Planning Trips?

This thread and a couple of others inspired me to do a blog outlining our trip planning process. Note: this is a blog for Planners and won't appeal to those who pride themselves in operating with as little planning as possible.

So, Planners - this one's for you! :C

We are fulltimers and I also plan but my plans have been known to change on a moments notice. I generally do not make reservations unless we are headed to a place I know they are required (like Yellowstone or a tourist trap). I research the campgrounds during the winter when we don't travel as much. We have been known to head east with plans and suddenly head north because something sounded interesting. I usually call the campground earlier in the day for our stop that night. All my plans are kept on a spreadsheet which includes those phone numbers. We have a friend who makes his all his reservations before he leaves home. It drove him crazy to travel with us a couple of years ago. We each planned half the trip and he reserved the campgrounds for his half but I didn't! I think we taught him how to loosen up a bit.

I should probably clarify my previous post in this thread - While I rarely make reservations, I do plan my trips. I keep a folder on my laptop & add links to places that other travelers recommend, campgrounds that look interesting, and places that look interesting to visit. I make a Google map with markers for all the locations, then attempt to choose a route between the locations that uses as many scenic drives (and as few interstates) as possible.

I also agree with those suggesting arriving early. I rarely stop after 3:00, sometimes as early as 1:00. Of course I have the advantage that being retired, I'm in no hurry. I realize that many have to travel longer in order to get to a distant location in a short vacation period.

In our many years of full timing, we only made reservations in a few places. Mostly for longer stays in areas we had to be that had few options. Once I made reservations at a place recommended by my father that turned out to be no better than a low life trailer park. We actually ended up loosing a month's rent and buying a lot.

After that fiasco we did not make many reservations unless we knew the place. We start calling likely stops around noon, usually arriving around 3pm. That gives us time to set up, unwind and enjoy the evening.

When we head out we have a destination in mind so we travel in that direction. As we near early afternoon, we start to look for campgrounds and call for reservation just to make sure we have a place to stay. We like to arrive at a CG before 5 pm so we can enjoy the evening and walk around the CG to get the drive out of our bodies. We don't like to leave the campground in the morning until 9 or so.
I guess you do what you feel comfortable with. Just enjoy the trip.

nazpaz wrote:
Larry, I'm glad you started this thread. I was afraid I was the only Fulltime Planner around!

Obviously, there's no right or wrong here and there's plenty of room for a variety of approaches. Still, it's nice to know we have plenty of good company in the "Planner" ranks!

nazpaz, you are definitely not alone. :)

P.S. I do know of some retired folks who went back to college in their 60’s or 70’s. College was as enjoyable for them as RVing is for us because they did not care about grades and was not attending school for any other reason except learning something new; a different perspective from most other college students.

On the other hand, as have already been discussed in another thread, there are people who are totally against fulltime RVing; they think of it as risky or view us the same way that they view homeless people. Of course that is their loss and as we have always said; fulltime RVing is not for everyone, and it does not matter what others think.

Bill.Satellite, you are correct in saying that there is nothing that correlates between college and RVing, but what I posted was primarily about planning and I could have used any environment, other than classroom lesson plans, to show how some plan and others do not. What I said was a micro view and not a macro view related to college as a whole. In short, I share your perspective regarding college as a whole with all of it‘s facets.

That aside, there are lots of college classes, especially freshman and some sophomore classes, that do not have pre-requisites. Freshman classes are usually very general and broad based, and the higher a person goes in a college education the more specific and focused classes become. This is primarily what makes grad school classes much different than undergrad freshman classes.

We plan the route and the stops but unless its a popular National Park I just make reservations as I go, leaving time for side trips and longer stays.

I go about once a year, have a general plan, that's it. I have had maybe 1 time
I couldn't get into a park because it was full. I don't drive after dark as I don't see real well to do so. I've stayed at a couple of Flying J's and a Walmart, and a Cracker Barrel, doesn't bother me as everything I need is with me.

Been to Vegas a couple of times, Florida a few, south Texas, Padre Island, Galveston and points between. Went about 26000 miles the last few years, some
just between Indiana and Houston. Now we have moved back to Indiana to retire.

Second half of January DD and I are heading out to either Quartzite or Florida
depending on the weather going either direction. I have never been to the rally out there and would like to go at least once. I see California Disney isn't that far away, may venture over there or back to Vegas. I have 4 to 7 weeks to wonder before hubby is on his next turnaround. he is gone 8 weeks at a time.