Planning your trip can be half the fun. It is exciting to think about the places and sights you want to see. Perhaps you have been dreaming about a trip to Alaska for years. You see yourself in the wilderness, drinking in all the fresh air and sights and sounds. Dreams are wonderful, but time, money, and equipment challenges often step in to spoil them.

If you have unlimited time to travel, the world (or at least the continent) is at your feet. But if you are like most, your travel time is limited by your job and all the other commitments you have. You can still have some wonderful and memorable travels with limited time.

Planning a trip cross-country in a week or two is foolish. Even if you could cover that many miles in the time allotted, it would be both stressful and dangerous.

To avoid falling asleep at the wheel, you should plan on driving no more than 200 to 250 miles in a day. If you have more than one qualified driver, you may be able to cover more miles per day. Be sure that each driver gets adequate rest periods.

During the summer months, you will find a wider variety of places to go. You will also find more people on the roads and in the campgrounds. Summer is the traditional time when families with school-age children can travel.

Many RV parks in northern areas are open on a seasonal basis from April to September/October. While there may be less traffic on the road, there also may be fewer places to stay.

During the winter, you may find RV campsites in short supply in the southern states because of the influx of “snowbirds” from the cold weather states.