What I saw in Scottsdale, AZ
New Mexicans, especially those who have never lived elsewhere, often fail to realize just how culturally AND geographically isolated they are. That seems to play into the hands of politicians like our Gov. whose policies fail (repeatedly) but those policy failures are often chalked up to some inherent challenge we face in New Mexico OR people are simply unaware of the issue because they don’t know any better.
The Gov.’s lockdown response to COVID 19 has been an abject failure both in terms of the Virus itself AND in economic terms. The Gessing family recently traveled to Arizona which, while it has a somewhat higher death rate than New Mexico, is also much more open and has been for the duration. Other neighboring states like Utah, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Utah are more OPEN than New Mexico and have fewer deaths as a percentage of the population. The fact is that no one has figured out a way to stop the spread.
Our travels took us to the Great Wolf Lodge which is basically an indoor water park with other kid-friendly activities including a small bowling alley, a ropes course, an arcade, and more.
Here’s what we saw:
- We drove to Scottsdale, not for Virus reasons, but for convenience and cost. Scottsdale was much more open and busy which included dining indoors at an In & Out Burger;
- Social distancing and masks were used in the lobby, but masks were NOT worn in water areas. The water areas were full of kids having fun, socializing, and exercising;
- The water area was almost entirely indoors and included an area that is virtually identical to a similar area at Cliff’s Amusement Park in Albuquerque which is outdoors and has been shut down since March thanks to MLG.
- All five of us were virus-free when we traveled to Scottsdale and I was tested after returning (for other reasons) and came back negative. No illness reported by any member of the family.
We were careful. I understand that the Virus impacts different people differently. My wife and I are grown ups who can make our own decisions. We’re NOT going to cower in fear for a year or more instilling such fear in our children. I know of no major outbreaks at this or other such Great Wolf Lodges across the country. Maybe it’s the chlorine?
