We have been home for about a week, now packing again to head to New England. As we did after our last trip, we have taken some time to gather the statistics of our trip. We do this, primarily, so those whom we have (hopefully) inspired to do something similar have some planning tools. So, here goes:
On the road total days: 46
Total miles: 10,550
Gas:
Lowest price paid- $2.94 per gallon in Morristown, Tennessee
Highest price paid- $4.19 per gallon in Lake Tahoe, California
Average price- $3.53 per gallon
Total cost of gas- $1633.31
Average MPG- 22.8
Average cost per mile- 16 cents
Lodging:
Highest price paid- $127 at an Econolodge (!!) in Estes Park, Colorado
Lowest price paid- $63 at a Comfort Inn in Sandy, Utah
Nights paid for by Choice Privileges points: 5
Nights paid for by Wyndham points: 3
Nights with friends or family: 5
Total cost of lodging: $2974.76
Average cost/day: $64.66
We did not track the cost of food. However, breakfast was supplied every day by the hotel. About 50% of our lunches were picnic-style rather than restaurant or fast food. Our dinners, for some reason, seemed less expensive this trip then last- no idea why, except we were trying to avoid the weight gain we both suffered in 2009. So, the best we can do is an estimate, which we pegged at less than $100 per day, and probably closer to $60.
As with our 2009 trip, we remained Choice Privileges members (Comfort Inns, Quality Inns, Rodeway, Clarion, Econolodge...) and would suggest travelers join something similar, as the free nights help a lot with the cost of travel. We did note some facts about the pricing of hotels- hotel pricing in July is always higher than in August, but the prices this year were definitely higher than 3 years ago. Of course, 2009 was the beginning of the recession and not many folks traveled that year. There were certainly more people around this time. August gets cheaper, as families are preparing for school. We noted many rental RV's on the road this time, about 80% of those we saw. We also noted a large number of foreign nationals in the parks, especially the better-known locations, again about 80% in July. Tim and Kate, friends of ours who were traveling the parks in an RV this summer, connected those two statistics- many foreign nationals come over in the summer and rent RV's to travel! It was kind of sad to see more foreign nationals in our beautiful parks than Americans! How come they appreciate those locations more then we do?
It is almost always the case that those attractions close to home are never appreciated as much as the mysterious foreign countries where many of us choose to travel. We never appreciate the "close to home" as much as the" far away". I have no explanation for this, and am certainly guilty of the same- we still haven't made it to Congaree National Park, located two hours away in South Carolina! It is definitely on the list, but it has been for several years. Message to all readers- get out there and see your country! It is yours, and one of the most beautiful in the world! Buy a "Golden Eagle" pass when you hit 62 and get into all of these places for free!
Many people have worked hard, and are continuing to work hard, to provide all of us with an opportunity to see our country as it was before man got involved. We have talked in the past of Teddy Roosevelt and his role in protecting the parks. Private citizens such as John Muir and Stephen Mather spent their lives encouraging the protection of these wild places. Private citizens continue to have a role in ensuring our children and grandchildren will have access to these incredible places, as well as those that have not yet been saved. Any citizen can contact their representative if they feel a location is worth saving. Anyone can join the National Parks organization, or other similar groups, to have a voice in this process.
I noticed a new notation on the maps of many of the parks we visited. This notation was regarding areas that have been designated by Congress for protection in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The notation is as follows: "Wilderness is meant to protect forever the land's natural conditions, opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation, and scientific, educational, and historical values as well as watersheds, air quality, and wildlife habitat. In wilderness, people can sense being a part of the whole community of life on Earth. Preserving wilderness shows restraint and humility and benefits generations that will follow us." If you would like to read more about this designation, go to www.wilderness.net. Don't we all need more opportunities for solitude?
 |
| Rocky Mountain Wilderness |
"In wildness is the preservation of the world." Henry David Thoreau
