Anna Rice

The area, home to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has a ton of hiking options, from easy, paved trails to challenging, elevation-gaining treks. Unfortunately, visiting during winter meant some of the most iconic hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were inaccessible. The beginning offers a pleasant and well-maintained walk along a small creek with a couple small waterfalls (like I said, hard to hike the Smokies without coming across a waterfall!) Other Hikes in the Smoky Mountains Since we were in the Smoky Mountains during the “off” season, as I mentioned, some of the best trails were inaccessible during some or all of our stay.

Staying in a city apartment might have worked well when you could spend the day bar and restaurant hopping or visiting museums, but in the age of COVID-19, it’s important to ensure the place you’re If I can’t or don’t need to actually travel for those extra days, I use them for safety booking tip #5 to ensure the house is empty for a day or two before I arrive. I bring it all: a foldable desk/table (affiliate link, but this is my actual desk) that has enough space for me to rest my elbows while typing, a monitor, a mouse/mousepad and even a desk chair (we unscrew the seat so it fits easily in the trunk of the Jeep). That might be fine for a day or two, but for longer stays, the right set up is critical or else you’ll return from “vacation” feeling tighter and more stressed than when you left!

It’s filled with breathtaking views, especially in the fall, when Colorado’s aspens turn their leaves. This isn’t recommended if you’re only in Colorado for the weekend, since you’ll likely feel like crap (based on my personal experience!) Colorado requires masks in public spaces, and popular trails on Guanella Pass can be crowded on weekends. If you’re looking for an alternative to Guanella Pass, this is a great spot to hike with different scenery.

Northern California’s Clear Lake is famous for bass fishing, and Nick and I made our first trip there in 2019 when I surprised him with a fishing trip for his birthday. Fishing is definitely NOT my area of expertise or interest, but since it’s one of Nick’s biggest hobbies we spent the vast majority of our time outdoors fishing on Clear Lake. Lake County is definitely an under-the-radar wine region compared to its better-known neighbors Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino — but its lack of popularity isn’t reflective of its quality and makes it the perfect destination for socially-distant wine tourism. Unfortunately, there isn’t easy access to the lake if you aren’t staying at a resort or campground on its shores, so paying the day-use fee or renting a boat from The Lodge is your best bet if you’re coming for the day from Clear Lake.