Florida to NH
 

Has anyone just made the drive from FL to NH? I have heard random stories of police stopping people and turning them back. I am wondering if this is true as I am debating make a run myself but I am undecided.

FL to NH?
 

Tough question. It appears you can still take the auto train from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA. No police stops. How to get through NY is a problem, I think. If 50% of CV19 cases are in NY, and travel is restricted, you might have to or want to plan a western route through PA and west NY. Perhaps a call to NY State Police would give accurate answers. Otherwise, lots of stories and speculation, not hard facts.

Thanks Descant
 

I think I would likely call each state I have to pass through and ask the question. Would drive straight through but still have to stop for gas and bathroom breaks.

My hunch is that FL is about to explode like NYC

Or you could just head all of the warnings and stay sheltered in place!!

Florida to NH
 

My ex drove from Long Island to her place in N.H. on Thursday with no issues.

I drove from New York to Iowa and back the past 2 days to clear my daughters dorm room out with no issues.

Very little traffic except trucks and did not see many cops either


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Fl.-nh.
 

Drove home from Venice FL. to NH left Monday the 23rd arrived home Wed.night. No issues at all. Sailed up 95 the whole way right over the GWB no traffic or police issues just normal speed traps.

I totally agree.

Has to be one
 

Florida has no such order to shelter in place.

Maybe some people want to get home.

Florida is going with local and county stay at home orders.


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It is slightly longer but a much better drive through western PA, western NY, CT,MA and NH. Vary it as suits you, but we stop in Baltimore (relatives), then York, PA, Harrisburg, Scranton then East. We did it over 3 weeks ago from South Florida. This has been our route for 16 years. Avoids NYC for traffic and just fortuitous this year. PM me if u need more info.

If you don’t feel safe where you are in Florida, I would definitely say you should go. I feel very safe where I am and have been social distancing for over three weeks now. I can enjoy my pool and work in my garden.

I believe Florida is going to get really bad. Thankfully, the amount of people flying down from New York has dropped significantly once the state started to quarantine them when they got here.

Also, New Orleans ,Louisiana, where the Mardi Gras was just a month ago, is now a new hotspot. Those people are trying to come in to Florida. They are being stopped and the local Air B&Bs are told not to rent to the out of staters.
Florida’s economy has already taken such a huge hit because this is our busy season now. Occupancies are at about 10% of what they should be.

Safe?
 

Probably safe down here but all family is up there. There is also a concern that as this gets worse travel may be prohibited and if that were the case I would rather be be closer to family and if worst came to worst, Boston medical care.

The dilemma is that Boston medical care, like NY medical care, may be overrun. I would not want to bank on a Boston hospital in May or June

If you are worried about getting Boston medical care I'll give you a heads up, if you're in NH and come down with it or something else, you're NOT getting into Boston. I am in the medical field. So if that is your major reasoning, do what I'm telling my parents, stay put. They are in the same situation as you, all their family is up here too but at this time we aren't seeing each other anyway.
That being said, I also don't blame you or will not be one of those that will get mad at you for coming back. You need to do what you need to do.

Boston
 

I understand the comments about not getting to Boston but no one can stop me driving into the city. If I had to go to Lakes Region I may as a well stay home and die there versus wasting the gas to drive and have them kill me. Ditto goes for a large chunk of FL. If I offended someone sorry but that is my thinking.

Additionally my docs are in the city and that is where they would send me. For now I am not worried about that.

If I needed to get to hospital it would surely depend on when I got sick. 4 Weeks from now I doubt there will be any beds or ventilators, 4 days from now I think I have a chance. I am not like to get infected in car that only stops for gas. Plan to use the side of the road for other stops. Gross...but I am not going into a public bathroom now.

Bottom line is NH is home and that is where I want to be,

Then you should go. As long as you understand like I do, that even in the best of times the hospitals in the Lakes region are abysmal at best. I cannot tell you the number of times my mother was rushed from there down to Brigham and Women’s, because they screwed up so badly in Laconia.

Lakes Region
 

I agree about Lakes Region they are not where I would ever want to be. The only urgency to get to NH right now is that I assume things are going to much, much worse in 1week, 2 weeks, etc....

