So, I’m in the process of planning two trips. This first is a three week road trip to the Pacific Northwest this summer. The second is a three week trip to Norway next summer. While I was researching I thought to myself that maybe it would be interesting to write about my process. Plus I can see how much work I really put into a trip. Time flies when you’re having fun so it doesn’t always seem like too much work while I’m doing it!
To start my plan I come up with my dates, the length of the trip, and the budget. Then I get started on the details.
Step 1- Where am I going?
Figuring out where to go is a challenge in itself. There are thousands of beautiful places in the world and most of them are on my bucket list! But for the time being I have some goals and parameters I work within to narrow down locations.
My current goal is to see as many national parks as I can. There are 63 National Parks and 400+ national landmarks, military sites, historical sites, etc. The 63 parks are my goal but usually the other landmarks and sites are around the parks so I try to include them when I can.
Since I have a daughter that is still in school our trips must take place over the summer and are 3-4 weeks in length. I try to make them as epic and exciting as possible! Our Washington DC road trip was probably one of the best vacations I have ever taken and one my kids will never forget! In fact it was the entire reason I wanted a trailer in the first place!
Last summer we went to Colorado because we had never been, I heard it was amazing, and there were a few national parks to check off the list! This summer I am planning to travel to the Pacific Northwest. We have driven through Oregon, Washington and Idaho on our way to other destinations, but this time we plan to explore a bit more and hit 5 national parks!
For now the international trips are less regular but I get them in when I can. We did a road trip to Canada and it was wonderful. I picked Canada because we could drive there and my kids had never been out of the country before. Plus, I really wanted to see a moose!
I chose next summer’s trip to Norway because my best friend’s family is from there and I have heard it is spectacular. Also, while planning other people’s trips I have realized how big river cruises are right now and a river cruise up the Fjords is something I have to try. This trip is coming together nicely with flights, a road trip and a cruise component.
Step 2-Get the Lay of the Land
Once I pick out my location and run it by my daughter, I buy the travel guide (yes, I have a not so small addiction to travel guides). I read every page, cover to cover and make a list of every single thing I want to see. It is a long list and there is no way I can see it all but I start with the works! I then prioritize my list by the stops that are most important to me. For example, maybe there is a specific park that I don’t want to miss, or a family member I want to be sure to visit.
Once I have my complete list I buy a map of the area and mark the locations. Once I see it all on a map, its easier to connect the dots and see a route that captures most of the places on my list. If there are locations that are important for me to see, based on my priorities, that don’t fit my initial route, I adjust accordingly. I am never able to get to everything but, the priority list helps me adjust to stop at as many places as possible.
Step 3-Edit
Now I decide how far we will travel in a day and mark where I think we’ll land. It is in these locations I will book campground/hotels. It is a big world and road tripping takes time (which is half the fun), so sometimes these locations are just sleepover places. If there are multiple sights near this location then we can hub and spoke the sites. The number of sites and the amount of time it will take to see them determines the length of time we will require lodging at this location.
Step 4-Research
This is the part I love! Using the travel guides and the internet I figure out what there is to see and do at each point of interest and how many days we will need to experience it all.
This is how I figure out how long the trip is and delete activities- falling back on my priority list to help. This “trip pruning” sizes the trip to my predetermined length of travel. I also build in a little bit of flexibility. This way if I see a sign for the biggest ball of twine 2 miles off the route , I can pull off and check it out!
Sometimes if a sight is a quick stop I’ll schedule it on a driving day either upon departure or arrival. At this point the trip is pretty dialed in as far as timing.
Step 5-Sew it up!
When the timeline is good to go I enter the entire trip into a program. I choose and enter in the lodgings in each location, (which is an entirely different research process I plan to blog on soon). The program gives me a day by day mileage and time schedule, gas estimations, and lodging estimations. Now I can see if the trip is fitting into my budget. Usually, I’m not too far off but if I am I go back to editing.
Maybe I can stay a night for free at a truckstop or Walmart if a stop is just for sleeping. Maybe I just have to take off a sight that was a little more out of the way to save on fuel. We can cook more and skip a night out to dinner. There are apps to find cheap fuel around you or memberships to gas stations. In short, there are ways to cut expenses without sacrificing the sights and activities.
Step 6-Book It
Booking campgrounds or lodgings, especially in the summer can be very challenging. But I stay patient and talk to the staff, especially at the mom and pop campgrounds, and they’ll put us on waitlists or upgrade us to riverside spots. Being kind and patient goes a long way in working with people, and almost always gets you results that work!
This is also when I buy passes and tickets. For example a National Parks Pass can be purchased ahead of time and if you’re going to go into a park more than twice it’s totally worth it. Buying tickets ahead of time can also be less expensive than buying at the door. Also check for special requirements at each location. For example, you may need to make a reservation for a park due to it’s popularity.
I also do a little more research to look for fun and different restaurants along the way. And of course I look for cooky roadside attractions!!
Step 7- Finishing Touches
I am a paper and pen gal so I make a binder for the trip. It has a day by day calendar, directions, confirmations and passes. I also include a menu, shopping lists, and restaurant suggestions. I put an envelope inside for pamphlets and programs we pick up along the way. I also have it all electronically but with the exception of maps, I prefer my binder.
Most people hate all the preparation, planning, and research that goes into planning a vacation especially a road trip, but I love that part!
Contact me if you think I can help to plan your next trip!
-Gaylene
