Quadrants, rather than one big cross country trip?

[spoon059]

I retire in 34 months and we had initially planned on taking a long cross country trip once we move to the Tennessee-ish area. Kids are home schooled, so we can avoid the busier summer months. The wife and I were talking yesterday about perhaps instead of ONE big cross country trip, maybe it would be nicer to take a couple trips over a couple years. I'm hoping that my next job after retirement will be the kind where I can work remotely and go part time for a couple months of the year (but that will be another thought process and discussion).

We were thinking about a 4-6 week trip to the southwest in the April-May timeframe, then come back home. Then the next year maybe take a September-October trip to the midwest national parks area. Then the next year taking a January-February trip to the southeast, etc.

When I was a kid, we did a 6 week cross country trip. I remember a LOT of waking up, driving all day, setting up camp, going to bed, waking up, driving all day, etc. Those memories are just as strong as the memories of Mesa Verde, the Redwoods, Yellowstone, etc. I thought if we broke it up into quadrants, it would be less driving and more experiences. We want to see a lot of national parks, we want to spend some time at lakes, we want to try local foods, etc. I'd LOVE to do some legit boondocking at BLM lands a couple nights in a row, love to find some nice campgrounds near an attraction for a couple nights in a row for the kids to be able to hit a pool or a lake.

Also, if they were shorter trips, we could try to avoid the summer months where it would be a lot more crowded (and hot) and enjoy it more. I remember being at Hoover Dam and it was 120 degrees in the shade as we waited for the shuttle bus to the dam. We got tired of waiting and just drove across... If we visited in April, it would be a LOT nicer than going in July!

The hope was that I could do some part time work remotely while we are traveling, to keep some money coming in. Also the hope was that by breaking up the trip over 3 or 4 years, it would also keep some costs down or at least spread them out over a couple years.

For those that have done trips like this, what do you think of this plan? I see a lot of benefits, but I'm sure there are some downfalls. One potential downfall is drudging through a lot of the same areas multiple times... but I'm pretty sure we can find a couple different routes to take that wouldn't neccessarily overlap. The hope is to avoid interstates and take more of the surface highways and see some small towns and history of our country, rather than just truck stops and fast food joints.

[debrhardt]

it is just the 2 of us and we are retired. we keep our trips to a max of 1 month. too much to worry about at home even though we have people watching and taking care of things. lawn, etc in the summer and snow, furnace, etc in the winter.
i have found that the following travel ideas work well. we always stay 2 days after driving about 6 hours. gives the driver, me, a chance to recoup. the older you get the harder the driving, at least for me. we will have a 1 to 1.5 week destination and will throw in 4 days somewhere.

[spoon059]

valhalla360 wrote:


Boondocking is harder with a big rig. They often are down narrow roads or are on uneven ground. It can be done but far fewer options compared to a small rig.

Newer commercial campgrounds are less of an issue though still some limits.

Think long and hard if you really need a huge rig.i won't go so far as to say you don't but it creates its own problems. I'm the youngest of 10, and we typically did a month each summer in a 28ft travel trailer.

Yea, I'm sure it's going to make things tougher. This is a fight that has already been lost against my bride. We did a cross country trip when I was 11, family of 5 plus a dog in a 26' with no slides. We will have to figure it out with the bigger trailer, or else I can go anywhere in my tent by myself... 😃

[valhalla360]

spoon059 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


Generally a good plan.

If you can extend those trips to 3-4 months, lots of oppurtunities open up to be flexible and figure things out as you go.

I would keep reservations to a minimum with only absolutely key sites reserved. Especially if you are going off season, reservations are rarely needed. We did Yellowstone last fall and Banff/Jasper this spring...got reservation inside the parks about a week out for both as the school kids were all back in school and the crowds gone. We usually call ahead no more than 2-3 days out (or has become more common, reserve online). This avoids the stress if you run into issues (something comes up with work or issues with the RV and you can't travel for example).

Out of season camping also benefits boondocking. Mid summer when it's in the 90sF, boondocking without aircon is miserable, so you have to break out the generator or pay for a site with power. Spring/Fall, power demands tend to be much lower making boondocking easier.

