Bob's comments on the trip

First, I wish to share some basic information in response to questions from blog readers.






Cost - Direct cost could fall into a few categories. First, since we drove a gas guzzling truck pulling four tons of trailer, would be fuel cost. While I don't have exact figures, we consumed between 1350 and 1400 gallons of gas. The most expensive, prior to California, was the gas we left with @$2.80. Most was $2.40 to $2.70, so I will estimate an average of $2.60. The highest price was $3.26 just north of Sacramento; the cheapest $2.29 in Frankfort, KY. Total fuel cost is estimated at $3500.






Second category would be accommodations. Of the 65 nights, 30 were spent at no cost. Wal-Mart was host for 10 nights, and the rest were at friends or family. Our average RV park cost was $30 per night, so we spent a bit over $1000. We could have spent less if we worked at it.






Number 3 would be entertainment. For us, that was admission to museums, amusement parks, and tour buses. We spent a little under $1200 for these.







We did not count food as we had to eat whether at home or on the road. We did eat out a little more than usual, but we were treated by others a number of times. The bottom line is we spent less than $6K, but that does not count the wear and tear (remember the tires?) on the trailer and truck. We budgeted $7K, so we did OK.







Several referred to our adventure as a "Trip of a lifetime". I agree with the description, and add a "once in a lifetime trip". It was great, but I wouldn't want to do a similar trip again. Being back by Thanksgiving was a time constraint that made it more or a mission than a vacation. Anyone planning a similar trip should leave the completion date open or not have so many specific objectives as we did. Also, since this was our first extended vacation since retiring, being on the road so long became a bit stressful and we, Laurel especially, were more looking forward to getting home than getting to our next destination. Are we glad we did it? You bet! We will always have fond memories of this trip.







We have been asked what our favorite part of the trip was. I think mine was the actual traveling from place to place, seeing the country side. There are always little surprises lurking around the corner like wild animals, vintage cars, homes with extraordinary landscaping, old barns, meandering creeks, or 50 mile vistas. Of course, visiting with friends and family members around the country was a great pleasure as were the visits to the museums and parks and the other activities.





One thing we hoped to do during the trip was to identify places that we would like to spend significant time. Philadelphia and Charleston are two cities we visited and would like to return to for a week or so for more thorough explorations. There were a number of cities we passed through or near by that we would like to visit in the future including Duluth, Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, Tampa, and others that may come to mind later.