Planning an adventure is almost as much fun for me as the experience itself. Whether its a last minute trip or a year in the making, researching and prepping is thrilling for me.
I am typically a budget-conscious traveler. I like to find deals and I try to shop around and plan to find the most economical trip I can. That’s part of the reason I’ve leaned so hard into camping in the last few years. I can honestly say I prefer hotels or cabins…a real bed and attached bathroom is really my ideal situation. *Please reference my “I Hate Dirt” post for clarification.
First I start by checking my work calendar to see what time off is available. Unless it’s a very specific plan, like when I had to book Dry Tortugas camping 1 year in advance, or the upcoming Total Eclipse in April 2024, I have flexibility and plan my vacations and national park expeditions around time that is available between my peers at work.
Once I have some dates to play with I begin checking the Google Flights page. https://www.google.com/travel/flights
Google Flights is fun for me to play around with. Usually I begin with my point of origin and leave my destination open, then I plug in the dates I have available for travel and hit “explore.” This brings up flight options and total price for round trip air fair. I’ve planned multiple trips using this method as the determining factor for where I’ll be headed next!
After I have a destination in mind and approximate travel dates I begin looking at transportation. What kind of vehicle might I need or do I need transportation (for my National Park trips I’ve always had a vehicle, for city trips or destination vacations I’m more flexible on how I navigate as usually there are more walkable options than on a hiking trip). Many times I will secure a rental car on a travel search vendor, like Expedia or Booking.com, I’ll book an option with flexible cancellation because there are more elements that I have to look at!
Now my destination is chosen, I have a tentative idea of flights and transportation, I set about securing lodging. This could mean booking campgrounds or cabins if I’m in a National Park or I shop around for different hotels or vacation rentals to find the best value.
All booked and ready to go, I have to sit around and wait! I’ll have everything all set, so I begin budgeting for the trip. Many times some elements of the trip are pre-pay so those I’ve taken care of, but many times there are pieces of the trips that have to be paid upon arrival and this allows me time to prepare and gather appropriate funds. The time between booking and arrival also helps me to save for any spending and incidentals that will occur during travel.
Overall I spend a lot of time planning trips, even the ones that never come to fruition. I find joy in planning trip itineraries and travel plans and budgets. I love to provide insights and plan activities down to the hour for myself and others. I also recognize that sometimes things don’t always go as planned, so I usually know to prioritize the things I feel are “must-dos” and then there are the “time-allowing” activities. I like a solid plan, but I also like some flexibility. Traveling is my favorite hobby!
Daring, Dangerous, and Defining 