Cabin fever

[Mark1]

Yup, cabin fever is setting in, but have been getting out to golf and hike. Lots of hiking this year (500 miles so far), but most are local trails and it is starting to get hot at our elevation in CO. Last week, DW and I tried to hike to Blue Lakes in Sneffels Wilderness, but the parking lot at the trailhead was packed with people. Based on the number of people/cars, it looked like it was going to be very difficult to social distance on the trail so we just came home.

 

[kcowan]

Since January, our major outings have been travelling to the next state for a hip replacement in a Covid-free hospital (21 miles away). DW is now capable of walking using a cane for balance so yesterday w went for supper at a waterside Italian restaurant. No,problem with Social distancing and staff all wearing masks.

So we have broken the ice and will be selecting other suitable destinations in the weeks to come. Outdoor eating in the breeze is essential!

Fortunately our newly constructed condo is not a boring place to self-isolate.

 

[Chuckanut]

Finally got out of the house to do some disaster relief work from hurricane damage a few years old. Traveled to the coast, and mixed it up with tourists.

Not a happy experience for me.

The relief work was satisfying. It gave me a chance to look outside of myself. But having to deal with others was difficult. No regard at all for the virus spread, and a lot of "in your face" talk about the virus. One guy insisted at shaking my hand and I had to yell and bark "STOP" to him. Even getting restaurant take out was risky due to the crowding of lines, or having to walk through a packed (against state regulations) dining room.

I guess I am lucky. I live in an area full of CV wimps.

 

[Rocket Man]

DW and I cut our March trip to Florida by ten days when stay at home orders started coming down. To keep busy the last three months we have painted two bedrooms, I have the garage looking better than it has in years, we have been purging things from the basement storage area and it is looking better and we are finishing up a re-landscaping of the front yard. I have a couple of other small outdoor projects to do after that. We take a summer trip to northern Wisconsin in July or August, but not sure if we will go this year. No plans have been made for Florida next winter. Wait and see. We are golfing and just started going back to gym June 1. My part time work started back up on June 1. However, we still feel some cabin fever.

 

[FIREd]

I live in a touristy area and, with the current dearth of foreign tourists, I am rediscovering local attractions that I usually avoid due to crowds.

 

[Freedom56]

How are we dealing with it?

1- Home maintenance/improvement
2- Hobbies - Photography/Video, recording music, astronomy, reading, and gardening.
3- Exercising in our home gym
4- Watching movies
5- Shopping for deals online
6- Managing our investments

We are waiting for some of the state and national parks to open. Since our stay at home orders in March, some of our neighbors have been throwing massive pool parties which won't help the situation and it explains the the surge in infections in Los Angeles County. There was a large pool party until 3:30 AM this morning complete with laser lights.

I personally don't want to travel and wear masks all the time in public. It's bad enough having to do that while shopping for groceries. Eventually this virus will burn itself out. We can wait.

 

[1242Vintage]

Have you been there often? Or is this your first time going there? If you've been there before, do you have a favorite resort/hotel?

Hope we can all get there next year and that the world situation has settled down by then.

To answer your question. We go there a couple times a year. In hotel zone we have stayed at the Riu Palace and Secrets of the vine. Both were 4+ star. Good food and atmosphere.

Our all-time favorite is the Barcelo complex in Riviera Maya. It’s on a nice little bay with several tiers to choose from. Stayed at the “Palace” there many times. Our new favorite is the brand new sheek adults-only addition to the Barcelo Complex. Took my little brother there in January and Planning to go back with wives In January 2021. Barcelo corporation usually has some very good rates on Black Friday after thanksgiving.

 

[kcowan]

Went to an Oceanside restaurant for our Canada Day celebration. All staff wearing masks and tables arranged for social distancing. Daquiri Dicks.

 

[Rex]

We had two cruises cancelled on us this year and we are big travelers but we have adjusted......Here are some things we do/did:

Had our Mothers come stay with us during the height of the quarantine
DW did even more interesting cooking (learned to make homemade biscuits, pizza and other fun things)
Went for lots of hikes/walks
Growing an awesome vegetable garden
Installed a rain barrel
Finished tons of "honey do" projects
Getting a puppy...DW wants and I've got no more excuses....First dog as empty nesters....and 15 years since the family dog died....I'm gearing up to be chief trainer
Planned travel (booked a cruise for fall 2012)...feels good to have one in the books
Planning to spend the fall at our Gulf Coast condo (it rents in the summer) and eat shrimp!

