The Virus Diary: Pandemic Getaway? Part 1: Arrival Day
Vacation; not
a necessity, but I think we could all use some sort of break from the
madness. At the end of 2019 I had some sort of plan for the summer of
2020. My son would be going away for 12 days to the Galapagos Islands;
during which time he would be celebrating his birthday. The thought of
him being away on his birthday was a hard one for me, so I thought we would
celebrate a month before with a trek to Skytop as we have been doing for several
years now. I planned it out and made the reservation just after the first
of the year. And then...
As with everything; the resort closed (I'm thinking perhaps for the first time in its nearly 100 year history, but I could be wrong.) Then it opened in May with very strict guidelines (as in you had to wear a mask everywhere except your room and there was no dining, but the kitchen would provide take out). As May turned to June; the incredible staff was able to make adjustments so that many amenities (although not all) could be enjoyed, again under strict guidelines.
I gave this all careful thought. Knowing that most of our time would be spent (hopefully) outdoors, I decided we would go ahead with our plans. The resort is only operating at half capacity and reviewing (and re-reviewing) the protocols the resort has on its website gave me some sense of comfort. Finally, since the resort is less than 2 hours away; if we EVER felt uncomfortable, we could just come home. And we would.
So we packed our bags and headed out around noon on Friday, July 3rd. Usually I would leave earlier, but check in isn't until 4 and while I would usually have no problem just wandering around the lodge while waiting; I didn't want to rush things.
Our drive out was different. Traffic was heavier than I'd expected (but definitely lighter than a "typical" holiday weekend). We did not stop at the McDonalds in Columbia is where we usually grab a lite snack. Going through the Delaware Water Gap was very slow. I'm not sure why because there was no accidents; just stop and go very slow. Gave us a chance to see all the people who were water tubing/rafting down the river. Maybe it's because we've never been out this way for the holiday or the time or the fact that this might be a pseudo-social distance outdoor activity, but man the parking areas were hopping.
Once we were off Route 80 and on the smaller roads, there was still traffic and things definitely moved slower than usual, but overall it didn't take us much longer than it usually would. (Of course we usually would take a rest break, but...) I have to say the closer we got to Skytop, the less traffic and the more relaxed I felt.
As we pulled up to the lodge, I had everyone put their masks on. There were staff members by the North Porch portico putting up decorations for the 4th of July holiday. We pulled in, got out and opened the back of the car while my son went to get a bellman. Of course he would find Robert, who we know from several visits. Robert took our bags and then I went to park the car. (Usually staff takes the car for you and this is just one of the things that has had to change due to Covid-19.) There were no "official" spots left so I parked over by the tennis courts under a pine tree (more on this later).
Walked back to the lodge and went inside (with mask of course) to check in. Before I even got to the front of the line, Robert came over and told me that the room had not yet been inspected. It was clean, but all rooms are inspected. Sure enough this was confirmed when I got to the front of the line. We were given a form to sign (basically saying that we'd abide by the rules) and 3 plastic wristbands which would allow us to hike and walk around outside. (The resort is off limits to anyone other than guests and since the pandemic started they have had some unwelcome visitors. At this time unless you are a guest or a homeowner on the property you need to stay away and off the trails. No day trips for now.) Everyone I saw in the Pine room (the lobby area) was wearing a mask and being socially distant. What not everyone was doing was dressing appropriately. While there is no longer a dress code (yes, I'm an old lady who misses the days when you had to dress for dinner) you SHOULD not be wandering around the area in your bathing suit. (Know the changing rooms are not available, but you can cover up...I really don't need to see your big hairy belly...but perhaps I should be grateful that I didn't see anyone in a Speedo.
Since we
had to wait and it was a beautiful day; I did what I came for (as did my
husband). I grabbed a chair out on the South Porch. The chairs are
carefully distanced so you are able to sit and relax sans mask.
 |
| Outdoor tables for Taproom dining; a new and safe way to enjoy a meal. |
My phone
let me know that our room was ready. So it was back to the lodge, back
inside and back on line to get three keys. The bellman got our luggage
and while he took the elevator, we took the stairs. And going up the stairs I
got my first "in your face" sense of change. The stairway by
the Windsor Dining room has always had a distinct scent. I don't know what it
was; perhaps it was whatever was cooking in the kitchen, but there was just
this wonderful smell that to me said Skytop. It wasn't there. It
was replaced with an odor of disinfectant. Now this is NOT a bad thing; in fact
it is a reassuring thing along with seeing continuously seeing housekeeping
staff wiping down areas including the stairwell. But it did say, perhaps
more than anything else to me that things were different. While they had
to (have to) be, I miss that unique Skytop "scent." (But I know
that someday it WILL return.)
Started to get settled in "our" room (we have had the same room every summer since 2017...). It's the right size for us; although maybe I should try on getting a suite since I have a teen who is over 6 feet tall and bring a lot of clothes. My cell phone rang; it was Zoe, one of the dining room managers. I had already made my reservation for breakfast and dinner and they were well aware of my allergies, and she was just checking in. Since she was in the Windsor dining room I went down to meet with her and just review a few things.
I felt so welcome when I "knocked" on the dining room door. Zoe was there to greet me along with the room manager. The entire room had been made over for safety. New tables (taken I understand from the Taproom) were bare (no clothes; no silverware) and spaced far apart from each other. Yes, I do miss the elegance of the room, but is obviously how things MUST be. Although there were only a few people in the room all were wearing face masks (as they should be.) Zoe mentioned that Colleen (her manager) was down at the Inn which had just reopened that day. (The Inn has gotten a makeover; the Lakeview Inn Dining Room is scheduled to open in August.) I walked down to surprise her.
She surprised me, as she was just going to pull away in a golf cart as I arrived. But she saw me, parked and gave me a tour of the indoor renovations which include a makeover of the 2nd floor patio/deck with a wonderful fire pit. We couldn't check out the rooms...maybe I'll have to reserve a room there on a future trip as I was impressed with the "old" when we stayed there back in November of 2016. Putting it back on the list of things to do.
When we were finished, I started walking back to the Lodge, meeting my son along the way. We returned in time for tea/lemonade and cookies. The resort is able to maintain this tradition while being safe, by having homemade cookies packaged (two cookies per bag) and staff providing the drinks in disposable cups.
While my son enjoyed his afternoon snack, I grabbed a plastic cup from the room, filled it with some ice and an adult beverage I had brought from home. Then it was back to the South Porch to enjoy my own private cocktail hour. After which I headed back to the room to shower and dress for dinner. Yes, even in a pandemic you can do that. And we did.
The dining room was busy, but not crowded. We wore our masks until we got to the table and put them on again when we left. Some people only took their masks off when they ate and then immediately put them back on. The staff never took theirs off and maintained distance as they could. I never felt unsafe or uncomfortable during our meal.
We had a view of the South lawn, where outdoor tables have been set up for outdoor dining from the Tap Room. There were also long picnic tables set up further back on the lawn where there were other options for outdoor dining. It was obvious to me that Skytop is doing everything possible to make guests experience comfortable with plenty of safe options.
After dinner, my son went wandering (as he likes to do), my husband and I sat on the South Porch for a while. He went up to the room before I did. There was a musician on the porch and it was nice to sit back, read and enjoy the evening. Even during a pandemic, with caution, Skytop was doing it right.
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