If you weren't working....
Jan 8th, 2018, 08:08 AM
#1
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If you weren't working....
We are retiring at the end of 2018. We intend to travel a lot, without time constraints finally. We really want to road trip around the United States and Canada, in addition to doing a lot more international travel while we are still up to it - South America/Patagonia being our first plan.
I'm just curious, if you had all the time in the world, how long do you think it would take to see everything you want to see (doesn't have to be one trip) in the United States (excluding Hawaii) and Canada? 3 months? 6 months? A year?
I'm just curious, if you had all the time in the world, how long do you think it would take to see everything you want to see (doesn't have to be one trip) in the United States (excluding Hawaii) and Canada? 3 months? 6 months? A year?
Jan 8th, 2018, 08:29 AM
#2
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I don’t think about travel so much in terms of what I want to see as where I want to be.
For instance when I retired I decided I want to be in Tucson for three months, because I like the way of life.
I’d like also to spend time in parts of Canada. I no longer want to do trips where I move around a lot. At least a month in a place that interests me is my ideal, with day trips.
For instance when I retired I decided I want to be in Tucson for three months, because I like the way of life.
I’d like also to spend time in parts of Canada. I no longer want to do trips where I move around a lot. At least a month in a place that interests me is my ideal, with day trips.
Jan 8th, 2018, 08:51 AM
#4
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I am thinking 3 separate trips here with duration to be determined.
Since you live on the west coast, I think I would be inclined to first do a "west" trip maybe going as far east as Colorado/New Mexico. I would use my own car for this. Western Canada could also be a part of this as well.
As for the east and southeast, I would probably just fly and rent a car rather than drive the entire route from SFO.
Since you live on the west coast, I think I would be inclined to first do a "west" trip maybe going as far east as Colorado/New Mexico. I would use my own car for this. Western Canada could also be a part of this as well.
As for the east and southeast, I would probably just fly and rent a car rather than drive the entire route from SFO.
Jan 8th, 2018, 09:32 AM
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If DH and I are still speaking when he finally retires in two years, and backs and knees permitting, I think we would like to do a few roads, or even train trips, in parts of the country, and Canada, I have not seen. But I do not see us out on the road for long stretches, we, or maybe I, like to come home after 3 weeks. Maybe retirement will change that, maybe not. Keeping fingers crossed for the health and wealth we will need to travel.
Jan 8th, 2018, 09:40 AM
#7
I have no idea how long it would take; so far it's taken a lifetime and I still have a long list of places I'd like to see.
Remember too that the same place can be very different and equally appealing at various times of the year. We did a road trip along the Skyline and Blue Ridge Parkways in the spring, and I did a part of the same drive in the autumn - equally wonderful and very different. Alaska in the summer is amazing, but so is Alaska in the winter.
How long you can be away before it becomes uncomfortable is another very personal thing. I think our record was four months (Europe, Israel, Fiji, New Zealand and a freighter across the Pacific) but one can also feel homesick in a much shorter period of time.
The only way you're going to know is by jumping in to the deep end. Go for it.
Remember too that the same place can be very different and equally appealing at various times of the year. We did a road trip along the Skyline and Blue Ridge Parkways in the spring, and I did a part of the same drive in the autumn - equally wonderful and very different. Alaska in the summer is amazing, but so is Alaska in the winter.
How long you can be away before it becomes uncomfortable is another very personal thing. I think our record was four months (Europe, Israel, Fiji, New Zealand and a freighter across the Pacific) but one can also feel homesick in a much shorter period of time.
The only way you're going to know is by jumping in to the deep end. Go for it.
Jan 8th, 2018, 11:01 AM
#9
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We're only semi-retired and started doing road trips in 2015. We've taken 4 so far totaling 17 weeks and feel like we've barely scratched the surface. We've visited most of the western states except Colorado and haven't made it to Canada or Alaska. And even the states we've visited, we feel like there's so much more to see. I'm not sure how far east we'd really want to drive as it seems like there would be some really long boring stretches. We found Texas to be like that. There's interesting stuff to see but you have to drive through a lot of nothing to get there. We prefer to travel at a slower pace and keep our drives to about 4 hours to the next destination and find that we can easily do that in the west. The longest we've been away from home so far is 6 weeks and we didn't feel homesick. We have an upcoming trip starting this weekend (not a road trip) that will be 7 weeks and eventually could see ourselves traveling for months at a time.