We've adjusted to "not traveling" better than I thought we would...but looking forward to getting out there and we will not hesitate once we can board a ship again!

 

[seraphim]

We had just purchased a minivan and I’ve fitted it with a custom rack for our canoes, and a rack for our recumbent bikes, and a portable-potty. We’ve done a lot of daytripping to local and state parks during the week, hiking on forest paths basically empty during the day. Too hot for paddling and biking around us. Currently planning to outfit the van with 30amp service, lithium storage batteries and an air mattress so we can wander further afield and sleep in the van overnight. No restaurants or touristy attractions. Just getting out of the house into the outdoors.

 

[AreWeThereYet0]

The family vacation in July was canceled. The vacation for just myself and my SO has been indefinitely postponed. It is frustrating that we can’t even see our parents other than over Zoom. We would like to travel but the risk is just not worth it and won’t be for a while.

 

[boont]

Country House

I live near San Francisco and worked for years in entertainment industry. It was pretty intense at times so I sought out a get-away. Took awhile but I found a country property about 2.5 hours north of the City in a little wine valley. Ten acres with a nice Sea Ranch style house made of Redwood. I needed something turn-key as I had little time to visit there when working full time; even Saturdays and Sundays when the movies got closer and closer to release. It is almost a mile down a dirt road with the closest neighbor about a quarter mile away. Secluded but not remote. Five minutes to a couple of small towns. Perfect for distancing oneself.

Now I'm retired and that place is my escape. Realtors are telling me that they are inundated with folks looking for second homes (often in the country) now that we all face a new reality. I still distribute a couple of the movies I made and I have a publisher who sells my books. I couldn't do this when I first bought the place as there wasn't enough internet there back then, but now I can easily work from that home almost as well as the City one.

What seemed an extravagance back then, is now almost a necessity. For me at least. Funny how things change, and how fast.

 

[brewer12345]

The family vacation in July was canceled. The vacation for just myself and my SO has been indefinitely postponed. It is frustrating that we can’t even see our parents other than over Zoom. We would like to travel but the risk is just not worth it and won’t be for a while.

My 78 and 80YO parents want their 4 kids and associated grandkids to visit. They don't seem to understand when I explain that this is a really bad idea, especially given their comorbidities. We would love to see them, but I can't justify the risk to me or them.

We got out on our major summer camping trip to the Black Hills, which was a relief. Since we have a self contained travel trailer we could stay away from people, although a week in a 16 foot trailer with 4 adult sized people and 3 dogs is pretty close. I have a hunting scouting trip coming up in a couple weeks that will be with the trailer and we might try squeezing another family camping trip in the national forest in. After that, I will be eagerly counting down the days to hunting season. 9/1 is season opener for grouse and doves, turkey shortly thereafter, and I have a bear tag that is good from 9/2 to the end of the month. Get out in the woods and you aren't around other people.

 

[gmmartz]

2020 Not so good....

This year was to be a big one for us... lots of Hyatt Residence Clubs points to spend, big family vacation planned, etc. So far, we've cancelled trips to San Juan, Key West, Bonita Springs, Carmel, Lake Tahoe, and Vail. We're desperate to get outta town so we just booked a few days in Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, not Switzerland....) so that'll hopefully give us a little something to look forward to. On the plus side, we have several airline credits to take advantage of next year.

 

[Aerides]

We don't really have cabin fever, but ask me in another 6 months... the other thing about living in S.Fla means we can't exactly drive anywhere - at least nowhere dramatically different, without a lot of driving (it's basically a day to get to Georgia, and a long boring drive to do that) so yeah...

So I'm twisting DH's arm to finally get a pool instead. Figure let's make home the destination when it's all we've got.

 

[2017ish]

After our month in Argentina and Chile in February, we were mostly stuck around home/Nashville until late May and were bouncing off the walls. Then drove to MO to visit parents for a week, then flew to Denver/Boulder to meet up with friends at a vrbo for a long weekend.

Now, we are nearing the end of 5 weeks of a relatively last minute trip to Alaska. (No crowds at all; people we talk to at national parks and surrounding businesses are estimating 5% of normal volume, so any business is appreciated! Of course, services are limited compared to normal, so need to be flexible.)

