Over the past several weeks, many families have dealt with the cancellations of their sunny escapes. One Saskatchewan couple decided to have some fun with it.
Daina and Shaune Lapworth from La Ronge were supposed to be returning from a sunny vacation in Punta Cana booked through Sunwing on Jan. 11.
“We haven’t been anywhere because of COVID-19,” said Daina. “Nobody has really travelled so we thought this would be a nice getaway because it’s been a long time.”
But as Sunwing announced the grounding of all flights from Regina and Saskatoon until February, the Lapworth’s escape to sand and sun never took flight.
“At the beginning, we were really upset. I mean of course we were … everybody was,” said Daina.
Instead of focusing on the negative, though, the couple made the best of their time off, choosing to have a staycation and posting pictures to social media from the ‘sandy beaches’ of La Ronge.
“When (the trip) was cancelled, the next day was sunny and sort of warm; I thought (to) take some pictures outside with beachwear,” said Shaune. “Daina modelled it up with extra additives for the pictures. We just thought we’d have some fun.”
The pair moved their vacation to the less sandy city of Moose Jaw. Together, they explored the tunnels, the Western Development Museum and the famous De Ja Vu diner.
“I think it’s important to take a step back and just realize that we are lucky enough in the first place to be able to book a trip,” Daina said.
The Lapworths received a full refund for their Sunwing trip and hope to plan another vacation next year to somewhere tropical … outside of Saskatchewan.