Not sure what happened – but this posted Monday. Disregard the Road Trip effects of not writing and publishing for three weeks.
Road trips are not my favorite way to travel. Hours in a car seat make my neck and back ache. In this time of a worldwide pandemic, car travel seems the safest option. We can stay away from crowded airports and planes. We could pick our route to avoid cities.
South Dakota 
Minnesota
Wash your hands frequently and always carry hand sanitizer. We wear masks and easily keep our social distance. Cities were erupting with higher Covid outbreaks and violence attached itself to protests in August 2020. We decided to travel in rural areas of the USA that are considered “flyover” country by politicians.
North Dakota 
Michigan 
Wisconsin
Traveling by car over 5,000 miles, we visited seventeen West, Midwest, and Eastern States in twenty-one days (6 days with family in NY). No cities were even approached unless they had a bypass through the suburbs. We started from Colorado through Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado.
Americans are traveling. People are careful. People are responsible and knowledgeable. No one hassled us for being with or without a mask.
Signs stated the new rules. “The Governor of my particular state has required or mandated masks to enter the store.” “Everyone will be carded to buy tobacco since we cannot tell your age with masks.” “Closed due to Covid.” “Masks required to Enter.” “Take out, Dine in, or outdoor seating.” “This room has been sanitized.” “Please use hand sanitizer before entering our store.” “High touch areas are cleaned frequently.” “There is a National Coin Shortage, please use exact change or plastic.”
Long explanations were given about cleaning procedures. Touchless payment systems. Plexiglas hanging sheets or even plastic shower curtains were barriers between customers and the cashier.
I did see a new form of trash: masks and plastic gloves. On trails, parking lots, river access points, waterfalls, parks, and gas stations we saw discarded masks. What is it like in the cities with more people?
Things change grudgingly because of Covid, and in the USA we adapt. Quickly. We have soap and hand sanitizer everywhere. New touchless door handles and air hand dryers were available in more places.
Workers are protected. They want you to come back to restaurants, hotels, parks, and stores. They need your money to survive.
Servers, Waiters, and Attendants want to work. Except in Upstate Michigan, but that is another story.
New things to experience. We saw so many farms, trees, and rivers.
A Road Trip. Not bad. Not bad at all.