Jan 8th, 2018, 12:14 PM
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A year. But mostly because a lot of places I’d want to see are season specific. I think it would be more like 6-9 months. Maybe not all the same year. 5 months in one year, 5 months in the next.
I know 3 months is way too short. The cross country trip I toy with sometimes is 2 months when severely cut down.
I want to see the south, the southwest, all of the rural parts of the east coast you miss without a car, like the state parks. I’ve seen really only Vancouver area and Toronto in Canada. And the Alaska marine Highway is probably a month all by itself.
I know 3 months is way too short. The cross country trip I toy with sometimes is 2 months when severely cut down.
I want to see the south, the southwest, all of the rural parts of the east coast you miss without a car, like the state parks. I’ve seen really only Vancouver area and Toronto in Canada. And the Alaska marine Highway is probably a month all by itself.
Jan 8th, 2018, 12:45 PM
#14
I would rather do more and shorter trips. If I was going to stay in away for an entire year, might as well move there.
Since I'm hoping to "snowbird" in Mexico, I'm thinking 6 months & 6 months.
Since I'm hoping to "snowbird" in Mexico, I'm thinking 6 months & 6 months.
Jan 8th, 2018, 03:08 PM
#16
I've visited 48 states & DC in my life -- only missing Hawaii and Alaska.
One road trip I took with my mom when I was 12 lasted about 2 months. That took us from L.A. to Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, then up to Manitoba and Ontario, then back down to New York, then Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, then finally DC where my grandparents lived. All of the places we visited included monuments (i.e. Mount Rushmore) and National Parks (i.e. Yosemite).
The return my mom was trying to be a little quicker, but avoid the south (during the civil rights days). That route took us through Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and back to LA.
22 states and 2 Canadian provinces on that trip alone! We did not feel rushed. In fact, the 3 days we spent at the Grand Canyon, we were so bored we couldn't wait to leave. The downside to this trip is that my mother had to deal with me and my younger sister bickering at one another for nearly 4,000 miles, twice.
But to answer your question, I would really like to spend at least 3 months traveling across Canada, and would just LOVE to spend the big bucks on a trans Canadian railway tour, going from Vancouver (where we've been many times) to Halifax (where we've never been)!
One road trip I took with my mom when I was 12 lasted about 2 months. That took us from L.A. to Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, then up to Manitoba and Ontario, then back down to New York, then Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, then finally DC where my grandparents lived. All of the places we visited included monuments (i.e. Mount Rushmore) and National Parks (i.e. Yosemite).
The return my mom was trying to be a little quicker, but avoid the south (during the civil rights days). That route took us through Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and back to LA.
22 states and 2 Canadian provinces on that trip alone! We did not feel rushed. In fact, the 3 days we spent at the Grand Canyon, we were so bored we couldn't wait to leave. The downside to this trip is that my mother had to deal with me and my younger sister bickering at one another for nearly 4,000 miles, twice.
But to answer your question, I would really like to spend at least 3 months traveling across Canada, and would just LOVE to spend the big bucks on a trans Canadian railway tour, going from Vancouver (where we've been many times) to Halifax (where we've never been)!
Jan 8th, 2018, 04:06 PM
#18
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I think a year, spread out over multiple trips would just about do it for seeing most of what I would want to in the US. Of course, I could spend more time than that - it's easy to burn time drinking beer in pubs, coffee in cafes, and reading beside lakes 
I've never been away for more than a month, so I don't know how I would do with long trips - although at the end of a month, I wasn't the slightest bit homesick and would have been fine to keep going. So maybe I am cut out for longer trips. I think I will have to wait until retirement to find out though.
I've never been away for more than a month, so I don't know how I would do with long trips - although at the end of a month, I wasn't the slightest bit homesick and would have been fine to keep going. So maybe I am cut out for longer trips. I think I will have to wait until retirement to find out though.
