We'll be hitting the road later this month for a road trip.
The purpose is to go visit my daughter as we haven't seen her since she moved to Louisiana last May.
I am looking forward to that.
But we have a whole lot of miles and states to get through before we get to Louisiana.
Our last road trip back last August, we planned out to the nth degree.
This time we are playing it more by ear.
Other than the basics of a loose route and the hotel where we will be staying once we get to LA, everything else is up in the air.
This is called being spontaneous or "freestyling" and you know what?.....it's scaring the hell out of me! lolz
I am a planner, a chart maker and list keeper.
We have so many days to get to LA by a certain date and then so many days to get home.
We also have a few things we want to do/see along the way, but other than that, everything else is up in the air.....from what roads we travel, to what we see/do(or don't see/don't do), where we eat, stop and sleep.
Hubs elected to receive a GPS for his 30 year anniversary gift at work, so we'll have that for help. We will go armed with a map, a list of ideas/places to visit along the way and mapquest-ed directions/addresses and phone numbers. Night's lodgings will be located using a feature on the GPS for such or using booklets or signs on the Interstate or personal recommendations.
I fear we'll pay too much for lodgings this way(just dropping in last minute and hoping the motel/hotel is under booked and practically giving away rooms for the night is NOT my idea!)but I am going to go with it.
I didn't buy any restaurant dotcom eatery certificates to bring the meal prices down, but we won't be locked into getting to/eating at a specific destination either.
Though I do have some gift cards(for eateries I already had)so I'll bring those for "just in case" situations. But I do prefer to eat local food, not in a chain.
And we are renting a car like we did last August so there is no added wear and tear on our already beleaguered vehicles.
While I have ideas on a few excursions we are open to other ideas.
So if you are on our way(between northeastern PA and northwestern LA)and either are up to a visit or giving us a place to sleep for a night, or have some ideas of places/things to see/experience along that route, or words of advise/wisdom, drop me a note either on the blog or privately and I'll take all under advisement.
Since we WILL be nearby to New Orleans, we'd like to experience that city, but we won't be stopping there this trip. We looked at going but it's just not do-able this time.
Heck, if we retire to LA it will be just down the road anyway and we'll have many opportunities to go there then.
Heck, if we are swinging by your town, maybe you'll be granted an audience with Sluggy and I can bring you your own personal Bloggerpalooza II goody bag.....won't that be a treat?! ;-)
Sluggy
Free styling travel scares the crap out of me too - I can honestly say I never do it. Too much of a control freak :) Have a good time on your trip too!
ReplyDeleteI see you've still left Iowa off your little jaunt... hmmm...
ReplyDeleteYou need to send kids to school in Nebraska or Iowa next time!
I LOVE freestyling! Did it for 3700 miles one summer - out to Oregon and back via the long route! Other than a few caves along the way that we wanted to hit (and Glacier NP), everything else was loosey-goosey. We saw BIIIIG SKY in Wyoming, the Grasslands, the Badlands, oh, and Mt. Rushmore - all because we'd look at a map the night before and plan the next day. You can do it! It'll be fun! And if you want to stop in Richmond, let me know. I'm sure we can find a great place for a meal, though I fear that my accommodations are rather lacking for more than one person that fits in a twin bed!
ReplyDeletePeace <3
Jay
WOOT on the GPS! That's really awesome! I hope it's better than Samantha. I think I could do free styling travel. I planned way too much on my first Chicago trip, but never again since then. Then again, I dont go to places either, and I'm 'broke' (as in, no monies left that arent accounted for), so lodging would be difficult... when we were younger after moving to the US, we would just sleep in the car. Imagine that, a family of 7 in December going up to NY to watch New Year's, in a van and sleeping at a rest stop on our way back. I wouldnt mind sleeping in the car either. I still fantasize about doing that.
ReplyDeleteOur family of seven slept in the car! Daddy would start in the middle of the night from Jackson, MS going to Memphis, TN to visit relatives. We had no ac and we five kids were probably asking every five minutes, "How far do we have to go now?" So, we drove all night and sat in the relatives yard from before dawn until they got up. I have no fond memories at all. Oh, I guess there were only four of us back then. But, it was not fun at all, nothing to look forward to even from the point of nostalgia.
DeleteSonya doesn't freestyle it so I would be worried. When you feel as if you are getting overwhelmed,break out the booze and let hubs drive. Yes, now you have a plan and should feel better.
ReplyDeleteYou can now mark off your list of places to eat Savannah, GA and Bubba's Seafood or something like that. It really doesn't matter because Paula Deen shut it down without telling employees!
ReplyDeleteThere are some hotel smart phone apps, that allow last minute bookings. My parents found that it was consistently cheaper to call the hotel's 800 number and book from the parking lot, then it was to walk into the lobby without a reservation. Don't miss New Orleans, the food!
ReplyDeleteI never cease marveling at your planning and budgeting.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: do you always go for the lowest price or is there room for 'paying more for better quality'? "Time' is often more important to me than money - I tend to pay more to save time. do you ever?
I wish I could put you and the hubster up for a night here, but we live in a shoebox and there's just no room. :-(
ReplyDeleteWhen you live down here permanently, we'll definitely have to plan a get together!
Brennan's in New Orleans for breakfast. But, you must make a reservation. I suppose it is still open.
ReplyDeleteIs Canada on the way? No? Oh well, maybe next time. I still have a dream about plotting out a bloggers road trip and visiting with everyone. Well, not quite everyone as I won't be driving to Europe, or B.C. I love "freestyling" it - the most amazing things usually happen but it can create panic if you're ready to stop and still a million miles from anywhere. But I can sleep in the back of my truck!
ReplyDelete