing was set in stone. My University decided to extend spring break for an additional week to prepare for what could come. The days before spring break made me feel a little uneasy and nervous because my family and I had planned to go on a road trip to Tennessee and later to North Carolina during my time off. Knowing that we were going to be traveling while major changes were happening fast was nerve-wracking. Normally when you go on a trip, you’re excited and thinking of all the things you plan to do while away. For me, I was trying to look forward but I also was trying to be precautious and smart.
We loaded the car with our normal gear but this time we included the sanitary wipes, hand wipes, hand sanitizer, and the pandemic kit. We drove to Knoxville, Tennessee, it took us about twelve hours to get there. We stopped about three times. Rest stops were still open, people were still gathering, you would just see signs to wash your hands and not touch your face. It was more of a warning period than the actual crisis period. We played as smart as we could. We did not take our daughter into the rest stops but would rather change her diaper in the car, thank goodness she’s still in diapers, and let her run around or eat outside. If we went inside the rest stops, we were quick and took the measures that were needed. Once we arrived in Tennessee, I was so impressed at how clean our Airbnb was but of course, I sprayed and wiped as a precaution.
We had many plans while we were in Knoxville but due to our concerns about the virus, we were hesitant to fulfill those plans. The first night we were there we ordered food for takeout even though people were still allowed to eat in the restaurants. We chose to eat at the house partially for safety reasons but also because we were exhausted from our twelve hour drive. As the days went on in Knoxville, the number of cases were rising in every state. Restaurants began doing takeout only and much of what we had planned began to close or cancel. We wanted to take our daughter to the Knoxville Zoo, go to the Sunsphere Park, and do other tourist type attractions. Despite everything being shut down, we made the best of our time there and still had a really good time. It was a bummer to miss out on the activities we wanted to do and to miss out on the culture of Tennessee but there was no other choice. We were in Knoxville for five days and it’s funny because I don’t feel like we were really there. It felt like we were having a stay-cation in someone else’s house but we did have fun.
While in Tennessee, things were getting bad back at home in New Jersey. We were getting updates from family and my sister-in-law demanded we come home. Our thinking was that the virus was in Tennessee, it was in New Jersey, it was everywhere. No matter where you would go you’d be at risk so why not stay on our vacation and try to enjoy it. That was what we ended up doing.
We left Tennessee and headed for North Carolina. We stayed in a town called Swannanoa that is right outside of Asheville, NC. The couple who owned the Airbnb that we were staying in were very open with us about how things were developing in their state and they wanted to make sure we felt comfortable. They assured us of leniency in cancelations and if we had any questions or concerns, to just let them know. The owners made sure to thoroughly clean the cottage we stayed in and even left us extra cleaning wipes. In NC, they were doing takeout only at restaurants but the county we were in only had one case of the virus at that time, so they weren’t on lock down. All of our tourist attractions got canceled in this state too, including a beautiful train ride we had scheduled that went through the Great Smoky Mountains. Our daughter loves trains so we were excited for her to experience this, hopefully another time.
Luckly, the part of NC that we were in was extremely scenic. We were within the Great Smoky Mountains and there was so much to do just in nature. We hiked one trail that went through the mountains and led to a waterfall. Our daughter, Alora, did great. She would hold our hands and work those little legs through the wilderness! When she got tired, one of us would pick her up and keep on our way. There were some people on the trail and because the virus situation was becoming more of a thing, you could notice the awkwardness. Out of kindness, a family would step aside to clear the path so that we could get by and we would do the same.
Another day we took a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway because we wanted to hike another trail that we read about. The Parkway goes up the mountain, a mountain that is 6,643 feet, and we managed to reach past the 4,000 foot range. Let me just say, that drive was the most beautiful and terrifying ride of my life! I was driving the car and my husband was trying not to look or say much about the huge cliff next to my door because we were both freaked out. Some areas were without guardrails and there were tunnels randomly carved into the mountain rock with signs that would say, “Turn your lights on!” The road itself was a 40MPH road and the locals would ride your tail the way someone does on New Jersey roads. It was wheel clenching. There are outcrops in the roads where you can stop, park your car, and gander out at the abyss of beauty. Beauty doesn’t even describe it.
We made it to our hiking spot, a trail called Graveyard Trails. The area actually burnt down in the 1920’s and the trees never really recovered. The area got its name due to the decrepit trees and the tree stumps that look like tombstones. It was a moderate level hike and a really cool one at that. Signs warned you when you began to watch out for black bears and what to do if you come in contact with one. Apparently you scream and make a ton of noise, I guess to scare them off and make it known to others that you need help. Within this hike there was a gorgeous stream and some really nice man-made walkways to help ease your walking. When the hike was over we were not looking forward to the drive back down the mountain, my husband took over the wheel that time.
The fact that we were able to hike while in NC was something we were so grateful for. It made us feel like we actually did something on our trip and that it wasn’t a complete waste. We got to enjoy nature, spend time in the sun, gather as a family, and we truly enjoyed it.
We were sad when our vacation was over and felt like leaving the mountains was leaving our peace. We were leaving the calm of nature, beauty of the mountains, and headed back home where war was breaking out. Everything was different while we were down South; it was calmer, the stores were stocked, and the cases were less. We were so glad that we decided to stay on our vacation and just breathe. We told ourselves that one day we hope to travel back to that part of the country and experience it for what it truly is and definitely do more hiking! We joke about how much we love the mountains, we always seem to find ourselves there and that one day when we’re old and grey, maybe just maybe that’s where we’ll be.
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