Not sure that they can legally shut down interstate travel but my thinking is that as this gets worse that is what will happen. Legal or not...tough to argue with cop telling you no.

Every step you make traveling from Florida to NH will increase the risk of not only you but everyone you contact to contract this virus. Please think universally rather than from your own view point and stay put for the next four weeks.
To liberally borrow from Recycled Percussion... Chaos rules right now, and Kindness requires that we be thoughtful of both our actions and the effects it may have on others

You wouldn't like it much here anyway right now; everything is shutting down, its still mud season, and black flies are just around the corner. May will soon be upon us and hopefully there will be reason for all of us to celebrate

Thank you, Solar, for your common sense, civilized response. There have been so many negative and snarky comments on the forum lately...not what we need. We have been thinking about coming back home to N.H.,but why? What’s the rush? We are hoping that this terrible crisis peaks pretty soon, and that people can get their lives back to normal, whatever that is. If you can stay put, wherever you are, please do it! Try to stay healthy, and be good to one another, even if you have to grit your teeth! 🙄

Snowbird migration.
 

Is already happening in the Lakes Region. Yesterdays trip to Gilford Shaw's a number of NY, Mass and Conn plates spotted! The parking lot was full! I skip Shaws and drove to Vista. I feel a lot safer!
Why can't people show kindness to the locals??????

Thanks to the folks that answered the original question
 

Thanks to the folks that answered the original question about their experience traveling.

I appreciate the last comment about toughing it out for another 4 weeks however IMHO this will not be over in 4 weeks. Therefore the decision before me is now or maybe not until summer.

There are no restrictions in FL...although who knows when that might change or how that might change. Today I am free to drive or I am free to fly. I am not sick and I will not get anyone else sick. My sole exposure will be buying gas. Rubber gloves and a mask should help avoid any issues of contracting or potentially spreading it.

Hitting the road this week.

Good luck, stay safe, and happy trails!

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Everyone's circumstances are different and each individual needs to make decisions like this based on their own well-being while also being sure to not harm those around them.

We left FL min-afternoon on Friday, the 20th, arrived at our home in NH on the evening of the 21st. The trip would normally take much longer. But it's much faster when you can cruise at 75+ the whole way (including through NYC with no stops), you don't stop for dine-in meals, and you only stop at a hotel for 6 hours for needed sleep. The only person we came in direct contact with was the hotel clerk, and we both kept a wide berth between us. Other than the hotel, the only other stops were at a few rest stops. This was where I had my biggest concern. Most have those stupid hand blowers to dry your hands. Studies have shown that these things are worse than nothing as they just blow bacteria, viruses, and other bad things all over the place. I avoided them as much as possible and dried my hand on my pants.

Leaving FL was the right choice for us. Our residence there is a high-rise condo, only 1200 sq. ft. With 2 dogs, we would have needed to use the elevators multiple times a day to take the dogs out, elevators that are used my many, many others. Not to mention being stuck in a relatively small space with 2 dogs. Our alternative is our home here in NH, surrounded by woods and water, with currently no one within a hundred yards of us. Not to mention all our family is close by. It was an easy decision for us and I'm glad we moved quickly. A lot has changed even in the 8 days since we arrived.

We are still well and have only ventured out once to get necessary grocery supplies. Six more days and at least we can say it wasn't FL or the trip that may cause us to get sick.

We did essentially what Merrymeeting did for similar reasons and left somewhat earlier. We brought most of our isolation supplies. We have been self isolated except for 2 trips for groceries. Discouraging that not much social distancing or awareness of many in the store. Similar to the crowding at Mt. Major.

Although I understand some of the fears of the “Locals” each family makes its own decisions and it is rarely helpful to stigmatize certain groups.

Agreed. This will certainly be going much longer than 4 weeks.

I have friends in certain professions that have indicated this is far from being over. Think in terms of months not weeks.

Full timers like myself are very worried about an influx of people from other states at this critical time people should be just staying home.

This is happening in other states where people have second homes as well, such as Vermont, NY (ex: the Catskills and the Hamptons), the Jersey Shore, the Poconos in PA.

Yes, map, you are right. This is happening in many states. People are panicking and afraid that out of staters are bringing the virus to them.

