Re: WY itinerary

On Sun, 16 Mar 2025 13:13:57 -0000 (UTC),
  George.Anthony <ganthony@gmail.net> wrote:

 bfh <redydog@rye.net> wrote:

sticks wrote:

 Just wondering Ted what you do for overnight stops and
parking when you're traveling between spots.  Do you find
campgrounds to stay at, hotels, sleep in the Acadia, or can
you sleep in the lance without pulling slide outs?

The trips we've done so far I've planned out ahead of time
in some detail--making reservations at campgrounds for each
night.  I'll make sure every second or third has at least a
dump station, if not sewer hookups.

 
That's I think how I proceed, just like when I'm working. 
Everything gets planned out ahead of time so there aren't any
big surprises.

I'm glad to know it's not just me.

Just my opinion, but strict planning sucks. Back when the wife
and I travelcamped with a TT, we picked the places we wanted
to see, and then set out for the first one. The next day, we
decided to stay or go to the next one - or maybe even a
different one before the next one. Reservations? I don't
recall ever making one. Vacations are supposed to be loose -
not always worrying about hitting a schedule. Might see
something along the way that's looks interesting, and a
schedule or a reservation might make it difficult to check it
out.

Yeah, that would be mu ideal, guess I'm too concerned about
surprises to go that way though.

However comma then is not now, and it may be crowded out there
these days, and reservations may be the only way to keep you
out of Walmart parking lots. If that's true, you have my
condolences. OTOH, even today I can't imagine it would be too
hard to find a flatspot out there in the Southwest where
you're usually on or near BLM land.

Seems pretty crowded, but I'm still mostly a novice at this so I
could be looking at it too conservatively.

Too bad Google can't do what the old Delorme Street Atlas does
- allow you to enter your own average speeds for various types
of roads. You might be able to find a Delorme Street Atlas
2015+ CD online somewhere.

That's why I use 60 mph as a base.  Dividing the miles by 60 gives
me hours.  And that's something I can do in my head.  I tend to
round up to the next half our or hour on the time estimate to
account for stops.

All else being equal, my preference would be just to drive
and then stop where we will--but I'm too chicken of ending
up in an area with no good (and available) options.

 
Then man up and do it. There are always available options -
you just might have to lower your standards a little every now
and then.

Ouch.  Maybe once I'm more seasoned in tending the unit and its
various needs.

Can you just crash in the Lance without having to pull the
slide outs?

Yes, the center aisle between the kitchen counters and the bench
seat on the other side is too narrow for any use of the kitchen,
but it's definitely passable.

 Like you, I seldom plan beyond my first stop. These days with
 Internet and cell phones, we plan on the road. If one
 campground s full we call another. Very few overnights at
 Walmart, etc. Hey, it’s part of the adventure.

So this suggests my caution is excessive.  Still, as I mentioned
above I would prefer to get a little more experience under my belt
before jumping into an unplanned trip.  That said, coming back
from Utah last year I did plan a stop in Colorado the night
before.  I'm thinking I might do the same for our whole trip back
from Wyoming in May/June.  We'll see how it goes.

Thanks all for the varied feedback.

--
Ted Heise      <theise@panix.com>       West Lafayette, IN, USA