Planning An Epic Trip

Planning an epic road trip takes time, a lot of time. It's a "cascading" process.  Here are the steps I use.

1. Get a grand scale idea.
First look at a national map to get an idea of areas to visit and get a grand scale of the trip. Next look at the individual state maps for greater detail. Ask, "Where is it that you want to go?" "What is it that you want to see or experience?" America is big. Start to recognize the size of your "epic trip."

Once, the destination(s) is/are determined, now figure out how to get there. The easy way is to look at a map and take the Interstate freeways and US Highways.Unfortunately these freeways and highways often miss the grandeur and beauty of what America is. To get up close and personal to travel America I prefer to take the various state highways, county roads and US Forest Service (USFS) roads. Often times these roads are not visible within the road maps within a Road Atlas. To do this you need to use a GPS and mapping software.

2. Use GPS mapping software.

I use a Garmin GPS (Zumo 660) and Garmin's BaseCamp software to identify a route and then download it into my GPS. The route is made up of many waypoints. A waypoint is a specific geographical location on a map.
Multiple waypoints are then connected by roads. The minimal waypoints are the starting and ending locations. The GPS will figure out the route in between your start and finish depending on how it is configured - shortest route or fastest route.  As a result the route determined by the GPS may not be the route desired. The fastest route is not the shortest route since the GPS will make will select the fastest roads, e.g., interstate freeways and highways. The shortest route is not the fastest route, rather it is the most direct between two waypoints even if they are residential streets or dirt roads. Fortunately many GPS devices can be configured to avoid many different roads such as, residential streets, dirt roads, freeways, toll roads, ferry routes and more depending on your GPS. To get a route which is desirable many "intermediate waypoints" will need to be entered. By entering intermediate waypoints the GPS will be forced to determine a route closer to what is desired. Finding and identifying these intermediate waypoints takes time, research and patience.

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3. Determine "Intermediate Waypoints" to get the route you want.
Intermediate waypoints may be intersections, restaurants, museums, scenic overlooks, rest areas, parks, gas stations or whatever. Some GPS devices have in their internal database a wide variety of sites that can be used as intermediate waypoints.  If you are like me, I continue to do more online research about interesting places and enter these locations as intermediate waypoints. Finally after many hours of effort the "best" route, as determined by you and the GPS, will be achieved through the intermediate waypoints entered.

4. Anticipate problems.
Experience has taught me that while I believe I have the best route, circumstances such as road construction or events may have undesirable consequences on my trip. I then visit each states' Department of Transportation (DOT) or USFS website looking for construction projects or road closures. Some state DOTs even have smartphone apps like "511" that inform you of current road conditions. If the construction or event is serious enough I may need to alter my route yet again. Last summer I found a 100 mile road construction project in Montana that advised caution or avoidance by motorcycles - I changed my route.

5. Understand the time and money needed.
Once I have the route determined, I need to understand how much is this all going to cost - food, lodging, fuel, extras, etc.?  I want to know how much time I will need to do the entire trip, and how many miles per day I need to travel? To do this I build a spreadsheet which lists, waypoints, miles between waypoints, average expected speed, mpg, dates and time getting started each day. I enter formulas that calculate the amount of time it will take between waypoints and the time needed each day. Another formula calculates when and how much gas I'll need based on my motorcycle's mpg. Based on that I may need to add a gas station waypoint. I then use the "Gas Buddy" app on my smartphone to verify they are open and get an idea on gas cost. I then enter the estimated costs associated with each stop (e.g., Starbucks Coffee stop, gas, lunch, etc.) and how much time I expect to be there to help me plan each day. I may find that I need to separate my planned route into several days each with its own start and an end. Driving 800 miles and stopping at many scenic sites in one day is impossible or grueling.

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6. Know your overnight stops.
The last step is to confirm your overnight stops. I have found that assuming there'll be a vacancy at your motel or campground may not always be realistic. Other rallies, conventions, family reunions, or whatever may fill up your overnight plans leaving you with more miles to drive with more unanswered expectations. I have found that when camping I try to get to the campground - if they don't take reservations - by 2:00 or 3:00 PM. After that time the risk of the campground being full increases especially during peak summer travel season. Again, you may need to change your route (e.g., shorter day) to accommodate overnight lodging plans. There are lots a different camping and motel apps that can provide you with details, costs, and most importantly desired availability.

7. Be realistic with your trip expectations.
By taking your GPS route and comparing it to a spreadsheet along with apps and online research the planned trip really begins to come together. Often times some scenic destinations need to be dropped from your itinerary because there isn't enough time. As a good friend says, "You can't see it all." Perhaps a whole day needs to be added or deleted. Or, a different route needs to be determined. Remember a rushed or overloaded trip is no fun. Be realistic..

8. Talk it over with your fellow travelers - get buy off on your plans.
Don't forget to share your route and spreadsheet with fellow travelers so they can understand the trip too. They may have suggestions that once again cause changes to the trip. The end result is an epic trip that is clearly understood, affordable, enjoyable, and doable.

If you would like a copy of my trip planning spreadsheet to modify and use for your own trips, and/or a list of smartphone apps and helpful websites used for planning a trip, please leave a comment on this post. I'll email it to you.