I just read this morning where local residents in Maine cut down a tree and blocked a seasonal resident’s access to his home.

The Outer Banks in North Carolina will not allow anyone who is not a permanent resident to come in.

New Hampshire is certainly not immune, and as I’ve said before, the hospitals are in no way able to treat the amount of patients.

Afraid its too late for that. Here is what happened in a neighboring state:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/maine-cor...bor-quarantine

Not saying its right, just people are "nervous", and nervous people are unpredictable.

Stay safe all.

And also, I have not heard this mentioned here. Everyone seems to think that once summer is here and the warm weather comes, the virus is going to go away. We have been unusually hot here in Florida, 90° the last couple of days and well above average by at least 10° for the last couple of months, mostly 80° temperatures. It has been hot! And as mentioned earlier the virus is continuing to spread exponentially here.

July
 

I have friends (doctors) who work in Mass. hospitals. They word from them is July then a brief break before it starts up again. Until a vaccine or enough people have had it and build immunity there is no real end.

Jail time?
 

Fear or not the people who imprisoned a man in his home with a trees and guns face some pretty serious charges. Amazing how fast social order can crumble when small groups of people decide they are the law.

Unless those Maine island resident plan to staying on the island for 18 months with no food, fuel etc coming in the corona virus will find them anyway and they might face some very serious criminal charges against them...and for what?

WOW, just WOW!!!
You have been a "full timer" as you put it ... for what???? 3 weeks? And you want to ban others from coming here?

I gotta say..... Life-Longers like myself may want you to retreat.....

Banned? Those are your words, not mine. You sent me an angry private message and I responded, yet you still felt the need to post here also?

I told you in the PM I was concerned that people from other states were traveling up here RIGHT NOW - just as long time residents are concerned-when people are supposed to be staying at their current homes. I did not say they should be banned. Just my feelings of concern on how that could affect the area in terms of spreading the virus, the grocery store supplies and overburdening the hospitals.

I totally understand people wanting to escape the hot spots or urban areas.

I also stated how this was happening in other states as well. Just stating a fact, not an opinion.

Where we lived in NY it was also a vacation area and the same thing is going on there in the Catskills. I would be concerned about it also if I were still living there.

Do I think people should be "banned"? Absolutely not. I just think people on their own should stay in place for now.

We moved here on 2/6 after having a home built which we signed for back in June. (Our son has lived in NH full time for 10 years). We sold our home of 32 years and moved into a rental in NY back in Sept. until my husband could retire at the end of the year and the house here was completed. We knew of nothing about the corona virus during the past year.

Sorry you hate new residents and are projecting your feelings onto my post.

Why you feel compelled to target me twice I don't know. But here again is the response I gave you in the private message.

Have a good day and be safe.

In a different thread here, somewhere, I already posted this public notice from the Town of Waterville Valley asking second home owners not to come for fear of bringing the corona virus with them ...... but, here it is, again.

http://www.watervillevalley.org/home...erville-valley ..... don't come here ..... you just stay there.

Last time I checked, yesterday, there was no police road block set up down below the huge, new Welcome to Waterville Valley sign at the Route 49 entrance to town. Waterville Valley has long been known as the town at the end of the road, and this time of year, there's just one road in, to get here. You could probably hike and cross country ski down about ten miles from Rt 93-Exit 31 on the Forest Service-Tripoli Rd, if you really wanted to.

...... oh well ..... a Waterville Valley road block will never-ever-ever happen ..... no way!

The large direction sign across from the golf course at the turn-off road for Town Square has been touting "WE HAVE FRESH AIR" for the last week, and that now seems a little snarky, all things considered.

Out of Staters?
 

A few thoughts..Has it occured that people in rural areas that they are at more risk because they falsely assume they have not already been exposed to C-19?

No guarantee that a local doesn't get exposed by various means other than out of staters.

So if one is a resident of NH, owns property, pays taxes, and votes in NH, but spends a few winter months with family that live in another state, what is their label?

The best way to avoid c-19 is to assume that you are already infected and act accordingly!

This is a time that we should love thy neighbor, and not feed the fear, but understand it and be kind.

Wha if NH is home??
 

