How do you, or do you?

[CindyL]

Definitely plan! Until hubby gets food poisoning .

CindyL

[Carol H]

A great deal depends on the time of year I am traveling. For example last year in Nov/Dec I was on the road for six weeks with no reservations but I had a list of places I wanted to go and rough map and time line. That changed when weather requiring a route change or I found I actually liked a place more than I though I might and stayed longer or stayed a shorted time at a place I wasnt overly impressed with. In the summer months its a 50:50 thing in regards to reservations - normally only make them for the week-ends when I am going into a very popular National or State park or attending a trailer meet. Even on the Oregon Coast in the middle of summer you can normally find an opening mid week at most state parks.

I keep a list of camping spots on my roughed out route that people have recommended - and as I approach those areas I start to look at what my options might me. If its a state or national park I might look at the reservation system to see if they still have openings on their systems - if they do its a good bet they will still have first come first serve openings as well. If it looks like they have few spots left then I will make a reservation.

[Jon Vermilye]

For planning, I keep a folder on my laptop and between trips drop links & text files of places others have suggested or I find while wandering the web. When it is time for a trip I go through the folder & try to put together a route that hits most of the places.

As to the route, I try to take the "Red" or "Blue" roads - I avoid interstates when ever possible. I rarely make reservations unless it is a holiday weekend or at a rally since I never know when I'll be where. I do sometimes call for a reservation during the day for a campground I expect to reach that afternoon. I've found that by planning to stop for the day by 2:00 or so reservations are rarely needed unless it is a holiday weekend. To get a non reservable site at popular national parks, you may have to arrive early in the morning.

The only time this didn't work out was during July at state campgrounds on the Oregon coast - most of them were full.

I do have the advantage of being retired, so I'm in no hurry to get to anywhere.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I'm still a working stiff and plan most of my vacation time a year in advance. The Oregon State Park system allows reservations nine months to the date of arrival.

I've become a FiberglassRV Rally junkie, and plan vacation time around them. Most of the destination campgrounds for rallys have a similar policy in both Oregon and California, especially over a weekend. These I make reservations for.

For one night stands while in transit, say to The Oregon Gathering, I plan where to stop by breaking up traveling days into 450 mile (about 9 hours driving at 55 mph) or less pieces. Road Zombie-ism sets in at that limit. However I don't make reservations for these stops because with only a 16' trailer we've never been turned away for a single night stay.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

For one night stands while in transit,

that may fail under to much info Frederick!!

[Roy in TO]

Frederick Fail? I don't think so!

[jen b]

I also have to show up for work more days of the year than not, so to make the most of a 2 week trip, I do a lot of advance planning, make reservations, talk to photographers from the area for recommendations, etc. But, I'm also a map nerd and part of the fun of vacation is spending hours with maps in the couple of months ahead of time to decide on routes, locations, and so on.

Now, about making this all stress free? That's entirely a state of mind that I don't think has a lot to do with planning or not planning. In my world, vacation is a nice luxury to have, and I'm really fortunate to have this awesome little trailer, and everything on top of that is gravy.

My SO, on the other hand, comes from a family of worriers, so I have to do a lot of reminding him on trips that everything is going to be fine. "In america we can stop and turn around if we make a wrong turn!" It was AWESOME traveling with both him and his parents on the 3 week road trip last fall - all three of them were convinced that some kind of catastrophe might befall us at any moment. Exhausting. We took two cars on the trip so I made them all ride together so I could have peaceful drive time towing the trailer.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

Frederick Fail? I don't think so!

Your so right Roy he wouldn't should have been fall! My bad for attempting to type on a small screen with no glasses and walking the dog!! LOL

[carlkeigley]

A lazy way would be to follow Norm and Ginny..............lol.

After reading everyone's thoughts, I am less reprehensible about it all.
I've always been a home body. But now I can take my "home" with me.
Expectation is a bit in limbo, but think it will expand as the sun comes out
more and weather begins to warm up.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by carlkeigley

After reading everyone's thoughts, I am less reprehensible about it all.

Glad to hear it, Carl!

I only wish that I too could say that I'm now less reprehensible than I was before I joined up here...

Francesca

[Karen B.]

I'm definitely a definite-plans kind of person, mostly because I'm a solo woman and I would not feel comfortable overnighting in a parking lot, but because that's also my personality. I plan out where I want to go and what I want to see and then I'll look for campgrounds, sometimes months in advance. Since I don't know what I'll experience along the way, such planning doesn't take away any of the fun. It might make it more fun, because I'm not worried about the stuff I can control.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Glad to hear it, Carl!

I only wish that I too could say that I'm now less reprehensible than I was before I joined up here...

Francesca

ROFL............................The feelings do flip flop for sure.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Karen B.

I'm definitely a definite-plans kind of person, mostly because I'm a solo woman and I would not feel comfortable overnighting in a parking lot, but because that's also my personality. I plan out where I want to go and what I want to see and then I'll look for campgrounds, sometimes months in advance. Since I don't know what I'll experience along the way, such planning doesn't take away any of the fun. It might make it more fun, because I'm not worried about the stuff I can control.

Personality is a big part of my problem
I'm about as "pure" melancholy as one can get.
details, details, details. On our factory trip I kept a mileage, cost, time log book. I'll use it for more detail planning on the next trip. But at least the next trip won't be my first one in that area. Familiarity helps.

[rabbit]

Everything takes planning. Plans for Monday thru Thursday can be last minute at least out of season. I ain't hookin that thing up in the hope that no plan at all will come together.

jack

[honda03842]

Jen B
I think the longer you're gone the more you relax, feeling confident in you abilities, recognizing you cant fix all "their" problems. Time on the road can be curative.

Safe travels

[Jerry Jacobs]

Jim, I also
see no BLUE or RED lines, Francesca.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Jerry Jacobs

Jim, I also
see no BLUE or RED lines, Francesca.

Dunno what to say about why folks can't see 'em in the image- according to Jim, they show up in this thread-???

Meanwhile:
Just visualize a big ol' plate of bicolored spaghetti thrown at the "map" and you'll get the idea all right...

Francesca

[Jim Bennett]

Francesca, when I hit 'Edit' on your post, I see IMG hash tags, but there is no image URL there. The image in the other thread has the map attached, not linked to.

Or, am I even looking at the right image? THIS is the one I am referring to as attached, when in fact your original post in that other thread shows failed URL's in it.

[Francesca Knowles]

I don't understand why I can see it in this thread and you can't!?!?

Lemme try to paste it in right here- can you see this? 'Cause I can...




Francesca

[Jim Bennett]

Nope.