Pandemic RVing

[Retired]

Something I have been giving some thought to is how to schedule a 30+ day trip during these uncertain times.

I dont like schedules. Schedules are imposed on us at birth and they dog us our entire lives. Three meals a day, 8-4/9-5, M-F, 2 weeks vacation, Hotel check in/out times, McD breakfast ends at 10am. Basically, someone elses schedule dictates how we live our lives..

I want to drive when I feel like driving and stop when I feel like stopping. If I see something interesting, I may want to stop and take it in. If rain is forecasted ahead of me, I may want to stop for a few extra days while the weather clears or I may want to turn left or right chasing good weather. My pups dont like rainy wet weather so I try and chase fair weather for them.

I also dont want to live in WM parking lots, rest areas and truck stops.

I am amazed at the number of RVs I see on the Interstate and come bedtime they all need a place to park for the night.

I know that I will have stops in Tucson, Vegas and Denver to visit family, beyond that I have no idea where I will be and no idea when I will be at any stop. Im leaving in May and want to be home by the end of June.

Am I setting myself up for failure with a fly by the seat of my pants attitude?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Am I setting myself up for failure with a fly by the seat of my pants attitude?

Welllll, that's how I do it. But I don't need acomidations. If I need to stop I have no aversion to a parking lot, not my first option, but safety first.

In this day, the heck with that!!! Even Christ was born in a stable because no lodging was avaliable. Camping alongside a forest road will be the best bet for your plan.

 

[lemondrop9344]

A few years ago, the wife, the dog & I embarked on a road trip without much of a schedule. It lasted close to 8 weeks in a 40' diesel pusher with no toad. The only date that was firmed up was attendance to my youngest son's wedding in Denver. We started our trip several weeks prior to the wedding without any reservations & no specific itinerary.
Prior to the trip I obtained a current copy of The Next Exit, purchased books on National & State Park as well as a book on RV parks for big rigs. Heading west from just north of Charlotte, NC, we tried to take in & visit those places of interest to us. At each state we entered, we stopped at the visitor center, obtained maps & tourist information.
Where we stayed & how long we stayed there was dependent on what we wanted to do in the area & where we thought we wanted to go in the next few days. Yes, we spent a few nights in various parking lots (with permission), but to us, that was part of the adventure and charm of the trip as we made choices where we would go next.
Some 11K + miles later back at home, the 1st purchase I made was a tow bar & base plate for a toad. A 40' diesel pusher is not a good grocery getter, or a good vehicle for touring some of the national parks.
We have taken this approach to our traveling............. it's not so much the destination, but, the journey which should be enjoyed.

 

[Gronk]

........... it's not so much the destination, but, the journey which should be enjoyed.

That's pretty much the way my wife and I have traveled for the last five years non stop. We have a destination in mind, but that's about the extent of our itinerary. There have only been a hand full of nights we had to boondock.

 

[sanda]

Its called 'winging it'. We do it all the time and feel it's the best way to go. Boondocking and campgrounds are about 50% each with us.

 

[Retired]

This is good to hear. Some mornings I like to sleep in, other days Im wide awake and ready to roll at 5am.

We want to take in all of Americana.

Outside Benson AZ is a cheesy roadside attraction called The Thing. Billboards advertise The Thing as far away as El Paso. As kids in the mid-60s we begged my dad to stop and he never would. Well, Im 60 years old now and this summer Im stopping to see The Thing! I will be the first in my family to do so.

Theres a lot more to see in America. A big rubber band ball in Branson MO, a big ball of twine in FL and in NC there is a 15' frying pan that can fry 365 chickens at once.

Who wouldnt stop to see these marvels?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Who wouldnt stop to see these marvels?

Ok, I admit I have seen the thing!

 

["EZ"]

A few years ago, the wife, the dog & I embarked on a road trip without much of a schedule. It lasted close to 8 weeks in a 40' diesel pusher with no toad. The only date that was firmed up was attendance to my youngest son's wedding in Denver. We started our trip several weeks prior to the wedding without any reservations & no specific itinerary.
Prior to the trip I obtained a current copy of The Next Exit, purchased books on National & State Park as well as a book on RV parks for big rigs. Heading west from just north of Charlotte, NC, we tried to take in & visit those places of interest to us. At each state we entered, we stopped at the visitor center, obtained maps & tourist information.
Where we stayed & how long we stayed there was dependent on what we wanted to do in the area & where we thought we wanted to go in the next few days. Yes, we spent a few nights in various parking lots (with permission), but to us, that was part of the adventure and charm of the trip as we made choices where we would go next.
Some 11K + miles later back at home, the 1st purchase I made was a tow bar & base plate for a toad. A 40' diesel pusher is not a good grocery getter, or a good vehicle for touring some of the national parks.
We have taken this approach to our traveling............. it's not so much the destination, but, the journey which should be enjoyed.

Yeah for the first year we didn't have a TOAD for our 40' coach either. Once we got to the camp ground we were kinda stuck. I couldn't wait to buy a tow bar!! Life is a lot different now.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Benson AZ is a cheesy roadside attraction called The Thing.

Hmmm....

The Thing: Arizona's weirdest roadside attraction just got stranger

For years The Thing rested in a dusty warehouse, visitors wondering what it was. A new museum makes it clear - The Thing is stranger than you thought.

www.azcentral.com