Travel Turned Around
It’s no secret that travel has changed in the last few months. The coronavirus has affected millions and the way we go about our daily lives. But it looks as though travel is beginning to make a comeback, and many families are trying to squeeze in a summer vacation during these last few weeks before school returns. Recently, we had a family of five fly out to our beautiful National Parks. Here is their success story and their first hand experience.
Montana
Once the family arrived in Montana they opted to rent a car and drive themselves from spot to spot. The clients had a total of five stops. The first stop was Glacier National Park, Montana at the hotel: Lodge at Whitefish Lake. "We were happy to have a washer and dryer in our condo, so we could immediately wash our airplane clothes and keep our items sanitized," says our client.
While this property is half an hour from the park entrance, it hosts a wide range of family fun activities, such as jet skiing, pontoon boating and condo style living. "Glacier National Park was breathtaking and a lot less busy than the other National Parks we visited," says our client. "The hikes and white water rafting were challenging and exhilarating, so we were glad we added this stop to our itinerary."
Wyoming
The next two stops were Yellowstone National Park & Teton Mountains. They combined lodging at Explorers Cabin at Yellowstone and Jackson Hole's Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa. Each spot had high safety measures, such as no cleaning staff in the rooms during the entire stay and multiple hand sanitizer stations throughout the hotel. Elevators were limited to one family at a time, and pool times needed to be scheduled at the front desk.
Top highlights at these stops were the hike to Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone Park and the Jackson Hole Rodeo night. "A great tip is to bring reusable water bottles, as it's both environmentally friendly and it kept us hydrated as many water fountains were off-limits and gift shops were closed," recommends the client.
Idaho
Fourth stop was Sun Valley, Idaho: Sun Valley Lodge . "We loved Sun Valley and could have stayed for a week. The wide open spaces, incredible restaurants and laid back mentality made us feel comfortable and relaxed," comments our client.
Utah
The final stop was Park City, Utah: The St. Regis, Deer Valley. This is the cream of the crop resort in Park City, and they took sanitation measurements very seriously. "Our highlight at Park City was taking a hot air balloon ride around the area to see the mountains on an eye-to-eye level," says the client. "It was pretty spectacular and a very special family moment."
Final Thoughts
At no point did our clients feel unsafe or overly exposed. Throughout the entire trip, our clients wore masks in public spaces, and all their private tour guides kept their masks on during their excursions. Many restaurant reservations were outdoor dining, and all hotels eliminated buffets. Only one restaurant required a temperature check upon entering.
This family had to cancel their Italy trip this year due to Covid, but instead of traveling east, they went west. "It was disappointing to not visit Italy, but the silver lining is that we were very happy to have this incredible American experience," says our client. "We would have never done this trip if not for COVID-19. While this is a difficult time for everyone, we only have so many years together traveling as a family, and we are so happy that MoGo Travel Service could make this trip happen for us."
As travel is changing directions every day, our clients were happy to have MoGo Travel in their corner to update them on changes. "The main take-away I will give to other families that want to travel during this time is plan,plan, plan," says our client. "This is not a time to leave it up to chance. We made sure every private tour, restaurant reservation and mid-drive stops were accounted for, and Lauren stayed on top of any news we needed to be made aware of." The clients have now been home for over a month and are all healthy and well. The kids & parents love to share stories of their unique getaway and treasure the memories.