Baltimore to Oakland and back again
We are 70 and 61 and just retired in October. Planning our first long trip from the Baltimore area to Oakland to visit our two daughters and 4 grandchildren. We plan to leave in mid April, take the ...
Forum Discussion
To quote the OP:
"We plan to travel about 500 or 600 miles a day, about 6 or 7 days on the road and another 7 days stopping to visit the various areas."
6 days at (only) 500 miles per day is 3,000 miles - you'll be practically home before you stop the first time. Is there nothing to see in that whole 3,000 miles that's worth stopping a day or two to see?
500 miles per day is a ten hour day by the time you get out of the RV park onto the highway, stop for lunch, maybe again for a bathroom break, fuel and so on. That means driving at 65mph and then quick stops, so you're pulling out at 8:00AM and pulling into the next stopping point at 6:00PM.
Then if - and most of these happen each trip at least once:
An accident, even someone's minor fender bender slows traffic way down
Rush hour traffic even if you aren't in the cities - there's commuters
High winds or heavy rain
Road construction
Oversized loads like windmill blades causing traffic congestion
Bad / rough roads like around Chicago or on HWY 10 in Louisiana
Etc, etc, etc.
If you're going to make RV park reservations, what happens to them when you don't make 500 to 600 miles that day? Does that mess up the rest of your reservations for the week that you then have to cancel and remake, or do you try to make 700 - 800 miles the next day?
If you aren't making reservations, then you'll be trying to find an RV park in the dark and setting up in the dark. Then if you can't find one with room, you may be in a WalMart or truck stop - that's all right, I've been there and done that, only the later you try to get into one, the fuller they are also.
And, the only way you're going to do 500 - 600 miles a day is to stay on the free ways and toll roads - where's the enjoyment in that? If you're taking the MH to see things, instead of flying to see the grandkids, then stop and see the sights.
Amazon book - Off the Beaten Path
Bill
"We plan to travel about 500 or 600 miles a day, about 6 or 7 days on the road and another 7 days stopping to visit the various areas."
6 days at (only) 500 miles per day is 3,000 miles - you'll be practically home before you stop the first time. Is there nothing to see in that whole 3,000 miles that's worth stopping a day or two to see?
500 miles per day is a ten hour day by the time you get out of the RV park onto the highway, stop for lunch, maybe again for a bathroom break, fuel and so on. That means driving at 65mph and then quick stops, so you're pulling out at 8:00AM and pulling into the next stopping point at 6:00PM.
Then if - and most of these happen each trip at least once:
An accident, even someone's minor fender bender slows traffic way down
Rush hour traffic even if you aren't in the cities - there's commuters
High winds or heavy rain
Road construction
Oversized loads like windmill blades causing traffic congestion
Bad / rough roads like around Chicago or on HWY 10 in Louisiana
Etc, etc, etc.
If you're going to make RV park reservations, what happens to them when you don't make 500 to 600 miles that day? Does that mess up the rest of your reservations for the week that you then have to cancel and remake, or do you try to make 700 - 800 miles the next day?
If you aren't making reservations, then you'll be trying to find an RV park in the dark and setting up in the dark. Then if you can't find one with room, you may be in a WalMart or truck stop - that's all right, I've been there and done that, only the later you try to get into one, the fuller they are also.
And, the only way you're going to do 500 - 600 miles a day is to stay on the free ways and toll roads - where's the enjoyment in that? If you're taking the MH to see things, instead of flying to see the grandkids, then stop and see the sights.
Amazon book - Off the Beaten Path
Bill
