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mamaloya · 05-26-2006, 04:41 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Stanbnv:
Reservations? We don neeeed no stinkin reservations! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You guys sound like dh. Thanks Big Kid for letting me know I am not the only wacked out one here.

I have to say that dh has mellowed me "some". When we travel together, I now make my ressie for our destination and along the way 6 hours driving time for an overnight. It usually takes us 9-12 hours to drive 6 hours. If we leave at 5-6am, we get there at 5-6pm. We pull over every 2 hours for a 1-2 hour break/snack/ meal. Traveling with the 5 younguns makes this a necessity. It also gives us time to stop and smell the roses. I carry my AAA book that lists the attractions in each town we go through and highlight the interesting ones ahead of time. Now, sometimes we wind up pulling in to our spot VERY late, like 10pm due to extra excursions along the way, but at least I know we have a spot.

This works out well for us. It is what I call "planned spontanaity".

Stanbnv · 05-26-2006, 08:51 AM

Sandra, DW is one of you. I have kind of mellowed her over the last ten years we have been married. I still get "The Look" once in a while, but, being a Retired W4, I'm almost immune to it. It can strike the unwary into a panic.

Vette Racer · 05-26-2006, 10:09 AM

Mine can be anywhere from 8 to 15 hrs or more depending on where we are going and how much time we have to get there and back. Since we work and our vacations are time controlled we try to get where we're going in the shortest time possible. I've pulled into an RV park at 2am and get back on the road by 6, sometimes its just a rest area but its usually dictated by how sleepy and tired I get, not by how many hours I've driven.

WRV of Tennessee · 05-26-2006, 03:08 PM

When we leave home on the first day at around 8AM and get to the first main intersection, that is when we decide which way we are going.
From then on, we might go one hour and see something that excites us and stay a day or two. Some days can be really long. That is when we leave around 9 AM and will go until maybe 3 PM with a 1 1/2 hour lunch break.
I do not make reservations because it is the journey not the destination that counts.

Retird2Golf · 05-26-2006, 03:23 PM

Like Paul from CA, we are on the other side in Viginia. We like to travel and stop when we want. That's what is great about retirement.

"Ride it like a Ford"

Redapple · 05-26-2006, 04:52 PM

The answer for me in regard to this particular question would be; It depends. It depends on whether the trip is to a destination, or a trip to see, explore and visit. If I am going to a destination, I will drive until I get there, or until around 4pm. If I am visiting, exploring etc, I will stop no later than 1 or 2 pm.

Bill

Gary RVRoamer · 05-26-2006, 05:15 PM

Our usual travel day is only about 250 miles and we rarely stop later than 3:30 or so, regardless of how many miles we have gone. Of course, being retired, we have the advantage of unlimited time. Start late and stop early is out motto. And we only make reservations if we are stopping at a popular spot or on a holiday weekend. We find that we can always get a site when we stop early.

mamaloya · 05-26-2006, 05:50 PM

I fantasize about being a free spirit. I would like to one day just wake up and say "let's go see what we can see" and then take off and see where we end up. Maybe I will mellow more as I get older. I think when the kids are older it will help as well.

Retird2Golf · 05-27-2006, 03:19 AM

Yep, Mama, you do have your hands full, mine are "gone from the nest", I don't know how I found time to work, (before retirement).
Loved my job, worked in the outdoors, for a great company ..... but ..... never looked back,
and I am enjoying life !

Best regards, and "Hang in there!", Clyde

"Ride it like a Ford"

Lorna · 05-27-2006, 05:28 AM

Really depends on the situation. We like to pull into a campground (particularly one we've never been in before) while still daylight. During the summer, this can be quite late but in the winter it will be a bit early. We still work and use our camper as "home" while working. Sometimes we have to travel a long ways in a short time. In that case, we travel til we get there. Now we will be self-contained and will just pull into a parking lot when to late and tired to travel. We stay mainly at Public campgrounds and have found that many public campgrounds lock the gates at 10P. Back when we previously full-timed, we were living in 2 public campgrounds (County park for 21 days then State Park for 14 days... only a few miles apart) for several months. There were usually 2 or 3 RVs parked at the gates (sleeping) waiting for the gates to open. I'm sure we will be like them on more than one occasion if the situation warrents.

If you should ever find yourself having to park outside of a gated campground overnight, please pull off the road to allow traffic to get in/out or turn around (if possible) and find a parking spot. David had to wake up folks on several occasions because they were parked on both sides of the road, completely blocking traffic (we quite often had keys to the gates because David left for work before the Park gate were opened).

Steady Eddie · 05-29-2006, 06:52 PM

Usually--up at 5 or 5:30, walk the dogs,
DW still asleep, very quietly, unhook water
and power, go inside to discover DW IS awake
and building a pot of brew on the galley range.
In come the slides, we are on our way.
On the freeway by 6 AM, and in the Metro Areas
this allows us to miss 80% of the morning commute. We drive eight hours per day, off the
road and into a campground by 2 PM. Set up and
walk dogs, check out the facilities, pool, hot
tub...very relaxing...

Golfadk · 05-29-2006, 08:46 PM

We usually do not make reservations due to I stop for the day whenever I get tired....and on some days that could be after only 3 or 4 hrs. of travel. The one good thing of stopping early is if no space available I still have time to find another CG. I must say I have never stopped at a RV Park and they turned us away. Once I got the last spot available though.
2:40 Rule??? That is just someone's own personal rule. Have you heard of the 2:27 rule?....or maybe the 3:01 rule?

Teacher's Pet · 05-30-2006, 01:46 AM

Being fulltimers when we have to travel, we try to go by our friend Mickey Ivey of RVer's Notebook 2-2-2 rule. 200 miles maximum per day, in a campsite by 2 P.M. and stay for 2 days minimum. Works very well for us.

diandtom · 05-30-2006, 10:08 AM

We only make reservations at destination campgrounds. How long we drive depends on how far we are going,how tired Tom is and how much "arther" is bothering him. We do like to stop before dark so we can see our surroundings,don't like any surprises!

On our trips to Fl. we can usually get as far as Fl. in one day,so even if our destination is only 2 more hours down the road we still stop for the night.

Dianne