A bit funny that you just came from NY and are telling me a NH resident that because I am currently in FL that I cannot come home. Too funny!

I am not telling you that. A resident should be able to come home and stay in place. Health experts are telling people to stay in place and are concerned about second home owners and renters coming up to vacation areas in their state. The more people move around the more it spreads.

The governor is asking all people coming here from other states to self quarantine for 14 days.

We moved here before the SH&*&^t hit the fan. Corona virus when we moved was still considered a "hoax" by the powers that be at that time. (We closed on the house on 12/31).

If the health experts had told people to stay in place before we moved we would have stayed in the rental until which time we could move. We had a one year lease anyway. And we did not become residents until a few days after we came here.

Sorry to break the news to you: New Hampshire natives do not consider someone a resident until they have lived in the state for a minimum of 30 years or are the second generation to live in the state. :)

Sounds like The out of Stater's just don't care about anyone but themselves. IF they did, they would have STAYED in New York, Mass, Florida, Conn and RI and not come to NH. They could POSSIBLE BE INFECTED and bringing it to NH. Sounds like you Talk the Talk but don't WALK the WALK!. To late now!! Soon New Hampshire will be the next HOT SPOT and as the Out of Stater's all will say. 1. " The Hospitals up there are Terrible ). 2. It wasn't me.... Shame on anyone that thinks this way.

Personally, I would worry about those out of countians from Grafton.

( That is not to be taken literally ).

Well- ha ha. Sorry to break the news to you but the only thing that we care about is that the state considers us legal residents.

Natives have every right to think and feel as they want.

Must be tough on them because from what I have seen almost everyone seems to be a transplant- mostly from Mass.

What a crazy post.
 

I started the thread just asking for travel info from those people who had already made the drive. As usual on the forum the thread then became a referendum on who had the right to return to their homes. I am not an out of stater and even if I was what difference does it make. We will observe 14 days in our house...really no different than what we do now.


NH will not be the next hotspot but there is no stopping the virus until we either have a vaccine or the virus runs its course. No one needs to be a doctor to grasp that. Sure cities will be the first hot spots but of course it will spread to more rural areas. I do not see NH making national news as a new hot spot.

And yes the hospital in the Lakes Region is terrible but by all means if you are ill go there first. Me? Not so much.

Lastly stay safe, keep a rational head and maybe we all get out of this ok...without turning on our neighbors.

Welcome to the Forum. Your first post leaves a lasting impression.....

From the governor

I drove last week from CO to NH. No problems and very light traffic. I obviously came through western NY.


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I'll be respectful of the year round population, bring my own supplies, and not venture away from the island (except to fish) but I will go. Barring a catastrophic injury I won't be seeking medical care (I've been to the area hospital for stitches and broken bones - they were fine) more out of fear of catching something than being a carrier. I'll only be there for a few days at a time because even though I am working remote, I need to be close by.

My hope is that just because you see a car with an out of state plate, you don't assume the worst.

Seriously. Every Local does. However you guys have well deserved the title. If the shoe fits??? Which has been proven year after year after year. Just Try to be nice for a change. Here's a challenge for everyone that is not a full time resident. TOMORROW. Say Hello to a total stranger and see how good that makes you feel when they respond.

Very true. We could call them non native residents. So for example, I was born here as was my daughter. My daughter’s oldest child was born in Massachusetts, came home to NH at 3 days old, but sadly is not a native; her second child was born in NH and thus is a native. :)

Thus CHANGING the SUBJECT, like most (D) do when they have nothing else.

I was going to reply in detail but decided not to do so since I never engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man/woman/person.

If you joined this site just to be a jerk you have made your point and accomplished your mission.

There are many people here who offer constructive thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Your initial posts are none of those. We may not always agree but as someone who has just entered the room you should tone it down a bit.

Please move on, your attempt at wisdom is not needed here.

Challenge accepted - is it OK to just wave and smile from my car so proper social distancing can remain in place?

My first thought, when I saw your post, was that the open-ended statement was kind of trolling for trouble.

But then he posted again, and closed any discussion! :D

Yes, That would be a nice gesture. It's a great start.

