To travel or not to travel? That is the question

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That would be awkward. I won't be going to Montreal for the Jazz Festival this year, of course. I'm glad I got to England last fall and saw the ancient relatives, because I think it's going to be a long while before I'll go again. A solid vaccine will be required, and I think that air travel is going to get permanently more expensive.

I'm sorta planning a road trip next summer (2021) down East. It would be nice if I could do that. I've dipped my foot in the Pacific, so now I need to dip a foot in the Atlantic (I've been no farther east than Quebec City).
 
Anybody noticing the lack of bathrooms on road trips, I mean sure there's gas stations but they're not always kept clean on a continuous basis throughout the day.
My go-to bathrooms on my neighbourhood “road trips” have been Canadian Tire and at the supermarket I go to. There used to be Starbucks’ (clean bathrooms), the malls (clean bathrooms) and I knew where the accessible ones were. Sometimes, when I gotta go I gotta go. If I’m out longer than an hour, then it’s another 15-20 minutes to get home and I can’t just sprint to the toilet...so I look for the closest bathroom as soon as the urge comes on just in case. Holding it too long contributed to my UTI earlier this month...so...bathrooms are an issue (I can’t whip out a pee jug). Actually, I was nervous last week when I went to the park downtown...not about covid but about what to do if I needed to pee really badly. Didn’t know where any bathrooms were open downtown I was out for 3-4 hours (or longer) and I made it. But it did get uncomfortable and it’s not good to hold it too long.

Edit: I forgot. The park bathroom was open. It was not very clean, and now I remember that I did have to use it. I decided to just in case, I think, so I could be out longer.
 
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The park bathroom was open. It was not very clean

"Park bathroom" and "not very clean" seem to be synonyms in my experience:sick:. I haven't been going too far afield of late but now that my bike is mostly working, I am likely to venture further. So, yeah, bathrooms may become an issue. My one regular route passes a library and a mall (I usually use the former if open), but both are closed right now due to covid.
 
"Park bathroom" and "not very clean" seem to be synonyms in my experience:sick:. I haven't been going too far afield of late but now that my bike is mostly working, I am likely to venture further. So, yeah, bathrooms may become an issue. My one regular route passes a library and a mall (I usually use the former if open), but both are closed right now due to covid.
Why is that? Why is it that the park usually looks like it’s full of civilized people, but the bathrooms are filthy? Do some people suddenly feel an urge to drop TP all over the floor, clog the toilet with all manner of matter, and pee on the seat (or worse) and the floor, when they’re out for an afternoon in the park? I’ve never witnessed the culprits...how does this happen? (Methinks the answer is that they don’t have staff out there to clean them often like businesses do...but still, they don’t need to get that bad)...why are people so filthy? Off topic...but bathrooms, finding one open and one that’s accessible, is an issue for me. Would be helpful if they weren’t filthy as well.
 
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I see your point about the pee jug. They are better for car trips. I've seen so-called "accessible" public washrooms used as storage with no room to get around. I always want to be mindful as well of where there are bathrooms on any particular route. I used to have an app on my phone called "sit or squat". There are others. They mostly show Tim Horton's but it's interactive so you can add to the list.
 
Timmy's are generally the most common and accessible around here. McD's if you're in a larger community, but I find those get scarce once you're off the "main drag".
 
Timmy's are generally the most common and accessible around here. McD's if you're in a larger community, but I find those get scarce once you're off the "main drag".
Their washrooms are all closed due to the pandemic as well as eating inside....drive thru only.
 
Their washrooms are all closed due to the pandemic as well as eating inside....drive thru only.

Well, that is what got us started talking about bathrooms, so we are talking more about "normally" here.
 
Okay, just thought some people in different provinces may still have access and don't realize it's not an option in Ontario.
 
While we are talking about bathrooms and lack of them, I am always puzzled why Toronto/ Canada doesn’t have a system of public toilets and water fountains. It is extremely frustrating. an I also know that stores and cafes get fed up with people dropping by to us the bathroom. I always buy something but it is obvious that my take out tea is really just a toilet payment
 
Chemguy is going to Calgary this weekend. My guess is a fair bit in Gasoline Alley will be open for food/bathrooms. Maybe not as much as usual, but options will exist.
 
We're planning to visit within BC this summer. It looks like we should be able to go to the mainland for a visit. The friends we'll visit live in a park for RVs with condos. We'll rent a condo (more like a hotel room with a kitchenette) so will have our own space. It's a clean place so we're comfortable and we'll be able to visit with our friends safely.

We had hoped to go back to Ontario this summer. It doesn't look like that will happen. We're at the ready in case we can do a short notice trip. If that's the case we'll hop in the vehicle and drive.

I'm not in any hurry to use much public transit. We can stay in our vehicle on the ferry so that will be the main or only public transit we'll take.
 
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