On Monday, December 7, 2020 everything changes. (Click here for the previous blog to set the stage.)

When I think Hannah and I are all set for California, on December 7, 2020 I learn of the Regional Stay at Home order by California’s Governor Gavin Newsom that prohibits leisure travel including vacations. The order based on regions of the state limits such travel to those areas which have less than 15% ICU capacity. The order lasts until at least December 28, 2020. We are scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on January 9, 2021. Tension builds. Cue the violins.

You see, the Southern California region of the state, which includes Santa Barbara County, has just 13.1% of beds available, which means hospitals’ ICUs are certainly stressed.
And Who Knew? #2 that a California governor would have such influence over two country mice from Maine? Our winter plans for California are on hold. Again, we just have to deal with it.
And then the sun shines through the clouds!
On December 10, 2020, I go to the website for the Regional Stay at Home order in California to dig into the details about long term rentals. And I quote,

When any California region is under a Regional Stay Home Order, no hotel or lodging entity in California can accept or honor out of state reservations for non-essential travel, unless the reservation is for at least the minimum time period required for quarantine and the persons identified in the reservation will quarantine in the hotel or lodging entity until after that time period has expired.
Since Hannah and I will be there for 60 days, we can easily quarantine in California. Ah, there is peace in the valley again.