Not seeing me being a jerk. I responded to a thread, and if the truth hurts your feeling, well, then don't read. But the last thing I knew we had a 1st amendment which allows me to speak my mind. I can see by your response if other people's opinion's don't match yours then they are wrong. Sorry, not how this works. TILTONBB, try being nice tomorrow and say Hello to a total stranger. It will make you feel better. Just sayin!

May 15th is Peak--Still Awful, Going Forward...
 

Video of surgeon says peak will be seen May 15th. Gives frank discussion of how the virus works when one reaches the hospital.
Caution: Language (!)

https://youtu.be/4J0d59dd-qM

FL to NH
 

Actually a very interesting thread. Many of us down in FL who WILL come back to NH for the season-just a matter of when. It is fatuous at face value to ask people not to come to NH. Do you actually believe you have some sort of cone of protection around you up there?

There is ZERO chance that we'll stay here beyond 5/15 or so. We have homes on the lake. I agree that FL will become a hotspot. Here in Naples people are more insouciant than they should be but you cannot stop people from going home so stop with the suggestion. My wife and I are super vigilant and will make the trip in one shot. Maybe sleep a few hours in the back of our SUV. Once in NH we'll continue super vigilance. We all have to do our part but asking people to not come home is an exercise in futility.

I stay away from my property you collect no tax
 

If New Hampshire orders seasonal property owners to stay away from their property I hope they understand that their tax bill will be prorated accordingly.

I may have to stay in CA...
 

Mandated by California, and not NH and depending on what's happening in four weeks, I may stay in CA voluntarily for the rest of the year and I will pay my Meredith taxes...HOWEVER!!!

If NH says I can't come in...I don'y think they deserve my taxes...Especially for that new $4mm library...Maybe put the $4mm into the local hospitals? Get some ventilators, masks for now and the future emergencies... Not a disconnected subject.

Time to keep my eyes open for tax sales.... :)

Eyes open?
 

Take a nap, close your eyes. It takes months and years for tax sales. Same for foreclosure sales.

To anyone traveling...
 

Aside from the popular debate ("is it right or is it wrong?") ...

...the most important thing to remember if you ARE going to travel into NH from anywhere else, is do us all a favor and reduce the chances of bringing he disease in. You can do that by thinking and planning ahead, "how to reduce the spread of a virus."

1. Plan to drive nonstop from the NH border (farther away is better, if you can) to your NH property and stay on that property for 2 weeks without having outsiders in. (Having takeout meals delivered doesn't count if you tell them to deliver to your doorstep and don't open the door until they're gone.)

2. Don't panic; just plan for 2 weeks. It's no different from a 2-week vacation. That's clothing for 14 days (whatever that means to you) and your usual meals... for 14 days. Consider that you're going to be bumming around the house for 2 weeks, not hiking Mount Washington. Remind yourself of human psychology and your own personal habits as you plan what to shop for. That's because many panic-buyers are now publicly admitting they "prepared" for a month of being completely marooned, ate everything in 2 days, are now 15 pounds heavier and constipated from sitting around, and they just realized the stay-home order doesn't prevent essential activities like outdoor exercise and food shopping. The idea of staying in for a month is a good idea for everyone who knows how to throw a mental switch and make it happen ("if only...." but that's not the majority) and it's only critical for people who really shouldn't risk exposure even a little bit. There are volunteer services set up for delivering food & supplies to those people.

For everyone else, your weekly shopping's not interrupted; the virus threat just means "go out at little as possible to minimize virus spread." HOWEVER, mankind has never been able to stop disease spread, so that's unrealistic to attempt, and mimimizing is the next best option. That relies on realistic psychology. Human psychology says stocking up for longer periods of time than your usual budget period requires great personal discipline in order to work, or else it makes the overall problem worse.

People are stocking up for a month, consuming everything in 2 days because it's there ("Christmas dinner mentality") becoming tempted into stress-eating and boredom eating (two very unhealthy, often-deadly habits) they've helped strip the supermarket bare (making the crisis worse for everyone), and they end up having to go back out for more food. The irony is, according to the World Health Organization heart disease and stroke are the world's #1 and #2 killers by a long shot. Right now a large number of people are throwing themselves in front of the frieght train to avoid the oncoming passenger train.