For us, the best cure for cabin fever is to travel--even though our anticipated three month international trip near the end of this year isn't going to happen....

 

[JoeWras]

the other thing about living in S.Fla means we can't exactly drive anywhere - at least nowhere dramatically different, without a lot of driving (it's basically a day to get to Georgia, and a long boring drive to do that) so yeah..

Yes. This was one of the downsides of living down there. After a trip or two to the everglades, I was done. Not a lot of reason to keep going back.

S.FL has other reasons, though. And your point about a pool is well taken. If I ever moved back, I'd have one with a nice screen enclosure.

 

[jollystomper]

In truth, I traveled so much during my working days, and we traveled so much (including half a dozen overseas trips) in my first 18 months of retirement, that the first half of the year, despite not being able to physically see family, turned into a welcome break from that level of travel. There are some many things within a couple of hours from our home that we have not yet explored if we do feel any cabin fever.

 

[Dtail]

Yes. This was one of the downsides of living down there. After a trip or two to the everglades, I was done. Not a lot of reason to keep going back.

S.FL has other reasons, though. And your point about a pool is well taken. If I ever moved back, I'd have one with a nice screen enclosure.

+1 for the pool with the birdcage enclosure.
After Pickleball, I relax in the pool most days for 30 minutes. World of difference.

 

[Diver]

We are perpetual travelers/nomads in our 5th year & decided to stay in Portugal when the world stopped turning in March. Turned out to be a good decision for us, as we are home-free anyway. We visited Lisbon & Porto last year, but decided to check out the Algarve for 1st time this spring. We started in a month-long Airbnb rental mid-March right before borders & lockdowns srarted. As it became clearer & clearer that this was not ending anytime soon & talk of a winter 2nd wave started, we decided we did not want to fly back to states & be "stuck" for who knows how long. We talked to our apt owner about a direct long term lease following our Airbnb term. They were game as no tourists allowed in by then, so we entered into a (much reduced) lease to April 2021.

Portugal did a sensible lockdown starting mid-March with a slow reopening in 2 week waves starting mid-May. Masks are required indoors & on public transport without controversy. Luckily due to the season, there is plenty of outdoor dining all over town, as we are not ready personally for indoor dining yet. We are a short walk to groceries, beaches & overlook a marina. We are still exploring the area & finding new places to walk or dine outdoors. Weather is fabulous & EU tourists are heading back.

There are covid cases, but at manageable levels. Our town had none until mid-June. We have some now and sure that will continue as tourists return, but no one in ICU (yet?). Lisbon has some hot spots now, so they took a step back there until numbers come down. We are very impressed with how Portugal govt & people here handled & still handling things. Consistent and clear communication & protective measures, transparent reporting, no visible govt conflict, and most everyone is just sensible about it all. It has been a calm & peaceful place to ride it out, and we are very grateful we decided to stay put. Making lemonade, lol.

 

[meleana]

We retired to a new state a month before the COVID thing got serious. We had spent the first month getting settled And doing things around the house, figuring by spring we could get out and explore more.

Honestly, we started to get a bit depressed when we saw what we were in for with the closings and so forth. Hubby had just retired and we were so looking forward to starting our new life.

Best thing we did was join a group of residents for walks every morning. We were able to make some “ friends”. Before you know it there was an outdoor card game, Boat rides onto the big lake here, Country stores and shops opened. Last night we went to a birthday party across the street.

Hubby was able to join the sportsmen’s club and it opened up in June so he’s a happy camper with that.

Helps that this is a vacation area, in fact one we visited every year. We can walk to the beach and a few restaurants. Our community has a nice pool also.

I had won a free 2 night stay at our timeshare which is an hour from here. We went and had a nice time. We went to the state park, drove around to the natural wonders, went to several restaurants- indoor and outdoor.

We also own another timeshare in an adjoining state and intend on going there this month for the week since the maintenance fees are already paid for! Also have another week there in September so will be back up there again as well.

This past Sept we did take a trip out to UTAH right before we sold/closed on our former home and moved to a temporary rental home. We had considered canceling it because we had so much going on with that, but we ended up going and so glad we did.

We only have a couple of places we feel would be worth it to spend the time, money and effort to travel to do we are ok. Most things are open here but it would be so nice to go back to no restrictions when it is safe.

And of course being able to see a play or indoor concert, movies ( they are opening here but I am still leery of doing some indoor things like that).

I do plan on going on a large boat ride and train right here. I shall see...

