“Stay at Home” Get-Away

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Here it is, early August. We are still under a “stay at home” order. Summer is winding down. Did you get out of town for vacation? Some of us did. Some of us did not.

We had reservations at the Blue Lantern Inn, Dana Point, California, to celebrate a milestone birthday with an ocean view. We made the reservations back in January this year, when life was simpler. I didn’t want to cancel until closer to the weekend, hoping for things to improve regarding the pandemic. They did. Briefly, at least.

As the weekend approached, I debated back and forth if it would be a good idea to go or not. It did seem to be a low risk activity. I spoke to the inn personnel. I consulted my doctor. I researched online. We had until seven days prior to cancel for a full refund. So on that day, we decided we’d go. The commitment was made. I totally overthought it, but I wanted to be safe, not sorry.

We had a lovely time. We did practice social distancing by simply relaxing in the room or sitting out on the balcony, except to go pick-up food. We followed the requirement to wear a mask when we were outside our room. We washed our hands. And hoped for the best.

Basically, we went “glamping” – the term for glamorous camping. Not knowing what to quite expect, and basically quarantining ourselves to the room, we packed extra supplies. The inn was not doing housekeeping once guests checked in. There was no food service. Here are some some things we did to make this work.

Our lovely room. It was cleaned prior to our arrival, and left empty for 24-hours before our check-in, according to protocol.
We picked up Friday night dinner at a local restaurant and ate on the balcony of the room. We brought dishes, napkins, and tableware which came in handy.
The view was delightful. If you choose to stay in your room, having a view is a good idea.
We brought our own breakfast buffet: sourdough coffee cake that Glen had made, and slices of cheese. We ate this both Saturday and Sunday with coffee.
Since there was no housekeeping, and we’d brought plates and utensils from home, I did the dishes in the bathroom sink with dish soap, dish cloth, and a drying towel brought from home.
Our drying rack was a place mat from home.
We brought a jar and some tea bags and made sun tea for the afternoon.
We really enjoyed the change of scenery from our home.
Random snacks from home.
Happy hour on the balcony.
We got take-out for dinner, too. It was too cold to eat outside, so we moved the balcony table and chairs in by the little fireplace. The restaurant did no include napkins or tableware, so I was glad we had brought some.

We cancelled our vacation plans for May. We cancelled our vacation plans for this month. With our current uncertain circumstances, it seemed to be the wisest thing for us. I’m glad we did get one weekend away. It wasn’t the get-away we’d had in mind when we made the reservation last January, but we had a good time.

Blue Lantern Inn, Dana Point; Photo Credit: Trip Advisor

Where did you get away to this summer? What did you give up?

Stay charming, my friends.

6 thoughts on ““Stay at Home” Get-Away”

  1. I am glad you had a chance to get away! We have had a few little getaways this summer and it does the soul good! We stayed at the Blue Lantern years ago and the view is incredible. And when you have a balcony and a view like that, why not stay in and enjoy it! Our getaways have included more hanging out at our spot, which actually can be very relaxing. So the Blue Lantern did not have their famous cookies or provide breakfast??

    Monica Wilson

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    • I saw on Facebook that you had an adventure and stayed in a cozy trailer. Is that correct? That looked fun and you were also socially distanced on a fun time out of town. No cookies. No breakfast. They discounted the room rate. They began serving food, cookies, etc. later in the summer. But when they first reopened, everything was limited. I even think some of the decor in the room had been removed. I’m guessing to make it easier to sanitize the rooms. Good to hear from you this morning.

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    • Great question! Yes, we had planned on taking walks. But, alas, I injured my foot (walking, ironically) the Thursday prior to the get-away. I needed to rest the foot to repair it. I was disappointed, but don’t mind sitting around and reading as much as I did. Breaking that up with some exercise outdoors would have been preferable.

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      • I broke my right ankle in 2018. This was my left foot. When I walk without arch supports in my shoes, it eventually results in pain. Easy to fix and clears up quickly. Thankfully, the other foot and not a serious injury.

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