We spent most of the winter of 2019/2020 crisscrossing Louisiana. Lots of fun and interesting things to do and see in the state, so we had a great time. Valentine’s Day on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras was a once in a lifetime experience.
What we mean by that is, we are glad we did it but will probably never do that again.
The beginning of March saw us heading north to Arkansas for a visit to Hot Springs and then on to Little Rock to see one of our favorite people, Cousin Marcy. We were in Moro Bay, Arkansas, when we heard the news of the growing pandemic. Like just about everyone else, we headed to the closest WalMart (about 20 miles away) for supplies.
We found lots of empty shelves but were able to stock up on essentials (even some t. p.!). Not a lot of storage space is available in our motorhome so hoarding is not an option for us.
On March 17th, we headed to Hot Springs National Park campground and found a great spot overlooking a small creek. We stayed isolated in our coach except for daily hikes on the park trails.
We had been there for two weeks when the park closed due to the pandemic so we had to relocate to a private park just a few miles away. The trails were still open so we continued to hike every day while isolating for another two weeks just outside of Hot Springs, AR.
We really wanted to visit with Marcy but, according to the experts, that would have been too risky. So, after a month in Hot Springs, we headed north again.
Like everyone else, Covid 19 changed our way of life. We took advantage of the ‘old people’s day’ at several WalMarts, shopping early on Tuesday mornings when most people were wearing masks. Instead of looking for museums and other attractions to visit, our goal became finding out of the way places to hike and enjoy nature. The only public places we went to were to a grocery store and to a laundromat every couple weeks. We even purchased some new clothing items so we had enough clothes to last a couple weeks between washings. Gail pretty much disinfects an area of a laundromat before doing laundry.
For a while it was difficult to find open public parks, which usually have some kind of outdoor activity available, but they slowly opened up as summer approached. By the time we got to the Dakotas, most parks were open. One of our favorite parks, Cross Ranch, allows us to park right along the Missouri River, near the area where the Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped twice. The hiking trails are beautiful, the ticks plentiful, and an encounter with the resident bison is not unusual.
As we entered the summer months, we began to find museums that required masks to be worn. If the place is not crowded, and everyone has a mask on, we feel it is ok to go inside. When we are done, we use lots of hand sanitizer until we can wash our hands thoroughly.
The main reason for this page is to reassure all our friends and family that we are well and taking all necessary precautions to protect ourselves and those we encounter. We wear gloves and masks when we need to go inside any building. We avoid crowds and no longer go out to eat. If we do visit with other people, we do so outside, we wear masks, and practice social distancing. We don’t want to be part of the problem, so we are taking precautions very seriously. We certainly don’t want to infect any of our friends and family.