THIS WAS NOT THE PLAN | Ep. 73

We’re pausing our South America videos to show you how we navigated getting home after skipping our return flight from California. After returning from South America, we were exploring one of our favorite places in the US: Napa Valley and San Francisco. However, while we were there, the coronavirus outbreak really started to spread, we decided to keep our rental car and just slowly drive back to Austin. What started out as us trying to make lemonade out of lemons, digressed into a situation where we needed to get to a safe place as soon as possible. During our journey back, it seemed like we were just ahead of the “shelter in place” orders, with hotels and restaurants closing, we gave up trying to get back to Austin, and instead drove to Oklahoma City to settle into isolation with family.
#CoronaVirus #RoadTrip #USA
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
1:11 - Chateau de Sureau
2:13 - Yosemite National Park
3:28 - Elderberry Restaurant
4:48 - Ritz Carlton in Palm Springs
6:02 - Phoenix & Pizzeria Bianco
6:57 - Drive through Tonto National Forest
7:28 - Santa Fe New Mexico
9:04 - Bloopers
For more information on our travels, head to our blog: www.thenearandaway.com
VISITED PLACES:
Chateau du Sureau: chateausureau.com/
Elderberry Restaurant: chateausureau.com/ernas-elder...
Yosemite National Park: www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm
Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage: www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels...
Chula Artisan Eatery: www.chulaeatery.com/
Pizzeria Bianco: www.pizzeriabianco.com/
Sazon Restaurant: sazonsantafe.com/
MUSIC (All music from Artlist.io):
Ice Age (City Acres)
Dream Reality (Assaf Ayalon)
If you travel with Airbnb, here’s an invite with $40 off a home booking of $75 or more and $15 off an experience of $50 or more. www.airbnb.com/c/amyo2847?cur...
FOLLOW THE NEAR AND AWAY:
Instagram: / thenearandaway
Jet Journal, download in the App Store for iPhone (goo.gl/h8CiVZ ): @thenearandaway
Thanks!
Amy & Eric

[@TheNearAndAway]

Sorry for delay in videos, but we thought we should give everyone a quick update (in realtime) before uploading another video from our South America series. We hope everyone is doing well and thanks for watching!

[@WillKupfer]

Lucky the roads were clear for you to enjoy the park. Looks so gorgeous will all that untouched snow. Really stunning scenery. Loved the drone shots of the tonto national park.

[@theRTWguys]

What a cozy feeling to have snow outside your window, and glad that you are updating us with your current situation from COVID. We had to cut short our Southeast Asian trip as well, so we purchased last minute tickets from lockdown Kuala Lumpur to Doha to Boston and finally home in Atlanta, and have been catching up with our recent videos from that trip on our Channel. Thanks again for the amazing restaurant experiences that y'all are doing - and please stay safe!!

[@TheNearAndAway]

Glad you guys are safe! Bummer about your trip though. We cooking up some new videos now (literally) but will probably start releasing the rest of South America pretty soon. I'll make sure to check out your latest stuff!

[@DreamyTravelStory]

Beautiful footage as always! We love the mix of time-lapses, drone shots and close-ups. Tunnel view time-lapse is so beautiful and the cactus place is so cool! The food looks delicious, and we would love to have that pizza now. We are happy to hear that you are in a safe place with your parents. It is a very strange period to be a traveller now. We are isolated in the jungle in Guatemala, and we will probably stay here until everything is over. Stay safe guys!

[@TheNearAndAway]

How are things going in Guatemala? Hope everything is going as good as possible for you...stay safe!

[@AdventureEverywhere]

You guys have really perfected the slow pan. You make hole in the wall places like Pizzeria Bianco look like a romantic night out in Sicily. BTW, nice job taking the time to enjoy the scenery, even if your plans weren't how you were expecting them to be. Can't wait until this whole pandemic is over so we can get back to exploring the world.

[@LinaandDanTravel]

Beautiful episode! The views are breathtaking! We love Yosemite! We are joining you on your adventures! 💕

[@TheNearAndAway]

Thanks for the kind words! Just checked out your channel too...going to be following along with you guys as well! Stay safe!

[@ArtackePictures]

oh this Tunnel View in Yosemite is on off the best views in the world. stay save guys hope you`re well . good to have still some travel videos to see the world :)

[@JeffPattiAkaElliptiVANgo]

For what it’s worth, we miss your videos! We followed you guy to Belmond Reserve & Machu Picchu (and were the last two out & has to leave after only 12 hours at that gorgeous hotel to get out of the country.) You might enjoy watching our video on that. So come back and let us know how you’re doing.

[@TheNearAndAway]

Thanks for reaching out! We do have a ton more videos we're waiting to release, thought it would be a bit better to hit the pause button with everything going on. But we are trying our hands at food videos, so if they're any good, maybe push those up in the meantime. Just watched your video...what a crazy story! We'll keep an eye out for more videos from you guys!

[@ricardoaviles3464]

Amooo sus vídeos!

[@Hotmamatravel]

Of all the times I have been to Phoenix, I have never been to Pizzeria Bianco! I need to try! Glad you were able to make the best of it during these times and able to get home safely. We had a road trip planned for spring break, but it got canceled do to the situation.

[@TheNearAndAway]

Well, if you find yourself there again, it’s definitely worth a visit!

[@Liesel81-across-all-borders]

wow its so funny I had the same experience too. I thought I would continue my trip through Africa but everything including hotels and restaurants started shutting down so I had to stop my trip as well and head back to Lagos hoping this will be over soon enough, glad to know you guys made it back to family . looking forward to your videos

[@RadiantRealty]

You guys stay in some of the best places!!! That chateau looks amazing. I love snow capped mountains. We see them often here in MT but what a fun surprise in CA. Mmmm, that food looks so good! Love your editing guys. Which program do you use? That pizza...Mmmm! Would love to try that. So many cacti :) Ha, you needed to write Yosemite on your hand :) Yeah, now is not the time to cough or sneeze in public ;p Glad you guys are safe!

[@TiaandAndy]

The drive to Yosemite and the tunnel view are beautiful, so scenic! The dinner at the Elderberry House restaurant looks delicious. Pretty crazy you had the Ritz Carleton almost to yourself, and those tacos look soo good! Love all the cacti on your way to Santa Fe, so cool. Looks like you guys had a great road trip, glad you were able to get somewhere safe as things started to get more serious!

[@AndreaAdventures]

That place looks incredible! Yosemite is high on my list!

[@AndreaAdventures]

I'm missing Alaska salmon right now!

[@srinivasradhe2976]

GOD BLESS U

[@jeffpetrie7744]

ALLAH BLESS YOU

[@sabrinafurtado6629]

Thank you for the update! I was thinking about you two and hoping that you were safe!