They go back to the supermarket (risking more virus spread) and repeat process, telling themselves "I'll stock up for a month again but I really will discipline myself this time..." and of course it doesn't happen. Back to the supermarket. It's New Year's Resolution mentality -- same thing every year -- "I'll get it right this time."

Better idea: Be realistic. All things considered, it's probably better for everyone if we all just did our usual weekly food shopping and replace "stock up" with "do all you can to prevent disease transmission while you're out." Will it be good enough to stop the disease spread? NO. But that's never happened since the beginning of time.

New habits can't be learned or broken overnight -- remind yourself of that. Many in the psych field aren't sure why 10-day addiction programs exist because it's not enough time to break one habit and form a new one -- and we're only 2 weeks into "the new normal." NO ONE has had enough time to learn new habits and it's a very stressful setting, which makes the learning take longer. All you can do is be realistic about yourself when you shop and remember if they don't have what you want, you can get creative with what they have. In times like this new recipes get invented that become favorites when it's over. They do it on Mount Washington all the time, because they're under a weather-imposed stay-indoors order frequently during the winter and taking the snowcat down from the summit to go pick up a depleted ingredient in North Conway is ridiculously impractical. The MWO crew are NH's champions at what everyone else needs to be doing now.

3. Consider what's already in your NH property. You may already have "lakewear" in your closet or a few cans of soup and some pasta in your kitchen. I just found some 2013 canned veggies in a forgotten storage cabinet and tried them. They were past the "best by" date and they were no longer "best" but they were fine to eat. Garlic powder, oregano, basil and salt made them enjoyable.

4. Do all your shopping BEFORE coming into NH (ideally in your own area). It'll save supplies from getting depleted "here" and help keep your germs "there." Remember, you're isolating for 2 weeks upon arrival just in case.

In planning your shopping, remember sitting around doesn't take a lot of calories. Your general activity determines what you need more or less of, and if you get sick you'll need more water than anything. You probably won't be in the mood for a 10-course turkey dinner if you're lying in bed with a fever. If you stay healthy the whole 2 weeks, getting lots of housework done might lead you to drink more coffee than usual while eating less than your usual, of certain foods. I, personally, tend to get more done around the house on a light breakfast with extra coffee, than I do on a full breakfast and 1-2 cups of coffee. Whatever your personal thing is, that's what you plan and shop for (not the panic mode in the air.)

Consider all you ever wanted to get done but have been putting off. NH's Stay-At-Home Until May 4 order means "zero excuses; there's never been a more perfect time to get stuff done at home!" Hearing the order made me a bit restless at first but when I got that idea and started writing my list of things I've procrastinated, it quickly grew to more than a month's worth of chores I still don't want to do, but it beats lying in bed getting constipated and I feel good about accomplishing the first couple items ("Man, that looks a lot neater. Why didn't I do that sooner?") Buy whatever hardware you need before you leave for NH and use online shopping after you arrive.

5. Once you've shopped, packed, and start driving, stop as little as possible and avoid densely populated areas if you can, especially virus hotspots like NYC. Choose less populated routes like I-81 instead, to minimize chance of contact with another person. Stop for gas only - (use automated pumps) and avoid others -- a good safety policy on a road trip, anyway. Before the virus came, it was wise to avoid strangers on a road trip in case they were thugs or white collar con artists fleeing from arrest warrants. Put the focus on getting here as quickly and directly as possible, to minimize spread of the virus to NH.

To anyone traveling...
 

Great advice and really not hard to do. The shopping before you leave will take the most planning.

Or "Business as Usual"?
 

To anyone who's made the trip already, were your overnighting hotels making special efforts to reduce the chance of contamination?

We came back to NH about 3 weeks ago and essentially did what is described above. We live in South Florida and have been making the 1700 mile drive about the same way for 16 years with stops at a Holiday Inn in SC and a stop in MD then traveling thru western PA and avoiding NYC.

I have always understood that one needs to have several generations of ancestors buried in NH to really be a local. Still, we are low profile people respectful of the culture and have been very happy with our time here.

