Hotels on our road trip, traveling to the grandkids.

If I had known then about hotels what I know now, we would have taken this 2,000+ mile road trip from Ohio to Washington state sooner.

We chose hotels that offer no-human-contact check-in, and so far all have been Hampton Inns. What we’re finding: parking lots with very few cars, empty lobbies that we walk right through to get to our room, where we stay until the next morning. We grab a breakfast-in-a-bag that’s offered now instead of the buffet. Check-out is automatic so no need to stop at the desk.

Luggage: To minimize what we took to the hotel rooms, I packed what we needed for the road trip in separate pieces of luggage. Another giant suitcase held “You won’t see it until Washington!” items and it stayed in the car, along with a box of presents for the kids.

The Room: Rooms have seen sanitized, according to the signage, but I still wipe every surface (light switches, counter tops, heat/AC controls, etc.) with my own disinfectant wipes immediately on arrival.

Elevators: We use our elbows to push any buttons. If the elevator would stop to pick up any other guests, we have decided to say, “Because of social distancing, would you mind waiting for the next one?” If they won’t, we would leave the elevator. But all elevator trips have been empty anyway so far.

Masks: I wash our masks pretty soon after we arrive so they will be dry by morning.

Tips: We always leave a tip for the housekeeping staff, but during this virus, our tip is larger. These hard workers are showing up to keep rooms clean but are probably not receiving many tips because of low occupancy. We want to show our gratitude.

Thanks to readers who offered tips for safe travel!

Are you contemplating a road trip to see grands? Share what you’re thinking in the Comments section below.