Socially distant getaways have become the biggest travel trend of 2020 that no one saw coming. As destinations, hotels and attractions work to make it safe for travelers to visit, we’re living in a reality where social distancing (and wearing a mask) is the prudent thing to do to keep yourself and others safe.
Here are six unique and relatively safe travel options that include outdoor adventures for this new era that you can suggest to clients ready for an escape:
1. Rent an All-Out RV
Bookings for travel trailers, fifth wheels and motorhomes have jumped more than 1,000 percent since early April. Blacksford is a new recreational vehicle rental business offering fully stocked Mercedes-Benz Sprinter overland adventure vehicles from a Winnebago with an all-inclusive pricing model that includes unlimited miles, no generator fees, bedding, bath and kitchen supplies, free WiFi, a free annual pass to national parks and 24-hour roadside assistance. For more information, visit blacksford.com.
2. DIY Bike Tours
Bike sales have boomed recently—so much that most stores are sold out—now, where to ride? Plan an epic bike tour of your own that visits small towns, scenic parks and historic landmarks with resources from Adventure Cycling Association. The organization offers maps, and an app and more for 50,000 miles of routes across North America. Try the TransAmerica Trail, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route or the new Parks, Peaks, and Prairies route from Yellowstone to Minneapolis. If self-guided isn’t your style, Adventure Cycling also leads a variety of tours every year. For more information, visit adventurecycling.org.
3. Glamp Near a National Park
Just minutes from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Fireside Resort offers 25 pint-sized, luxuriously outfitted tiny house rental units designed by Wheelhaus. Each place has its own outdoor fire pit and deck. The resort is located a stone’s throw from Grand Teton National Park and the Jackson Hole ski slopes. It’s a great place to post up for a summer getaway or a ski trip. For more information, visit firesidejacksonhole.com.
4. Visit a Family-Friendly Remote Guest Ranch
Red Reflet Ranch is a 28,000-acre luxury resort and working ranch on the west slope of the Bighorn Mountains, just minutes from the Bighorn National Forest or a scenic 3-hour drive from Yellowstone National Park. The closest sign of civilization is Ten Sleep, Wyoming, with a population of about 260. As a guest, you’ll stay in a private chalet and enjoy family-friendly activities like horseback riding, ATVing, ziplining, swimming, fishing, shooting and indulging in gourmet farm-to-table cuisine. For more information, visit redrefletranch.com.
5. Bike, Hike & Camp
Bike touring could be the safest bet for a socially distant vacation. Escape Adventures has been leading cycling and camping vacations through some of the most awe-inspiring natural destinations in the world since 1992. From road cyclists and mountain bikers to electric bikers, Escape Adventures offers an array of great multiday tours, often with camping options, in iconic destinations like Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. For more information, visit escapeadventures.com.
6. Yellowstone-Area Adventures
If spending a day on a trail through shaded forests and wildflower-filled meadows or on a clear, cool river is your style, a stay at The Wilson Hotel in Big Sky, Montana, is in order. From this town on the edge of Yellowstone, you’ll find summer adventures like hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, fly fishing, whitewater rafting and national park tours. In winter, average annual snowfall of 400 inches and 5,850 acres of ski terrain on four connected mountains, which means Big Sky Resort has plenty of powder and space to spread out. For more information, visit thewilsonhotel.com.
Don’t miss these tips in our July/August issue where tour operators and destinations say travel advisors will have to educate clients before they travel—“Educating Clients is Key as the U.S. Reopens.”
For more future booking inspiration, visit #AmazingDaysAhead. For intel on new health and safety protocols, visit New Protocols, Safe Travels.
