The Great American West and coronavirus: a conversation with Kim Paulson
21.07.2023 - 08:50
/ roughguides.com
The Great American West is as great as its name implies. The region – covering North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho – is big-sky country, characterized by epic landscapes from the towering Rocky Mountains to the tumbleweed Great Plains. You’ll find fifteen national parks and monuments here, ripe for exploring. But how has the area experienced coronavirus, and how is it opening up? We chatted with The Great American West PR and Communications Manager Kim Paulson to learn more.
Q: What does lockdown currently look like across the Great American West? Am I right in thinking that some of the states – Wyoming and Montana – have gradually started lifting restrictions?
A: Yes, though it looks slightly different in each state as they take phased approaches by state based on local data. Currently, the states of South Dakota and Wyoming do not have any travel restrictions in place for anyone travelling for leisure. Most businesses and attractions in theses states have opened to the public with continued social distancing and similar CDC guidelines in effect.
Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota © f11photo/Shutterstock
For Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, businesses have started opening, however a 14-day quarantine is still in effect for out-of-state leisure travellers (as of 21 May), but most of these orders are set to expire within the next couple of weeks should local data continue to show positive signs. More details are given on each state below:
All states are advising that visitors maintain social distancing, practice regular handwashing and wear face coverings when social distancing is not possible. Businesses and attractions within the region are all closely following local authority and CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of the public remains paramount.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming © Oomka/Shutterstock
Q: There are a staggering fifteen national parks in the region, six of which can be toured by Google Earth. Could you tell us more about this?
A: Google Earth is a great resource for learning more about a location virtually. Most of these parks – including many other iconic destinations within the region – have launched their very own virtual tours and experiences which we rounded up and made available for interested travellers to experience at their leisure here (head to GreatAmericanWest.co.uk and click Virtual Tours to learn more).
Unique experiences can be found at each and every one of the national icons in this region, but the one thing in common you will find is that they all offer the wide-open spaces and escapism most people are now in search of.
Q: In what other ways is the region managing to connect and engage with travellers virtually? And