I’m mad at Gibbs Gardens.
They keep sending me emails about how they’re still open, and what all is blooming now, and how they are in compliance with Gov. Kemp’s shelter-in-place order. Right now there is a lot in bloom, and I really want to go.
BUT I CANNOT.
They say:
PLEASE NOTE:
IN COMPLIANCE / STATE
- Exercise in our 300 acre Gardens with miles of multilevel walkways.
- Easy to maintain 6ft. of social distance.
- All visitors will use outside express gate to enter/exit Gardens. (Members included)
- Members’ current guest passes not accessible because computer not available at outside gate.
- Cash currently not accepted in ticketing.
- NO tram service.
- Arbor Café – Pre-packaged snack items and drinks ONLY.
- NO outside food.
- Restrooms available.
And they link to the governor’s 2020 executive orders, as if to say, see? Everything is fine!
Everything is not fine.
“Easy to maintain 6ft. of social distance” is an irresponsible thing to say. The virus is airborne. If you walk through a spot where someone just walked, even if there is six feet between you, you’re still breathing in air that they just exhaled. In a garden, all you are doing is walking along trails where a bunch of people have walked ahead of you.
The virus can also live on surfaces for hours all the way up to days, depending on the surface material. “Restrooms available” does not tell me what precautions you are taking. I highly doubt that you are only letting one person in at a time and that you are scouring your facilities after each person.
These constant emails telling me that everything is fine and that I should come see the pretty flowers are basically torture, because ever since this began I have wanted to go there SO BADLY. It is KILLING ME that I am missing all the spring blooms. Apparently right now the cherry trees, azaleas, pansies, Spanish bluebells, and snowball viburnum are at peak, and I AM MISSING IT.
I HATE THIS.