ArcticDodge
Sammamish, WA
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Joined: 05/02/2005
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I use tons of online sources to research CG's and MS Streets & Trips to plot my route.
I plan travel days to be around 300 to 400 miles.
I like reservations ahead of time even if it's only a day or two in advance to ease my mind knowing I have a place to park when I've reached my "goal" for the day.
Reservations can be very important if you want hook ups at very popular destinations such as Yellowstone.
You mention "make fast time" to and from CT. How much time do you have for this vacation? For me, anything less than 3 full weeks would be far too compressed to drive from CT - Yellowstone - Grand Canyon and back to CT.
2009 Komfort 256TS
2001 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 4x4 Cummins DRW
2005 Dodge Durango Limited AWD HEMI
2001 Sebring Convertible
1995 Miata M-Edition
2005 DRZ400
1 Wife  2 Boys UW & Bellevue College
1 Trixie (Bichon Frise)
Only 23 years to retirement!!!!
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Johnworth914
USA!
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Joined: 04/27/2012
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We have gone Cross COuntry 3x. Since we don;t want to be tied to a rigid schedule, we only make reservations at key points, like the popular National Parks in season (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion etc) The rest of the time, finding a site has never been a problem.
THe time frame depends on what you want to see. Some have suggested 8 days from East Coast to Yellowstone at 300 miles a day. Personally, I wanted to spend as much time as possible exploring the parks, so we have done 900-1000 miles in a day when necessary. It just depends on how much time you have and what your priorities are.
Alaska is next! Still trying to fit the pontoons to the RV so We can get to Hawaii!
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Johnworth914
USA!
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Joined: 04/27/2012
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By the way... X2 on THe Next Exit Book-- what a valuable tool, and in many ways easier and more reliable than a lot of the apps when looking for a place to eat or stay along the road.
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RFCN2
MT
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Joined: 05/29/2011
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I have used the trip software from trailer life for a number of years. It works really well. Makes it easy to plan an rv trip.
RFCN2
Country Coach
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
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Jayco-noslide
Galesburg,Il., USA
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Joined: 11/24/2004
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Big topic. I use Trailer Life Campground Directory(and the Atlas) to look up and evaluate potential campgrounds along the route I plan to take. Then I use the Mapquest website to see about how far each potential stop will be from the last one. I try for a distance of not much more than 350 miles so as to arrive in mid or late afternoon, definitely not late evening. But lots of flexibility within the schedule so as to be able to change plans or drive a little less or a little later, etc. We try to have a Plan B to go to if we don't have reservations. Make reservations for busy places you want to visit such as Yellowstone.
Jayco-noslide
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hitchup
Fulltiming and on the Road.
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Joined: 02/17/2005
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I always start planning a route with MS Streets & Trips. Then put in our preferred leave time and ending time and it tells me when to stop overnight. Search a few campgrounds nearby and plug in a campground address and head off for the day.
We usually drive no more than 5-6 hrs a day, which is well within our comfort levels. Never calculate in miles, except for fuel. Because every stretch of the route is different with road construction, traffic accidents and speeds vary in every state. Then we may stop more/less frequently at Rest Areas.
Once we're on the road, if we're going slower or need a fuel or RA break, I always check Next Exit or Exit Now or phone apps for what's coming ahead. Never rely on the GPS, because it's easier to check with exits ahead and quick calculate distance. I only recently discovered Road Ahead on my iPhone and it's been a great asset.
2009 DRV Mobile Suite 38TKSB3 (38RSSB3)....our custom home w/2011 upgrades
2010 Ford F450 KR CC 4x4......his office
Working Fulltimers since 3/2005
"Shoot for the Moon! Even if you miss it, you will land among the Stars."
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NCWriter
North Carolina
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Joined: 10/05/2011
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Everybody does it differently as you can see. We traveled about 7000 miles out to Utah and Four Corners plateau last summer for many weeks. Another longer one coming up.
I find it relaxing to make reservations before leaving home to get the campgrounds I want (not necessarily for the return trip.)
For us, about 400 miles maximum drive time per day allows some relaxation so it's not a grind.
I order tourism materials online and read National Park Service/State Park websites for early planning stages. I use RV Park Reviews and this forum (search tool) for ideas and input on good CGs and how many days to stay at destinations. Before booking anything, I find Google Maps is a handy tool for planning routes and estimating distance/drive time.
I use Next Exit for finding fuel.
2006 Leisure Travel Van Free Spirit 210B Sprinter
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K Charles
Connecticut
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Joined: 03/06/2010
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Get a campground directory like woodalls or put RV parks in your GPS and then just go. When you don't want to dirve any longer find a campground and stop. Don't over think it.
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trailertraveler
On the Road
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Joined: 05/24/2008
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Another fan of MicroSoft Streets and Trips. It comes with what appears to be the Woodall's campground information loaded into it. In addition, you can import campground and other POI (points of interest) information like Walmart and Travel Center locations from the Discovery Owners Forum, the POI factory and a number of other sources. As you plot a route, you can see the campgrounds within a certain distance of the route or a destination point. You can get a version with GPS puck for your computer or download the routes to several makes of GPS.
We pick a major place of interest such as Yellowstone and head in that direction. We rarely travel more than 4-5 hours a day which generally works out to about 250 miles. At lunch time, we decide how much longer we want to travel and call ahead to make sure there is room for us. The first thing we do at each stop is check the campground brochure rack, state and local tourism websites, and Roadside America to see what is in the local area that we might be interested in. Many times we stay for just the night, sometimes a couple of days and on a few occasions we have stayed a week. Even for places like Yellowstone we do not make reservations far in advance.
Safe travels!
Trailertraveler
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Roy&Lynne
Pacific Northwest
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Joined: 02/13/2005
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Your getting good advise. Our first trip I had it all planned out, where to stay and what to see. Unfortunately one day delay changed everything. Since then we have winged it. We just head out making reservations in the am before we leave for the next spot along the way. It has worked well for us and if we want to stop for a few days we can do that. If we are not sure when we want to stop, we might wait til noon and then make the decision. Its our no stress way to go
Our Road Less Traveled
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