Gosh I hope our experience mimmicks yours! One big downfall is that we're a young family, we'll likely have a 40' 5th wheel. That will limit some places we can stay, hence the need for some more dispersed camping sites!

Boondocking is harder with a big rig. They often are down narrow roads or are on uneven ground. It can be done but far fewer options compared to a small rig.

Newer commercial campgrounds are less of an issue though still some limits.

Think long and hard if you really need a huge rig.i won't go so far as to say you don't but it creates its own problems. I'm the youngest of 10, and we typically did a month each summer in a 28ft travel trailer.

[spoon059]

valhalla360 wrote:


Generally a good plan.

If you can extend those trips to 3-4 months, lots of oppurtunities open up to be flexible and figure things out as you go.

I would keep reservations to a minimum with only absolutely key sites reserved. Especially if you are going off season, reservations are rarely needed. We did Yellowstone last fall and Banff/Jasper this spring...got reservation inside the parks about a week out for both as the school kids were all back in school and the crowds gone. We usually call ahead no more than 2-3 days out (or has become more common, reserve online). This avoids the stress if you run into issues (something comes up with work or issues with the RV and you can't travel for example).

Out of season camping also benefits boondocking. Mid summer when it's in the 90sF, boondocking without aircon is miserable, so you have to break out the generator or pay for a site with power. Spring/Fall, power demands tend to be much lower making boondocking easier.

Gosh I hope our experience mimmicks yours! One big downfall is that we're a young family, we'll likely have a 40' 5th wheel. That will limit some places we can stay, hence the need for some more dispersed camping sites!

[valhalla360]

spoon059 wrote:
I'm not sure what my employment will be by then. I'm hoping for a type of job that I can do remotely. If I can work remotely, longer than 4-6 weeks is feasible, but my kids will be 14, 12 and 7... so we'll have to see how attitudes hold up. If things go well and I have a job that allows it, maybe we do southwest in the early spring and northern midwest in the fall in the same year.

I'm hoping to be able to make some reservations in advance to ensure that we can stay at some specific locations, but I am also hoping to have some chances to boondock and might use something like Boondockers Welcome to have some less traditional camping options. We plan to have a smaller generator if we need it, but I'm hopeful that April and May nights may be cool enough and dry enough not to need AC.

Generally a good plan.

If you can extend those trips to 3-4 months, lots of oppurtunities open up to be flexible and figure things out as you go.

I would keep reservations to a minimum with only absolutely key sites reserved. Especially if you are going off season, reservations are rarely needed. We did Yellowstone last fall and Banff/Jasper this spring...got reservation inside the parks about a week out for both as the school kids were all back in school and the crowds gone. We usually call ahead no more than 2-3 days out (or has become more common, reserve online). This avoids the stress if you run into issues (something comes up with work or issues with the RV and you can't travel for example).

Out of season camping also benefits boondocking. Mid summer when it's in the 90sF, boondocking without aircon is miserable, so you have to break out the generator or pay for a site with power. Spring/Fall, power demands tend to be much lower making boondocking easier.

[spoon059]

Veebyes wrote:
Based on MD Eastern Shore Chesapeake Bay, maybe a half hour from the Atlantic. Almost 250,000 miles put on the truck since 2007.

Similar to your 'quadrant' idea, we have done many trips with a theme or particular area to cover. Some keep drawing us back, e.g. currently on our fifth trip to Alaska. Departed MD end of April. Return MD mid Oct. Very flexible itinerary.

Allow time for delays due to weather. It is going to happen. Allow time for mechanical problems. They will happen. The more that you are able to go with the flow, the better.

I'm currently in awful Maryland, waiting until I can leave. We're hoping to find a couple of places that draw us back and we can come back (either with kids or when they are out of the house) and spend more time.

[Veebyes]

Based on MD Eastern Shore Chesapeake Bay, maybe a half hour from the Atlantic. Almost 250,000 miles put on the truck since 2007.

Similar to your 'quadrant' idea, we have done many trips with a theme or particular area to cover. Some keep drawing us back, e.g. currently on our fifth trip to Alaska. Departed MD end of April. Return MD mid Oct. Very flexible itinerary.

Allow time for delays due to weather. It is going to happen. Allow time for mechanical problems. They will happen. The more that you are able to go with the flow, the better.