It is ironic as we have lived and worked in South Florida for almost 50 years and have seen a radical cultural change primarily with Cuban and other Latino migrations. My Spanish is terrible but we have embraced the changes even though life is different. But many in South Florida do complain about “ruining Florida” and have moved up the FL coast to escape. Not much different than the Flatlanders ruining NH.

Anyway, I had been watching the events in China from the beginning and for the last month or so in FL we were mostly isolating ourselves and slowly accumulating meds, food, cleaning supplies to take with us. We shipped some to NH as our car is not large and we bring the dog.

The Holiday Inn in SC was clean but we sanitized the surfaces as much as possible. We had our own food so stops were only for gas/rest rooms.

We have been self isolating here for 3 weeks now with only one of us going to grocery stores for a weeks worth of food.

And yes, we did return earlier than usual...not so much to escape Covid (which is not possible ) but because we believed it might have been difficult to get out of FL later and we did not want to spend the summer in FL.

We are not naive and expected some in NH would not welcome us. So be it; that is part of human nature; particularly in difficult times.

Today marks 15 days since we left FL. No noticeable symptoms (yes, there is the whole asymptomatic thing to consider). But if we become sick now, it's not FL's fault ;):D

It’s 18 days since my return drive from Dayton. I stayed in self quarantine. No symptoms. I did go out yesterday to deliver food to someone in need. They live in Gilford. I did not encounter any road blocks in either direction.

I made the drive
 

We loaded up 2 coolers. One with dry ice for the frozen meat we had purchased and the other for items that did not want to be frozen. We drove 24 hours straight...always a good time, NOT. We stopped for gas and pumped ourselves except once and that time we handed the attendant our card with gloves on and a wipe ready to sanitize the card when it was handed back to us. We did not venture into any restrooms on the way up. Best not to ask for details. I have to be confident that we did not pick up anything on the way. We will stay home for 14 days, not sure where we would go anyway.

NH is really what we consider home even if we flee the NH winters.

Drive was uneventful and traffic was non existent even in DC at rush hour. We noticed one rest area in NY was closed so no bathrooms or gas. Then in CT we noticed a few gas stations closed too. Saw a lot of State P but they did not seem interested in stopping people.

Wonder how and when all of this ends?

Brave souls
 

You are brave souls. It makes me more convinced than ever that flying is the way to go. We are booked on SWA May 14th with fingers crossed! Someday we’ll all be saying “Remember 2020 and that awful virus...now what was it called?”

We had our son and his girlfriend do this from NYC in early March. Two weeks of isolation was easy (OK, blissful) for them. They've told us not to rush to join them :eek:

Flying
 

We did give a lot of thought to flying but finally decided we could control our exposure better in a car. Plus had a toilet paper stash we wanted to bring with us.;-)

Boring ride for a change
 

Usually the trip to Florida and back gives me white knuckles and acid stomach at different areas along the route. Coming back this time was a quiet, boring ride until I hit the Mass Pike...what a difference...same in NH...business as usual on the big highways!

We left a day early, March 30,from our rental in North Port, FL because I was starting to hear stories of border closures and vigilante road blocks in some towns up north. I wanted to get back home to NH as soon as possible. We flew up a deserted (for the most part) 95 (overnight Florence...no hassles with room availability/staff cleanliness/awareness of virus problem...washed down our room surfaces, etc. ourselves and did a lot of hand washing.) ; at Fredericksburg, VA we jumped on 17 over to Rte 81 (overnight in Chambersberg...no maid service during stay unless you requested it...again washed surfaces down ourselves and washed hands many times.); followed the snowbird route we usually follow up 81 to 84 and over to Newburg, NY to jump on 87 N to Mass Pike crossover just below Albany. then Mass Pike to Rte 3 up to NH. Everytime I came to a state border I was half expecting to be stopped but it never happened, even coming into MA.

The rest areas were all open for bathroom use/vending machines...skeletal cleaning staff, no visitor center staff...minimum people in/out...big truck stops are open for bathroom/hot food/cold drinks... Gas prices are low until you get above PA...no price gouging yet though. Before we left FL we cooked up remaining food in our fridge and ate it along the way. Didn't stop for fast food/restaurant food.

