Ah, yes, the lost art of travel. Something we're certainly not doing very much of right now.  

But not all trips were canceled. Many Portlanders have made their own scaled-back journeys to places near and far, whether because they had to for work and family obligations or because they just couldn't stand their home office/classroom anymore. From a coastal trailer with its own kitchen to an isolated forest retreat (pictured on the cover above) to a moving bubble in your car, we explore some pandemic-era escapes.

(Top photo courtesy Getaway House)

 

In This Feature:

Social Distancing Was Already a Selling Point for Getaway House

Units come with everything you need to get away and stay away. But pro tip: BYO coffeemaker.

08/01/2020 By Margaret Seiler

Pandemic Travel: A 5,000-Mile Moving-Bubble Road Trip through 10 States

And I would drive 5,000 miles, and I would drive 5,000 more, just to be the kid who drives 5,000 miles to ... pee in her mom’s backyard.

01/08/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Pandemic Travel: Montana’s Glacier National Park, as Packed as Ever

In Big Sky Country, things are more social than distanced.

12/15/2020 By Jason Notte

4 Great Options for Trailers, Yurts, and Cabins at the Coast

Yurts and cabins in some coastal state parks reopen in January, with a 30-day reservation window.

01/02/2021 By Eden Dawn, Marty Patail, and Margaret Seiler

Pandemic Travel: Navigating Plane Trips, One Sanitizing Wipe at a Time

Plan A was a cruise, so flying to Vegas felt like a safer Plan B. But Vegas is not built for our current reality.

11/24/2020 By Ainslee Dicken

Pandemic Travel: A Cross-Country Train Trip from Portland

Taking a ride on Amtrak’s Empire Builder … at the end of empire

12/01/2020 By Steffen Silvis

Hoping to Camp in Oregon State Parks This Summer? You Can’t Book Quite Yet

After COVID cancellations and closures, the state park system is persevering for next year—but needs some time to heal.

10/15/2020 By Ainslee Dicken

Pandemic Travel: A Dreamy Weekend in Astoria

Sea lions, coffee, fish and chips, and a huge bathtub make a trip feel almost normal.

12/08/2020 By Jordan Michelman

Pandemic Travel: Time Warp in the Columbia River Gorge

A mere treat in normal times, a Hood River weekend getaway offers some needed relief in 2020.

11/17/2020 By Jessi Bunch

Rentable Camper Vans and RVs Pick Up New Fans in the Pandemic

Their usual international clients can’t get here, but rental companies are seeing plenty of interest from locals.

08/13/2020 By Margaret Seiler

Pandemic Travel: An Unexpected Trip to Italy

From airport cake to help with COVID tests via Nextdoor, slices of humanity shine through amid the grief.

02/13/2021 By Erin Codazzi

Pandemic Travel: The Prison Trip that Never Happened

The state pen in Walla Walla didn’t seem that far away. Then COVID hit.

01/24/2021 By Theresa Griffin Kennedy