In just two short months (2.5 ?) we will be taking a two month “recation” (retirement vacation) to the North East. It is never too soon to begin planning the route “back east” and a list of places to visit once we arrive there. I prefer to keep our itinerary open as much as possible. This avoids being rushed or having to move on from a place we love. This runs counter to the need to reserve space at popular RV sites. There are two schools of thought here: 1. Make reservations at the popular sites and 2. avoid the popular and find your own ‘best of”. I am new to RV trip planning which makes this adventure more challenging and intellectually stimulating.

If you follow this blog, you know Ellen and I have literally “just returned” from a one month sojourn in Italy and Greece with a stop-over in Istanbul and Ephesus. There, trip planning was 100% spot on. Every connection, every apartment, all transportation clicked. We left all days in the cities open for “own plans” to do what we wanted when we wanted with no itinerary. The cruise excursions were the only pre-planned pieces of that entire trip aside from where to stay and connections between.
An RV trip is quite different and comes in four distinct parts: 1. getting to the North East, 2. visiting family and friends once there, 3. driving New England for the foliage, covered bridges, and points of interest, and 4. driving back to California.
Over the next few weeks I will flesh out and/or modify the skeletal outline below as the details of our pending adventure come into focus.

Getting to the North East.
Which friends/family to visit on the way
Which route to take (time of year is #1 consideration)
What to see and do along the way
How long to spend “in transit”
How many miles to drive on average each day
Likely state or national parks or RV parks to stay at
Make reservations ahead or wing it.

Visiting Family or Friends
How much time to allocate for visits
How to divide our time.
An optimal route between destinations
Stay in the driveway/street or at a nearby park

Seeing New England
Create a list of must see spots.
How far to drive per day on average
Allow “down time” days? How many.
Car rental along the way, if so where.
tow setup for rental car?
Trip planning considering RV weight and dimensions and bridge restrictions.
State visitation order and route
How much time to schedule between reservations for new discoveries
Make reservations ahead or wing it, and where.
Tours and/or side trips (e.g. fishing trips, Martha’s Vineyard, the cape, the Presidential range)

Driving back to California
See family/friends
which route returning to California (time of year is #1 consideration)
List of “must see” along that route
how many miles to drive per day on average.
Make reservations or wing it, where, when

General Considerations
How often to stop at an RV park that provides laundry.
How often should we plan to eat out vs cook in.
(Shopping lists and the like are best left unplanned)

There you have it, my “off the top of my head” first draft for extended trip planning.
First up: Which Route to take getting to New England.