[LMHS]

Don't forget that the campgrounds in the SE tend to stay open year-round. A hard single day drive or easier 2 day drive from SE TN will put you in several different states (Former resident of Chattanooga area & Southern Appalachians multi-state)


Check out the onlyinyourstate.com website for ideas. Lots of "living" museums and cave tours to go to that will count as a day of school for homeschoolers. Also Dollywood does a special price for homeschoolers with special demonstrations and hands-on crafts once per year. Biltmore House also does a homeschool day. We did a lot of caves while homeschooling.

[obgraham]

I did it essentially that way.
Live in northwest.
Headed to midwest, left the rig over the winter in a storage place.
Went back in the spring, toured northeast, left the rig in inside storage in North Carolina.
Went back the next year, toured the southeast, then headed to Arizona and onback to northwest.

Worked for us. Good storage is not cheap.

[ken56]

Spoon, that is the area I am in. Very close to exit 424 on I-40. We moved here from Michigan 10 years ago and I will tell you it is the best place I have ever lived but that may be because of the stage of life we are in and that is retirement. You are right about the housing prices and I am thankful I was able to beat the insanity and find a nice home for a good sane price. Building is crazy around here too and finding a builder who is not 6 months or more out to start a project is difficult. Same with all the other trades. Any questions just ask.

[spoon059]

prichardson wrote:
Your quadrant plan is good and I would figure more the 6 to 8 week time frame. In some instances you may even cover a smaller area. As far as going over old areas. It will happen over the years; but by using different routes thru them you will see different things. Keep reservations to a minimum so you have a more flexible schedule.

I'm not sure what my employment will be by then. I'm hoping for a type of job that I can do remotely. If I can work remotely, longer than 4-6 weeks is feasible, but my kids will be 14, 12 and 7... so we'll have to see how attitudes hold up. If things go well and I have a job that allows it, maybe we do southwest in the early spring and northern midwest in the fall in the same year.

I'm hoping to be able to make some reservations in advance to ensure that we can stay at some specific locations, but I am also hoping to have some chances to boondock and might use something like Boondockers Welcome to have some less traditional camping options. We plan to have a smaller generator if we need it, but I'm hopeful that April and May nights may be cool enough and dry enough not to need AC.

The hope is also to find some places that we love and want to spend some winters visiting. We've stayed at the same campground for 2 weeks every winter for almost the past 12 years and LOVE that we've met friends that winter at the same campground. We want that, but we also want to explore our options.

Looking forward to what the near future could hold, please keep giving me thoughts and ideas!

[spoon059]

ken56 wrote:
Moving to "tennessee-ish" area? OK....I live in East Tennessee just east of Knoxville and I can be in Myrtle beach in a day. I can be in New Orleans in a day... long days, granted that. BUT the point is TN is very centrally located. For going out west yeah, that will take 3-4 overnights to get to the Grand Canyon and the National parks in Utah.

Hoping for somewhere in the Douglas Lake or Cherokee Resorvoir area. Prices have gone insane in the last 4 years though.

We would likely take more than 3-4 days to get out West. We want to take it easy, ideally no more than 5 hours/300 miles in a day and preferably not too many days of that in a row. While National Parks are the objective, we want to enjoy the journey as well.

[ferndaleflyer]

When youngest was 12 we left Baltimore with no special plans other than to get away from the Eastern US. Many side trips, Grand Canyon, 2 days skiing at Mt Hood, Yellowstone, etc. All the way to the west coast then went South, saw the BIG trees, LA area, over to AZ, Phoenix, Tucson, Bisbee, Tombstone, Nogales Mexico, Dallas, OK City, St Louis, Then beat feet for home. We were gone 2 1/2 months if not for school would have been gone longer. Lots of things and places not mentioned here but for her it was an adventure of a lifetime in the US. The next trip was straight up I-95 into Canada where we circled around and came back into the US in Michigan. As for the South East, we have wore it out over the years. We have had an RV for around 55 years and we used them all. There is always something up the road to see.

[prichardson]

Your quadrant plan is good and I would figure more the 6 to 8 week time frame. In some instances you may even cover a smaller area. As far as going over old areas. It will happen over the years; but by using different routes thru them you will see different things. Keep reservations to a minimum so you have a more flexible schedule.