In this pandemic era, true vacations are few and far between. Flying to a destination is not ideal unless absolutely necessary, and some places are re-imposing stricter quarantines and business closures in response to rising COVID-19 case numbers.
So is it even possible to plan a trip you can look forward to (and do safely)? Yes—especially if it’s a season-specific Halloween road trip that you can enjoy either from the comfort of your car or in the open air.
Travel booking site Kayak put together a 29-stop, 7,500-mile road trip itinerary that connects the spookiest sites across the country. As a bonus, (almost) all of them are outdoors. You’ll find cemeteries, lighthouses, state parks, haunted homes, and an abandoned amusement park. There are also a few ghost tours on the list. The itinerary begins in Stowe, VT, and ends in San Jose, CA.
Of course, this itinerary as a whole requires travel across state lines—if you’d rather stay close to home, you can simply take a day trip to the nearest haunted house. National Geographic also has a list of spooky places in seven states, and Country Living compiled a list of 25 haunted spots.
G/O Media may get a commission
If you do go on a long-distance road trip, you’ll still need places to stay and food to eat even if all attractions are outdoors. Before you head out, do thorough research about local COVID-19 regulations, and bookmark tools that offer real-time updates on travel restrictions so you’re not surprised when you arrive.
You should also take every precaution to make travel safer: wear masks, stay physically distant from anyone not traveling with you, and minimize the opportunities to interact with other people, especially in closed, indoor spaces.
