With Travel Plans in Flux, Readers Share Their ‘Staycation’ Ideas

Tips We asked New York Times readers how they’re coping with coronavirus travel restrictions. Here’s how they responded. Travelers everywhere are facing disruptions from the worldwide spread of the coronavirus. Some forged ahead with their plans and took extra precautions.

But others canceled their trips. Just over a week ago, we asked readers of The New York Times in the second group to tell us about their “staycation” plans, and to offer advice to others who find themselves in similar circumstances. In some cases, they planned on visiting restaurants or other public spaces, ideas that now may need to be put on hold until the crisis is resolved. Following are their responses, which have been edited for clarity and length.

Do you have staycation plans of your own? If so, share them in the comments or email us at travel@nytimes. com, and we’ll publish another selection soon. A close family member is ill, and I’m on family medical leave.

After a life of loving and longing to travel, there is nowhere I can imagine going and feeling safe. My advice: Plan for your staycation as though you’re going on an elaborate trip. Collect items to read, make watching lists and gather supplies, plants for the garden.

“To me, hitching the gate shut on my front picket fence is a joy.”

— Leslie McLean, Sonoma, Calif. @mfrazierr, via Instagram My husband and I live in a small town in central Oregon. We pride ourselves on not using our cars each day. We’ve decided that flying is “out” for now.

We’ll use our Sprinter van more often, for camping close by and for a wee bit of travel to eastern Oregon, and to the coast. — Vicki Bugbee-Reed, Oregon @bentownsend01, via Instagram We canceled a seven-week trip around the world. We’ve been buying cookbooks for years. Most have never been used or even read.