On a long trip you’ll want plenty of variety in your travel activities.

Now that you’re convinced you can afford to travel for an extended period of
several months or more

What Will You Do With All That Time On The Road?

Are you afraid the initial anticipation and excitement will give way to
repetition and boredom? Or that you’ll be tempted to throw the budget out the
window and spend money to keep from being bored?

Some Couples Worry That So Much Time Together Could Actually Hurt Their
Relationship!

And rightfully so.

But, although we don’t all want the same things all the time, most people have
the same objectives when they travel:

1. 
   
   To feel the excitement of “new”
   
   … new places, new people, and new experiences
   
2. 
   
   To relax
   
   … do nothing, have no schedule, and enjoy favorite hobbies
   
3. 
   
   To escape
   
   … get away from the work, routine, stress, habits, emotions, and sometimes
   even from the people we associate with home.

Each of us will prioritize these differently.

For couples, keeping the travel activities varied, should help to satisfy the
needs and priorities of both parties.

On A Long Trip The Key Is Plenty Of Variety

If we’re visiting a new park we may be so excited to see it that we hike 3 days
in a row. More than likely, that’ll be followed by sitting at camp for a day or
two, relaxing, cooking a special meal, discussing the hikes, and just enjoying
the scenery. (And, let’s face it, after 3 days of hiking, probably soaking our
feet and massaging our aches and pains.)

We also try to vary the types of places we visit. If we’ve spent a week in an
isolated location, we’re usually ready to find a camping area where we can meet
and socialize with other campers, or a town where we can spend a day shopping,
visit a cultural or historical attraction, or occasionally take in a movie.

Do More, Spend Less …


Travel Activities That Don’t Break The Budget

Entertainment on the road doesn’t have to equal spending money.

Some of our favorite pastimes when traveling are free and require little or no
special equipment.

If you’re a person who needs the flashing lights and big city to be
entertained, you shouldn’t even be on this website. For the rest of us, here’s
a list of travel activities (most of them free or low cost) that should keep
even the longest trip from getting stale.

Free Travel Activities: The Excitement of “New”

Travel Activities In Nature:

• 
  Walk, run, swim, hike, try off-trail hiking or
  geocaching
  
• 
  Bicycle, go fishing, bird watching, and if you have the equipment, canoe or
  kayak. Look for an inflatable 2-person kayak or canoe that’s light and easily
  stored.
  
• 
  Take a backpacking trip and go tenting.
  After all, there are some places the RV can’t take you.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tenting on a backpacking hike into the Grand Canyon
  
  
  
• 
  At a State or National Park, attend the free ranger-led walks and campfire
  nights.
  
  
• 
  Carry a guidebook and learn the names of as many local plants and animals as
  you can.
  
• 
  Make love … outdoors, with a scenic view.
  
• 
  Gather seashells, try rock hounding.
  
  
• 
  Socialize. If you’re open to it, meeting new people is easier on the road than
  at home. Travelers are all in the same boat. Away from family and friends, most
  want occasional company. Sharing meals, happy hour, campfires, or hiking with
  newfound friends could all be part of the experience.

Travel Activities In Urban Areas:

• 
  Visit free museums and historical sites. Take in the exhibits, slide shows and
  movies at the area visitor centers.
  
  
• 
  Visit churches, town halls, old hotels, and other buildings of architectural
  interest.
  
• 
  Follow a walking-tour-map of the town’s sites. (Often available free at the
  visitor center)
  
• 
  Browse the shops, artists studios, historical buildings, thrift stores, used
  book stores, open air markets and flea markets.
  
• 
  Volunteer. Search out opportunities such as
  Habitat For Humanity,
  
  The Red Cross,
  local food banks, forest or BLM services and offer a few days of your time.
  Join
  SOWERS (Servants On Wheels)
  a non-denominational Christian RV volunteer group.
  
• 
  Make use of the municipal parks and libraries.
  
• 
  Stop at wineries for free tours and tastings.
  
• 
  Attend town festivals. You can plan your trip to include these, or just luck
  into them.
  

  
  Examples of some of the best free festivals we’ve lucked into on our travels
  include:
  
  Fiesta San Antonio
  
  (10 days with 100 free events every April) and
  
  July 4th, Independence Day
  
  celebrations in Duluth, MN where we caught a free concert by one of our
  favorite rock and rollers – George Thorogood! We’ve also discovered some
  obscure but really fun events such as the
  
  Mike The Headless Chicken Festival
  
  held every May in Fruita, CO.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  In February, Tucson’s “La Fiesta de los Vaqueros” has the largest non-motorized
  parade in the country.
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  By the way, for the frugal RVer, an added bonus to small town festivals is that
  the local campgrounds can’t accommodate all the visitors. Any rules prohibiting
  free camping in public parks, parking areas, or along the streets are usually
  thrown out for the weekend.
  
