We should be able to vacation sometime in 2021 as the pandemic subsides. The question now is whether to make a big city your vacation destination.
The first step is to identify what must be true of any destination candidate city. Several things must be true before spending a big chunk of the hard-earned family budget there.
Answer YES or NO
Is the city safe for the visit of tourists? Have they defunded the police force? Do they have a catch and release program that does not prosecute and jail criminals? Are crime statistics satisfactory?
Have riots and looting brought about the boarding up and even permanent closure of the shops we would love to visit during our visit? Are theaters and restaurants back to the operating and quality level they had been?
Have Antifa and BLM shown a strong presence in the city? Do they continue to exercise influence over city government?
Have historic monuments been torn down and removed? Is graffiti found everywhere you look?
Are what had been illegal drugs now legal and in widespread and visible use in public places? Are there homeless encampments evident? Are the sidewalks full of drug users and used needles?
Here is a partial list of cities that we need to answers questions about before we travel there: Portland, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Racine, St Louis, Louisville, Asheville, Washington DC.
Personal Note: It has been my good fortune to have visited all the cities listed for both business and pleasure back when they more than satisfied my needs and expectations. I have happy memories about those visits. Things sure have changed.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/travel/g30549533/staycation-ideas/
Sorry, no cities on my list of travel destinations. They can keep ‘em. Give me the mountains or the sea, and I’ll be a happy camper. 🙂
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