 

[2lhasas]

My husband retired at the end of January, following my retirement in April of 2018. I think it has been toughest on him as he didn’t really have retirement routines in place. A lot of people initially struggle with he transition from full time work to retirement, but quarantine has really meant moving to full stop in the most abrupt way. It’s been very challenging for him.

My passion for backpacking has never been his thing, but he recently asked me to help him purchase a pack and to get us a larger tent. If he’s desperate enough to want to hit the trial with me, things are really bad. I’m glad though, as it seems that may be the best way to get out a bit while still keeping distance. Now if this damn heatwave would break, we could get out of this house.

 

[Sunset]

I live near San Francisco and worked for years in entertainment industry. It was pretty intense at times so I sought out a get-away. Took awhile but I found a country property about 2.5 hours north of the City in a little wine valley. Ten acres with a nice Sea Ranch style house made of Redwood. I needed something turn-key as I had little time to visit there when working full time; even Saturdays and Sundays when the movies got closer and closer to release. It is almost a mile down a dirt road with the closest neighbor about a quarter mile away. Secluded but not remote. Five minutes to a couple of small towns. Perfect for distancing oneself.

Now I'm retired and that place is my escape. Realtors are telling me that they are inundated with folks looking for second homes (often in the country) now that we all face a new reality. I still distribute a couple of the movies I made and I have a publisher who sells my books. I couldn't do this when I first bought the place as there wasn't enough internet there back then, but now I can easily work from that home almost as well as the City one.

What seemed an extravagance back then, is now almost a necessity. For me at least. Funny how things change, and how fast.

Sounds really peaceful, quiet and a nice place to be.

 

[Live Large]

How things Change

I live near San Francisco and worked for years in entertainment industry. It was pretty intense at times so I sought out a get-away. Took awhile but I found a country property about 2.5 hours north of the City in a little wine valley. Ten acres with a nice Sea Ranch style house made of Redwood. I needed something turn-key as I had little time to visit there when working full time; even Saturdays and Sundays when the movies got closer and closer to release. It is almost a mile down a dirt road with the closest neighbor about a quarter mile away. Secluded but not remote. Five minutes to a couple of small towns. Perfect for distancing oneself.

Now I'm retired and that place is my escape. Realtors are telling me that they are inundated with folks looking for second homes (often in the country) now that we all face a new reality. I still distribute a couple of the movies I made and I have a publisher who sells my books. I couldn't do this when I first bought the place as there wasn't enough internet there back then, but now I can easily work from that home almost as well as the City one.

What seemed an extravagance back then, is now almost a necessity. For me at least. Funny how things change, and how fast.

Glad to read all the various situations some make minor adjustments as home bodies ~ others just adjust.

Fortunate in a similar way as those with 2nd Hm.

Really didn’t think how a 2nd place would play in the reverse as we bought rural home first then SF Bay Area condo 18yrs ago ~ I grew tired of commute.
It’s 70miles from home to condo which sits in hills with a view of San Francisco so change of pace.
Our home has country view cows, crops, & hills.

We’ve been fortunate to travel overseas take a few cruises do miss the liberty to do so but we adjust.
Flight travel at standstill last trip Feb 29th leap year?
FL Orlando was now, cancelled-,Vegas, Nawlins nope
Happy we did Grand Canyon last October- Hawaii
last Dec. So major trips on hold until 2021 or later?

Ventured out some to coast of California Ocean views are never boring - grab some take out food. Ride my motorcycle country roads in Central Valley.
Hiking is a low risk outing remote area few people.
History channel Sci fi HDGTV reading a few books.
Just value the blessing of being retired - things will get better - plenty of ideas here - being home is nice.
ER’d 51 been 3yrs now DW loves her gardening still works from hm via computer so get her 1yr closer to her date! No, no Fever please! Go outside at night look up at the stars see the bright moon! Or during the day over coffee, bright sun, birds flying.Staying home doesn’t bring cabin fever ~ But sitting still might! Get busy. Time will pass

Healthy mind & body may we all stay safe be well.

 

[RobbieB]

So I'm twisting DH's arm to finally get a pool instead. Figure let's make home the destination when it's all we've got.

Our landscaping project is up to 45 grand, you should be able to do a nice pool for that!

I like my home, it's home sweet home, in a good location with lots of good stuff close by. Never a better time to make the home life rock!