Most states now are under a stay at home order due to the COVID-19 crisis. Although technically South Carolina isn’t one of them, it’s basically a de facto stay at home situation. Governor McMaster has ordered essential businesses closed. He has shut down all public access to beaches, lakes and waterways. People can’t congregate in groups of three or more and should practice social distancing of six feet or more. Individual cities like Charleston and Mount Pleasant have issued stay at home orders. The Isle of Palms has a police checkpoint on the Connector, only allowing residents, workers or caretakers onto the island from 7:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m. Sullivan’s Island is doing the same thing. So is Folly Beach, although their checkpoint is 24/7.
Stay at Home Activities
Many people have embraced the stay at home time to tackle projects under their own roof. It’s a perfect time to clean out that garage, drawers or closets that have been bugging you. Goodwill says that donations are up. Stores are closed and they are now selling online, but outdoor dropoff locations are open. They have streamlined the donation process to ensure health and safety of everyone. Read more about it here. Gardening or working in the yard, if you have one, is an ideal option. It gets you out of the house into the sunshine but still socially distant from others. This time of year, the weather tends to be lovely, and there are genuine health benefits to being out in nature. You get good exercise, the therapy of having your hands in the dirt, getting something accomplished with positive results to show for it. Plus you get away from electronic devices and the plethora of COVID-19 news. Home improvement centers and hardware stores like Lowes and Home Depot are considered essential and thus remain open. A word of caution: I’ve seen photos of crowded parking lots at these places. One person said it was worse than Black Friday. So do be wise, try to go at off hours, keep your distance, don’t tough your face, and wash or Purell those hands often.
Tips for Travel Lovers
My inbox has been flooded with tips and lists of things to do as you stay at home - especially for those who love to travel. From the Discoverer Blog, there’s 7 Things You Can Do to "Travel" From the Comfort of Your Home. In a nutshell, it suggests:
- Update your bucket list;
- Plan your next getaway;
- Tune in on live stream, to such places as the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, or the Monterey Bay Aquarium;
- Find your online community;
- Tour historic landmarks and museums, like the Louvre or the Great Wall of China;
- Lose yourself in travel material;
- Learn a new skill.
AFAR suggests 18 ways to survive a stay at home quarantine. Read them all in their blog entitled, “Save Me From Myself! A Travel Lover’s Guide to Staying Sane When You’re Stuck at Home.” Ideas include flaneuring and embracing dolce far niente. Speaking of dolce far niente, or the Italian appreciation for the sweetness of doing nothing… here’s another one. It’s “5 Things To Do Under Quarantine, According to an Italian.” Italy has been in serious quarantine for quite a while now, as the coronavirus hit the country hard. This is a simple list, but it’s a good one, and very doable. Read it here. It’s an uncertain time for us all, but this too shall pass. It’s a good time to be dreaming of time at the beach. If you’re planning for a stay in a Charleston beach house down the road, just give us a call. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger