What Is It Like To Dine Outdoors Amid COVID-19?

I never thought I would be so excited to go to a restaurant! I think I speak for many of us when I say that.

Minnesota restaurants reopened to new guidelines and restrictions on Monday (June 1st). However, eateries are only allowed to serve customers outdoors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

I finally went to a restaurant a few days after restaurants reopened and I was a little nervous as to what would happen since I hadn't been out to eat for so long AND things would look different than the last time I did.

I ended up having a great time and really enjoying my experience - even if it looked much different than the last time I went out to eat. Here are a few things that happened:

•  I had to call ahead and make a reservation since you can't just walk in to places right now. I arrived 20 minutes early and had to call again and see if I could get in even earlier. This will definitely help me get better at my timing. Ha!
• When I got there and arrived at the hostess stand, I was surprised when they said they needed to take my temperature. Of course, I understand why but I didn't know this would be a factor into entering a restaurant, especially when sitting outdoors. It was a special device that could take your temp without actually touching me and read my temperature right away. I had never seen anything like it before. It wasn't intrusive at all - just something I wasn't used to.
• When I sat down with my friend at an outdoor table, things started to seem a bit more normal, aside from everyone wearing masks. In fact, I really liked the outdoor dining experience because tables were spread out and it wasn't crowded. This made for a relaxing dining experience.

Overall, I was happy with my experience dining outdoors. I think it will only get better now that it is getting warmer!

Nail salons were also allowed to reopen on Monday and I went to one. You can read about my experience in a salon in the midst of the pandemic here.