Plan or no plan when you travel?

[bsirby]

I think a little planning is a good thing. We can't afford the gas to just roam without some purpose or destination in mind. We also have some time restraints, that prevent us from being gone 6 months, even tho we are full time. But, our plans are not written in stone. We will change the plan at any given time, if something of interest pops up.

[Craig_R]

Prior to retirement I spent 40 years adhering to a demanding schedule. For a while, each vacation had a specific itinerary. I finally convinced the DW that vacations were all about relaxation. After that we still had an itinerary, but it wasn't nearly as structured.

Now that we are retired and RVing full-time, we usually plan a destination but try to leave plenty of time to get there. That way we are able take some interesting side trips along the way.

[wa8yxm]

For me it depends on the trip. Some trips are fairly layed out, for example last year (2011) I had to go to Darien, GA, and we made only minor changes in the plan (We moved on a sat/sun instead of a tue/wed). Now we had to make the run that week cause.. Well there was a wedding in my daughter's future when we arrived and history when we left 2.5 months later.

Benerally our plans are etched in the finest silly putty (That is subject to major change as we travel) though parts of them (The weddign for example) are more like "Set in concrete"

On our semi-annual migration (north to south to north) the only part set in cement is our stop in Taylor, MI. near our doctor's offices and appointments.

[Mickey Mouse]

As we are both still working our plan is to go somewhere at least once a month, even if only a few miles from the house. Can't wait until we can just go have no plan!

[ahicks]

We generally have a direction and total time out in mind when we leave. You almost always have to do something about the mail and other stuff if you're going to be gone for a while. The other thing we've learned is reservations on weekends in the more popular areas? Doesn't seem to matter what time of year in some places. If it's a weekend (or a holiday!) I would advise some caution if you do the State Park thing like we do.

[steelheadbluesman]

Originally Posted by dieselclacker

Yes, we plan but try to stay flexible. Not planning at all is not a good thing for us. We have been in some situations in the past, from lack of planning, that we don't choose to repeat. Have to have a little structure in life.

Yes, I generally have at least a loose destination or area, like "going to Arizona" or "going to BC", but I've been known to flip a coin at a major hwy interchange.... I like to find whatever is there, and many of the most flavorful experiences are unplanned. But a little planning is a good thing, like knowing how far the next gas station is in Baja

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by bsirby

I think a little planning is a good thing. We can't afford the gas to just roam without some purpose or destination in mind. We also have some time restraints, that prevent us from being gone 6 months, even tho we are full time. But, our plans are not written in stone. We will change the plan at any given time, if something of interest pops up.

That works!
We are roaming, but usually have a final goal, like back to the Northeast.
The RV is only from park to park, in one spot for about a month, and the toad is used for exploring...easier on fuel.

[djbmsu]

Their are Plans and there are Planners. We make a list of things we want to see along the way of where we want to be. We could care less what kind of campground we stay in, so planning each night in a specific CC isnt going to happen. But planning a trip based on a schedule and time line just dosent seem like our bag.

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by djbmsu

Their are Plans and there are Planners. We make a list of things we want to see along the way of where we want to be. We could care less what kind of campground we stay in, so planning each night in a specific CC isnt going to happen. But planning a trip based on a schedule and time line just dosent seem like our bag.

Great plan!
Or non plan...as it were.
Nice RED
Happy trails!

[Poptop]

Our plan is to stay vague about where and when we go. Basically, we go to the southwest in the fall and leave there in the spring, headed for who knows where. Even these vague plans change as our daughter has us house sitting now in Colorado until she and the family return in a couple months. As a retired full-timer it is great to have the time and flexabilty to do this.

[NukeRef]

We bought our coach last January. Since I'm still working, we've only had time for weekend trips and one three-week trip from Florida to Forest City and back. Stops all planned and reserved (except the night at the Cummins shop in Michigan). Soon I will retire and we plan to join a caravan through Alaska this summer. Although set at a relatively leisurely pace, all stops up to the jumping off point are planned and reserved.

After that, no plans for the trip back home.

I collected all 50 of the State Quarters, and I'm working on the National Park Quarters. In the future, we'll be choosing our next destination by pulling a quarter out of a bag ...

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by NukeRef

We bought our coach last January. Since I'm still working, we've only had time for weekend trips and one three-week trip from Florida to Forest City and back. Stops all planned and reserved (except the night at the Cummins shop in Michigan). Soon I will retire and we plan to join a caravan through Alaska this summer. Although set at a relatively leisurely pace, all stops up to the jumping off point are planned and reserved.

After that, no plans for the trip back home.

I collected all 50 of the State Quarters, and I'm working on the National Park Quarters. In the future, we'll be choosing our next destination by pulling a quarter out of a bag ...

Cool! I just happen to have a bag of quarters

[Clayobx]

Originally Posted by dieselclacker

Yes, we plan but try to stay flexible. Not planning at all is not a good thing for us. We have been in some situations in the past, from lack of planning, that we don't choose to repeat. Have to have a little structure in life.

We have to agree with dieselclacker, have been left out in the cold with a bad site or no site. So we plan ahead to insure we fit, and have the amenities we worked so hard for finally reaching retirement.

[tooltrdr]

We are climate refugees Jan 1 to Apr 1. Plan necessary to secure reservations in Fla on the Atlantic coast. We are planned in by reservations all across Fla to New Orleans, then just wander through relatives in Texas and Arizona.