Planning VS Spontaneity

I recently read an opinion article which author wrote about "the Magic of the Road - that special thing that happens to us when we step outside the constraints of everyday life and let those extraordinary synchronicities happen to us." I thought long and hard about all the pre-planning I was doing for the 2015 DirtBag Rally (DBR) II trip and would there be spontaneity? To go a place or do an activity not planned for. The trip route and spreadsheet are pretty detailed. The reality is I'll find out when I get there.

Wonderland Cave, South Dakota

Last year's epic 2014 Dirt Bag Rally had lots of unplanned surprises - changes in routes, new destinations, different places to eat, and unplanned things to do. The visit to Wonderland Cave which was definitely a 2014 DBR highlight was completely unplanned and spontaneous. We saw the sign along the road and went to check it out. I'm glad we did.

In retrospect the pre-planning provided an outline for us to follow with some major highlights. A few locations the pre-planned and subsequently reserved campsites were great, otherwise we would have had to drive farther and been frustrated. In fact our route plan would have changed drastically. Some places like popular National Parks (Yellowstone) you can't expect to show up late in the day and find a campsite. In fact, campsites are often booked months in advance. Also knowing the route and services along the route helped in making changes. For example we decided to meet in Rapid City, SD a day early. By knowing the route I was able to know to get gas, although I didn't need it, prior to driving particularly long stretch that offered no fuel. I also stayed in two different places at the last minute because camping just wasn't going to work because of the weather. In fact having the pre-planned route helped me determine good and successful alternatives. The bottom line was that the 2014 DBR was a fun and a huge success.

Somewhere in the Cascades

There's a romantic notion about "flipping a coin" at each intersection - heads for turning left and tails for turning right. The magic of the road luring you ever farther away from any kind of plan and ever farther away from it all. The few times that I've done that have had consequences. Once we (my wife and I) had to spend the night in the woods completely unprepared because we went too far, it got dark, and dangerous. Although we survived fine, it was not without some concerns. As a result, the reality I believe is that you are better off having a general outline and plan of where you are headed, what to expect, and some waypoints. It's just not realistic or safe to leave your route to chance. A safety tip is to leave an itinerary with friends or family so they know where you might be. The flip of a coin offers little to no itinerary and as result much less safety. It's not so romantic or idyllic when you're in trouble.

Being spontaneous is knowing when, with little or minimal risk, to change plans and do something different. I will agree that is fun. But like reading a good book, as you get deeper into the story the plot thickens and you yearn for what's next. You follow the pre-planned outline but you make the adventure happen moment by moment.

The real challenge of the 2015 DBR II is that I've planned too much. There's only so much you can accomplish in one day without getting tired or running out of daylight. So the spontaneity for the DBR II is going to be choosing what to see based on time, energy, and desire. A forced 3,700 mile ride to see everything is going to be grueling. I'm not into grueling, rather in to "quality not quantity." So this year's DBR II Rally will be a mix of planned and spontaneous events, or "...let those extraordinary synchronicities happen to us."