From Fl to Mass was like an early Sunday morning drive. When there was any traffic it was 75% 18 wheelers, 25% cars and very light.
The only issues we saw first day out was large police presence on 95 at crossing over Georgia into Florida southbound at the first truck weigh station. 18 wheelers were sent straight through, but all cars were shuttled to the side for questioning I assume of where they were going/coming from. That is the only place on our route we saw any closure or extra police presence.

If anyone is considering going to Florida to enjoy the sunshine and wait this out...forget it...there is practically nothing to do down there for a tourist... everything you would want to do is closed up tight and right now it's hot outside...90's when we left...sucks when the beaches are closed and you can't get in the water. Besides all rental units are supposedly closed down.

We have been home now 6 days sheltering in place waiting for our 14 day self quarantine to end and we will see what happens next. We have to keep our grandchildren outside the house 20' away while we stay inside and talk through the open door. We are more afraid of them, than they of us. It's sad when your own grandchildren can be in cahoots with this unseen/silent enemy.

If you are still in Florida and coming to stay for the summer you won't have problems as stores are open and borders aren't closed YET, but if you are coming as a tourist you may as well stay home because, as in Florida, there is little open that a tourist would be able to enjoy for the next few weeks/months until this ends.

Time for license plate change
 

I hate to steal this thread, but...I don't know where else to post it.

Some of these postings are disturbing. As are the attitudes of many of us in NH over the past many years.

When I was a kid the plates said "Scenic", then I think it was "The Granite State", then Vietnam came along and the plates say "Live Free or Die". I think it is time to change the plates to say "Welcome to NH...Now Go Home." I have noticed a different mind-set over the past 20 years.

Since when do we have the right to tell others to stay away and trash-talk non-natives if we truly believe in an individuals freedom. I know that if I choose to be free and do what I want today, I could easily be dead in a month or less from the virus. But what does that license plate "Live Free or Die" mean to you? Does it only apply to the owner of it.

I have the freedom to choose to self quarantine. I have the freedom to follow the Governor's Executive Order. I have the freedom to decide to wear that mask or not. No one is going to put me in jail (YET). If I tell you to stay away from my state and that you aren't welcome here, I may as well throw that plate away. It no longer has any meaning.

I totally agree with the stay at home order, but for us to even contemplate closing our border to our own residents and visitors is not what NH is all about.

Stay Home...Stay Safe... but don't let this turn us into haters and vigilantes.

I think the problem is "scenic" NH, turned into the Jersey Shore. People, being people have to blame somebody else and that is what has happened, not just in NH, but in many resort areas.

I don't blame others, I blame the basic unrestricted subdividing, so it is the towns fault for not looking out its citizens...... just my humble opinion. No argument will come from me about this.

I find it interesting that people in every state don't want people from other states. It is everywhere you will catch it in one place or another or not. Having said that I wouldn't want to be in NY city.

I spend winters in Sarasota and follow some forums there. I could take the conversations from those threads, change Sarasota to NH, and no one would know the difference.

Us vs Them, Townies vs Tourists, locals vs outsiders...been going on since the beginning of the human race. Sadly we shouldn't be surprised.

Exactly my point! Thank you.

It's almost funny....locals in Cape Coral are always complaining about the "snowbirds" They dread the season because traffic is insane and you have to wait an hour to get in a restaurant.Sound familiar?
Florida has suffered greatly through this.They lost one of their peak months,having to close for spring break.That's like us losing July here in the lakes region.If this goes into the summer ,many small business' will not survive

Same trip
 

Your detail is spot on. Wife and I just took similar trip 4/6-7. Stayed one nite in Va and are now home. 2 long driving days. We came up 81 to 86 to Albany then thru Vt. Total route added about 1-2 hrs to the trip but was avoiding NJ/NYC/Ct at all costs. Trucks, trucks and more trucks - but give these guys credit - they're out there keeping us supplied. Oh and the amount of orange cones and construction barrels is crazy - wish I had that business!!! One of best sites though - all the huge American flags hanging from cranes, buildings, barns and regular flag poles!!

Home in 2 week quarantine now - plenty to do to get ready for summer!!!!!!!!

My thinking also. I'd make the trip while you can. This is a time to be near family. Who knows what the summer holds.