Traveling America By Van: Some Thoughts On Traveling Out West
By John Kumiski
This piece gives some travel tips we've picked up in our so-far month on the road.
Don't be in a hurry! You can spend your time driving, or you can get out of the car from time to time and walk. By stopping often, you can see more in better detail, and meet more interesting people. People you meet are either fellow travelers or locals. Either way, they have interesting stories and information that can enhance your trip.
This amazing bronze sculpture was street art in Artesia, New Mexico. John Kumiski
Flexibility is a must on a long trip. You find a place you really like and want to spend more time there than you had budgeted. Stay a couple days, and make it up elsewhere. Or you haven't showered in five days, and because of the cold, slept in your clothes the entire time, so you opt for a motel room. This just happened to us! Motels cost a lot more than camping, but domestic tranquility makes the extra expense is justified. An extended trip develops its own rhythm. My suggestion is, just go with it!
Navigation makes or breaks a trip. We don't use a GPS! Rather, we have a Rand McNally Road Atlas and a couple of I-phones. They complement each other well, although I keep getting emails from my carrier about exceeding usage limits. We can keep track of our progress in the atlas by highlighting our route with yellow marker. It's fun!
Shoes, I should have had my wife write this part. I brought five pairs of shoes on this trip- flip flops, Crocs, sneakers, hiking shoes, and Teva sandals. Nasty public showers require a shower shoe. I normally use the flip flops, but have used Crocs, too. Both are fine for driving and just banging around. Neither is very good for walking. Sneakers are great around town or on manicured trails. Hiking shoes are needed in rough terrain. I'm hoping the time will come for the Tevas to prove their worth on this trip. It hasn't happened yet. I believe it will, and if not, well, four out of five ain't bad.
The Heritage Walkway in Artesia is easy to miss. It's worth a stop! John Kumiski
More art gets displayed on western streets than I see back east. The smallest western towns will have amazing displays of street art. Many times, these displays are in or near the downtown area, not on the main highway. Try to cruise through small towns, and make some time for the art galleries and mom-and-pop eateries you'll find there. You'll get to talk to the locals this way, and often will find out-of-the way places to visit during those conversations that you would never have known about otherwise.
Historical markers generally have space to safely stop and impart interesting history. John Kumiski
When you're cruising at 70 mph plus, things on the side of the road go by in an almost impressionistic way. You catch mere glimpses of items that in other circumstances would deserve further study. Three horses grazing in a field full of wildflowers. An abandoned cabin in disrepair. A tiny house of worship. Historical markers. A soaring hawk. Et cetera. Usually you're moving fast and there's no safe place to pull off and stop. When you find an interesting subject that you can explore safely, take advantage of it. Make serendipity your friend!
You're going to have to wash clothes. Ritzier campgrounds have washers and dryers, coin-operated. A trip to a laundromat can be surprisingly entertaining. You can catch up on writing post cards while you get rid of a week's worth of funk. Have a big stash of quarters and some laundry soap. Pack clothes that dry quickly (avoiding cotton, which does not) and you can hand wash in a collapsible tub (which takes very little vehicle space) at more remote sites. The air in the west is very dry- hang your clothes on a line (you did bring a clothesline, right?) and they'll dry quickly.
You're going to have to eat. We do some cooking (keeps the expenses down) and we do some eating out. It's part of the adventure! On earlier trips I've used Trip Advisor to find truly amazing eateries in places where I would never expect one. On this trip it's been, "Hey Siri. Best restaurant in Wherever." Unless the town has no good restaurants, Siri seldom lets us down. And of course, talking to locals will turn up some gems.
Good advice in Carrizozo, New Mexico. John Kumiski
At the risk of being indelicate, you're going to need a bathroom now and again. On this trip, small-town Visitor Centers have been spotlessly clean. Truck stops usually have surprisingly clean bathrooms. Wal-Mart and McDonald's usually have acceptable bathrooms. Highway rest areas are always a crap shoot, no pun intended. Use gas station restrooms only for true emergencies!
A paragraph on finding campsites might be appropriate here. That topic is extensive enough for its own post, after I've gained more expertise myself! Finding camping spots has been the most difficult part of the trip so far. Watch for this topic as a future article.
Have you done something interesting outdoors? Join Global Outdoors and write a review to tell everyone about it! We’re building the home for trusted reviews of outdoor experiences, outfitters, and guides. Help us out and you’ll be entered to win free trips!
