Over the summer, our hometown newspaper did a feature on the USA-C2C trip based on a phone interview from the road. When the reporter asked for advice for others who might be planning a cross-country trip, Gab’s response was, give yourself plenty of time, expect the unexpected and most importantly, make sure you really like your travel partner.
All still true. But now that we have nine months under our belts, are there things we would have done differently? Other items we would have brought along to make life easier? Inquiring minds want to know. Here are answers to these and other questions we have received from C2C readers.
Would a minivan have made the trip more comfortable?
Probably.
Click and Clack, the car guys recommended a Silverado Pick-up truck for the trip, but many of their listeners disagreed. Experienced campers and travelers suggested a minivan – hollow out the back, build a basic platform bed and we would always have a place to sleep and room to stuff our stuff. We have met a few people on the road with this set-up and they seem quite happy with it.
Truth is, the time leading up to our departure was so hectic, we never got around to following their advice. We may eventually upgrading to a minivan, but for now, the Nissan Altima is great. There is ample space in the trunk and the gas mileage can’t be beat. The *Tima is pretty near and dear to our hearts. We’ve been through a lot together, most recently a set of tires. I doubt we’ll be parting ways any time soon.
So, yes and no. Yes, if we had a minivan we would have many more sleeping options. We would not have had to worry about sleeping in the ice storm in Yellowstone or the windy madness of Death Valley. Just pop in the minivan. Definitely more comfort. Along the same lines, a minivan would allow us to disregard the weather forecast and stay primarily in campgrounds.
The no side of the story is that after driving all day nothing sounds worse than spending the night in the same vehicle for months on end. If we had a minivan, we would probably go stir crazy.
Would a small pop-up tent trailer make life easier?
Probably not.
We don’t have that much stuff and prefer the flexibility of a compact car and a two-person tent. Less is more, especially when navigating city traffic and searching for parking. Not all NPS sites have parking lots. You might be surprised how many are in urban settings. We don’t want to think about driving in Houston or Atlanta with something in tow.
Could you have taken a dog along? Sadly, no.
We love dogs, especially poodles. Smart, energetic, fun – everything you want in a travel companion. John Steinbeck thought so. We do too. But most National Parks do not allow pets. Those that do require they be on a short leash at all times. Some motels allow pets for an additional fee (sometimes as much as the room itself). Having a dog would seriously limit what we could do and where we could sleep.L But we have definitely thought about it.
Would a bike have been very usable?
Yes.
Some NPS sites have extensive bike trails. Cities like Boise, Idaho have beautiful greenbelts that wrap around the downtown and college areas. Other cities like Flagstaff, Arizona and Gainesville, Florida have a bike lane on nearly every road. There are plenty of places to use and enjoy a bicycle.
We chose not to bring bikes, opting instead to stay on our two feet for treks into the woods. Probably a good idea since, despite her insistence, Gab’s middle name is not Grace.
How often do you stay at motels?
Pretty often.
We use websites like http://www.priceline.com/ to get the best deals. Coupons from State Welcome Centers also come in handy. We never spend more than $50 for a room, but we try to keep it in the $25-$45 range. We would rather not camp within city limits – just a safety/security thing.
Nights in a motel let us recharge all the batteries, clean up, do laundry, and most importantly, work and write and update the website. We signed up for all the rewards and frequent travel programs from national hotel chains – maybe eventually we’ll get a free room or two.
Do you plan to stay in warmer climates during winter?
That’s the plan!
It is still a little chilly down South. Hopefully, once we get down to the Everglades and the Florida Keys we can do some camping and burn off some of this winter weight.
Why do Parks that have no entrance fee still receive 4 out of 5 in your Site Ratings?
Early on, we decided to assign a perfect 5/5 only if we received a gift/memento from the Site in addition to no entrance fee. So far, we have experienced this sort of hospitality at all factory tours (not rated) like free Tabasco, free chocolate, free beer, free tea and free Maker’s Mark-laced bon-bons. A few NPS sites have given us coffee (Fort Union Trading Post NHS), pen and ink prints (Herbert Hoover NHS) and food (Pipe Spring NM).
In retrospect, we should have given a perfect score to those Sites that offered free tours, but at this point, it would take a lot of work and Site revamping. It could happen but not anytime soon. In the meantime, our philosophy has changed, but not our scoring.
Want to know more? Email us at gabandmichael@usa-c2c.com or stop by the USA-C2C Message Board and ask us!
Happy New Year! Bring on 2005!!