6 quarantine-friendly road trips to take this summer

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Julianna Lowe

This summer is inevitably going to look different for everyone. While the country moves toward reopening, guidelines are still in place to keep people quarantined and six feet apart. Summer will have to be reimagined. 

Ice cream dates won’t be as frequent, traveling to exotic places may be impossible, and getting together with friends and family will be on special occasions. One thing that will remain the same is road trips, but even those will need to be reinvented in order for social distancing to continue. 

Here are a few ideas for road tripping during quarantine:

  1. Take a drive through a national or state park

In the Southeast, there are an abundance of state and national parks to take a scenic drive through. From Mammoth Cave National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are endless places to take a day drive through.

  1. Visit a safari

In both Tennessee and Alabama, there are safari parks in which tourists can stay in their car and drive through the park to spot wild animals like zebras and giraffes. Safari parks are quarantine-friendly because they do not require people to get out of their cars, but it’s still an adventure.

  1. Go camping, for real

Campgrounds might get a little iffy this summer with people camping out within six feet of each other, but it’s still possible during quarantine. Find a secluded place and pitch a tent—just make sure it’s six feet away. 

  1. See landmarks

In the Southeast, there are plenty of landmarks that can be visited without coming in contact with other people. While they might have to be seen from afar, at least they’re technically crossed off the bucket list.

  1. Try a hiking trail

For an experience with solitude, experiment with hiking trails. For one, the Appalachian Trail stretches over 2,000 miles of the East Coast, which would definitely help the quarantined summer pass quickly. 

  1. Swim around in freshwater

The climate of the Southeast allows for many creeks, rivers and lakes to flow throughout the summer. In place of waterparks and community pools, these bodies of freshwater would be a good substitute for the traditional summer cool off. 

Features reporter Julianna Lowe can be reached at [email protected]. Follow Julianna on social media at @juliannalowe.