Fodor’s Editors Are Planning Their Post-Vaccine Vacations

I think we could all use a tall, cool glass of Greek Islands right now. During lockdown last year my mind would often go to Santorini, where I’d float in an infinity pool overlooking the Aegean, fresh Mediterranean air on my face, surrounded by cliffs of white houses against an impossible blue sea, drenched in sunlight. Can you tell I need to get out of the apartment? In the meantime, I’m daydreaming about a sunny staycation I had at Bungalows Key Largo, a sanctuary of a resort where the private bungalows have outdoor tubs overlooking tropical gardens and the ocean. It was the ultimate R&R.

—Kayla Becker

It’s not very adventurous or imaginative, but I think my first (non-family related) trip will be somewhere I’ve been before—Mexico City. My boyfriend and I went there a few years ago and fell completely in love with it, but it also felt like we’d hardly scratched the surface. There were a handful of classic tourist spots we didn’t get to (like La Casa Azul) and I’d also love to have more time to delve into more under-the-radar spots. Whenever I reminisce about my favorite moments from the Before Times, walking around La Condesa, with the world cast in the dreamy light of the late afternoon/early evening, is always right at the top.

—Chantel Delulio

Since it seems for the first time in a while like we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, I’m gearing up to make my travel wanderlust fantasies a reality (hopefully) sometime this fall. I’m always keen on returning to West Virginia (my home state) in the autumn months when its landscapes are positively vibrant, but leaf-peeping somewhere completely unexpected, like Wales and/or Romania, would be a dream come true. Here’s hoping I can cross those off my bucket list later this year!

—Jesse Tabit

Vacations and reunions are likely going to be one in the same post-pandemic, so we’re planning to meet up with family in our favorite U.S. city: Austin, Texas. From there, we’ll gorge ourselves on breakfast tacos and barbeque, float the river and plunge into various swimming holes, ride bikes or kayak through downtown, and of course, see live music. But the best part of visiting Austin post-pandemic (besides hugging much-missed family) is the joy of being immersed in the inimitable vibe of the Live Music Capital of the World. Keep Austin Weird isn’t just a slogan, it’s a way of life. No one will think twice while you drink a beer while getting a haircut, or bicycle around town in your bathing suit, or wait patiently in line to try the 5-star restaurant nestled within a gas station. Austin is a town that’s constantly growing and changing, but even through a pandemic, it’s reassuring to know that the time-honored tradition of Chicken Sh*t Bingo will outlast us all.

—Rachael Levitt

After visiting my family in Indiana and Kentucky and then heading up to Chicago, my home before L.A., to say hi to friends, old apartments, and favorite restaurants, I am heading to Hawaii (I say this so confidently because I firmly believe in a little thing called speaking it into existence). The Hawaiian Islands are a place I’ve dreamed of exploring, watching just about every “A Day in Hawaii” vlog on YouTube and browsing all vacation stays for rent, but never a place I’ve gotten to see first-hand. So, I’m just going to speak some more Hawaiian vacation dreams into existence: I will stand up paddleboard, I will jump off a cliff, I will see at least one waterfall, I will not forget SPF.

—Kaelin Dodge