We Don't Need No Stinkin' Plan!

[Francesca Knowles]

Hi, All...

I was looking at Google Earth on my husband's computer today and I had to laugh when I came across these two "Maps" he'd drawn.
We took a trip in June- him on his motorcycle, and me trailing along with The Chuckwagon. He'd been wanting to see the Palouse region of Washington State before it browned out. An engineer by Nature and Trade, he'd methodically plotted out the trip- that's his little blue motorcycle there in this first "blue line" planning stages map. He even had a little itinerary typed up, right down to calculated miles: 1,094 in seven days.
He's so cute when he's being organized
But I'm a bit of a different type.
I'm more inclined to take a few since-we're-in-the-neighborhood side trips.
And I WAS, after all, towing The Chuckwagon...
We had a great time and though I knew we'd strayed just a bit from his careful agenda, this "what actually happened" map he's been sending his pals sure tells the tale of just how "little" that bit was. Check out the "knife and fork" icon he used to indicate where The Chuckwagon was pulled in when he rode up each evening....
Whew!
So much for sticking to the plan!
But...
When we got home 2200 miles later, we both agreed that it was one of the best trips we've taken.
So far!


Francesca

[BigLew]

We are the same as yourself Francesca. We've found that the less plans we make, the more we enjoy ourselves. We live day by day with a schedule, but not when we vacation.

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Hi, All...

I was looking at Google Earth on my husband's computer today and I had to laugh when I came across these two "Maps" he'd drawn.
We took a trip in June- him on his motorcycle, and me trailing along with The Chuckwagon. He'd been wanting to see the Palouse region of Washington State before it browned out. An engineer by Nature and Trade, he'd methodically plotted out the trip- that's his little blue motorcycle there in this first "blue line" planning stages map. He even had a little itinerary typed up, right down to calculated miles: 1,094 in seven days.
He's so cute when he's being organized
But I'm a bit of a different type.
I'm more inclined to take a few since-we're-in-the-neighborhood side trips.
And I WAS, after all, towing The Chuckwagon...
We had a great time and though I knew we'd strayed just a bit from his careful agenda, this "what actually happened" map he's been sending his pals sure tells the tale of just how "little" that bit was. Check out the "knife and fork" icon he used to indicate where The Chuckwagon was pulled in when he rode up each evening....
Whew!
So much for sticking to the plan!
But...
When we got home 2200 miles later, we both agreed that it was one of the best trips we've taken.
So far!


Francesca

[Ken C]

yes, as Ted Simon says it's the journey. Your hubby would enjoy his Jupiters travels book but i'd bet he already has.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Hi, All...

I was looking at Google Earth on my husband's computer today and I had to laugh when I came across these two "Maps" he'd drawn.
We took a trip in June- him on his motorcycle, and me trailing along with The Chuckwagon. He'd been wanting to see the Palouse region of Washington State before it browned out. An engineer by Nature and Trade, he'd methodically plotted out the trip- that's his little blue motorcycle there in this first "blue line" planning stages map. He even had a little itinerary typed up, right down to calculated miles: 1,094 in seven days.
He's so cute when he's being organized
But I'm a bit of a different type.
I'm more inclined to take a few since-we're-in-the-neighborhood side trips.
And I WAS, after all, towing The Chuckwagon...
We had a great time and though I knew we'd strayed just a bit from his careful agenda, this "what actually happened" map he's been sending his pals sure tells the tale of just how "little" that bit was. Check out the "knife and fork" icon he used to indicate where The Chuckwagon was pulled in when he rode up each evening....
Whew!
So much for sticking to the plan!
But...
When we got home 2200 miles later, we both agreed that it was one of the best trips we've taken.
So far!


Francesca

It's been years since we made a detailed plan. We discovered that everytime we tried we change it before we got very far. Sometimes we changed it before we got to the end of the driveway. Now we just head in a general direction. Like last January we headed south, then east. Great trip.

Now, you two maps. I didn't see any maps or links to such.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Now, you two maps. I didn't see any maps or links to such.

Hi, Byron

My husband is calling the above GE images "Maps"- they're really just snapshots of the routes.
The real tale is told by the dog-eared, tattered, marked-up Atlases that we travel with. (We leave all electronics at home when we travel.)
But as you can see (below) our "trip diaries" don't translate very well into the electronic world...
These two whopping pages represent our ACTUAL routes near Rufus Woods Park- #10 on the GE "map" above...

Francesca

[2yax2go]

Ahhhh.....maps. Late hubby and I had a HUGE Nat. Geo. Atlas we traced travels in. Unfortunately Atlas was lost in a basement flood not long after his death.

Son (to whom I often refer as Prince Regent) bought us a loverly spiral bound atlas that notes State, Federal and National Forest Camprounds for Christmas in honor of our intended Gypsy future. Thus far we have travelled only in bits upstate SC, Western NC, South Western TN and North Eastern GA with it, but there are pages and pages in waiting.

Travels with Mr. 2yax and I are often organized chaos when a road less traveled presents itself. Once we hit close to full-timing it won't matter cuz EVERY day will be Saturday.

[james kent]

The only planning is to arrive at an "event" on the right day.On one trip west from Ontario through Canada, we planned six days to make it to the ferry to Galiano Island on time and a week later we took another seven weeks to get back home through the northern US states.
Fantastic journey!

[rgrugg]

When we travel we normally have no plan except for general areas. Next month, for example, we're probably going to Montana, Idaho, and the Canadian Rockies (unless we change our minds somewhere along the way). We've been known to change our minds several times in one day.