  
  

Free Travel Activities: To Relax

• 
  Watch the sunset or sunrise, or a thunderstorm. Sunbathe, sit by a campfire,
  lie on a blanket under the stars, count your blessings, listen to the wind in
  the trees, the birds singing, or watch the squirrels or lizards scamper by.
  
• 
  Read. Bring the books you’ve intended to read, but haven’t had time for. Donate
  them to a small town library as you finish them.
  
• 
  Listen to music or radio. We tune into NPR for Prairie Home Companion regularly
  for 2 hours of free entertainment on the road.
• 
  Hobbies. Many are easily transported. Do crafts such as knitting or carving.
  Create your own unique souvenirs and gifts to bring back. I like to dabble with
  drawing and water color paints.
  
• 
  Learn to play a harmonica, flute or other small instrument. (Despite the small
  RV we drive, we find room for Randy’s guitar… proving that having enough
  storage space in an RV is really all about priorities.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Randy’s melodies at the campsite relax us both
  
  
  
• 
  Solve puzzles, crosswords, or sudoku …good for the mind.
  
• 
  Play cards or board (not bored) games.
  
• 
  And last and also definitely least on our list of priorities, there’s always
  TV, dvds or the computer for those who need a technology fix. We watch local stations on our laptop computer. That’s right: no TV or Internet required.
  

Free Travel Activities: To Escape

Often we just want to get away from an aspect of our lives we aren’t happy with.

• 
  Get active. A long trip can be the perfect time to start or renew an exercise
  program. A weight program can be transferred to a workout with heavy rubber
  bands since you won’t want to carry extra weights in your RV.
  
• 
  Break bad habits. Getting away from your normal triggers can be the perfect
  opportunity to quit smoking, eat healthier, or change other habits.
  
• 
  Learn something. Take up a new hobby, learn to meditate or any number of things
  you never seem to find the time for at home.
  
• 
  Find answers. Do some soul searching, journal, get in touch with yourself,
  figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. And don’t be
  surprised if the answer is, “More of this!”

Travel Activities That Are Not Free But You Don’t Want To Miss

Of course, you’ll need to pay the entry fees to visit the local attractions.

After all, did you come all this way NOT to see them?

You shouldn’t be traveling if you’re unwilling to spend some money on entry
fees, however you can spend less, if you do your homework

Save Money On Entry Fees

• 
  Watch for tourist traps. Usually entry fees to the most noteworthy area
  attractions aren’t over-priced but avoid the obvious tourist traps, often
  nearby the star attractions.
  
• 
  Avoid the added expenses. The helicopter view, the movie of your experience.
  Instead of the guided tour, opt for the self-guiding booklet or audio guide
  that allows you to go at your own pace and repeat what you didn’t hear or
  understand.
  
  
• 
  Don’t buy souvenirs. You know they’ll only take up space in the RV and later
  gather dust at home. Your memories, photos and stories are the best souvenirs.
  If you can’t resist, buy a postcard suitable for framing.
  
• 
  Buy park passes. In our opinion all the natural parks and historic sites are
  worth the entry fee. Consider purchasing the annual pass to save money.
  
• 
  Avoid peak times. Many attractions offer discounted fees on weekdays or during
  off-season months.
  
• 
  Look for Coupons at visitor information centers. Often there are coupons
  printed on brochures. Ask about special promotions, discounts or combination
  passes for visiting more than one attraction.

More Suggestions

The following suggested travel activities do have a cost, but minimal, so
consider adding them from time to time.

• 
  Take the scenic drives marked on your roadmap.
  
• 
  Go on a casino cruise. Enjoy the cheap meal and the views. No one will even
  notice that you didn’t gamble.
  
• 
  Attend a local dance, church supper or happy hour at a bar. Especially in a
  small town, take the opportunity to socialize and meet the locals. They’re
  usually very interested in hearing about your traveling lifestyle and are the
  best authority on what you should see and do in their area. Even if you don’t
  meet anyone, it’s a night out.
  
• 
  Attend minor league baseball games.
  Minor Trips,
  an annual publication ($10.00) is geared toward travelers and helps you find
  minor league games and times across USA and Canada.
  
• 
  Early in the season, tickets to major sports events can be cheap. When we were
  in San Antonio, tickets to a Spurs game were only $5.00.

Whether at home or on the road, alone or as a couple, staying active is a key
to feeling young and alive. For the full-timer or long-term RVer keeping your
travel activities varied will help to ensure your continued enjoyment of
traveling.

Life IS a trip! Enjoy it!

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