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Old 03-14-2008, 10:43 AM   #1
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The price of fuel took another bump yesterday and I was forced to rethink the spring break trip to Big Bend National Park. Reluctantly I have concluded that although I could go I am better off not doing so. Instead, I will be staying at the local wildlife refuge with maybe a side trip somewhere more local.
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Old 03-14-2008, 10:51 AM   #2
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yup

I discovered last week that it's much cheaper to fly out west, rent a car and stay in cheap hotels than to have a lovely leisurely tour in the Airstream. I'm either not going at all or I'm taking the Airstream
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Old 03-14-2008, 10:58 AM   #3
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I agree

we had a few long road trips planned for this Spring. With fuel prices GOING UP we have canceled all of them. I think it's going to be driveway camping this season or at very least nothing further than a take of gas round trip. At 13 mpg thats not very far.
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Old 03-14-2008, 10:59 AM   #4
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Me too

I have taken the A/S to Jackson/Yellowstone the two times I've been there.
This time we're flying in and renting a car. We got a good deal on nice lodging via an internet special and decided to do it. The flight was cheaper than I expected, maybe because it's in the "shoulder season" of October.
Altogether, it's not that much more than if we drove, and time off is an issue.

Fuel is starting to impact the way we travel, though it may not be curtailing all of it.

Dave
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Old 03-14-2008, 11:20 AM   #5
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We looked at this but it came down to what do we prefer to do, cut back on our camping or cut back on some of the other things we do like eating out through the week and several times on weekends.

The camping wins out hands down for us. There are so many advantages to getting out and doing some serious camping that it far outweighs anything else.

Barry
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Old 03-14-2008, 11:21 AM   #6
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50 mile radius camping

I've been amazed and pleased to notice how nice many Virginia State parks are, and I'm going to plan a "see Virginia First" vacation schedule this year. One of my favorites is Seashore State park, which is within the boundries of Virginia Beach. Literally 15 miles to work.

Perhaps we can all start to think of knowing places DEEPLY rather than driving THROUGH them.

Paula
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Old 03-14-2008, 11:49 AM   #7
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Gas prices, Yuk!

Well,

We haven't cancelled anything yet... but are likely to curtail long distance travel because of fuel prices. Yesterday here in Northern Calif. it was over $4 a gallon... 50 miles north in Oregon it was 40 cents a gallon cheaper! We usually buy our gas in Oregon. But prices don't seem to be going down.

We are lucky and have some very nice camping places less than a one hour drive from here, but we miss seeing some of our Airstream friends when we can't attend rallies, etc.

We too are cutting back on other goodies so we can still travel. It just seems if it isn't one thing, it is another. Between gas prices, heating costs and health care.... Ugh!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis from the Great State of Jefferson)
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Old 03-14-2008, 12:05 PM   #8
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I'll reply to a couple of the posts,

With or diesel and 34 or 36 gallons of fuel we still have the luxury of a 400 mile one-way range (two tanks) or a 200 mile radii round trip (one tank). Here in California that provides access to a huge number of parks in the desert, mountains, coast, etc. for camping although the penalty for the big tank is a $120 fillup.

Relative to cutting back elsewhere, I have always tried to keep my commuting and solo trips costs down. Although it hasn't been a primary or even a secondary reason, I have commuted to work for over 30 years on my BMW motorcycles at an average of 40 mpg or higher. Yes our SoCal weather made that more tolerable. Temperature is never the issue; I can stand leaving for work at 32 or 35 degrees/ The issue is rain but not very often. I typically won't leave the house for work if it is raining although my criteria is that looking like impending rain doesn't count, the drops must be falling. I have rain gear if it starts a mile or more after I leave the house.

We tend to not splurge for expensive dinners and purchases on our trips (the 2007 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Fall Vacation being the exception) and prefer to stay in county, state and national parks, national forests and BLM campgrounds which are typically cheaper than RV parks. When you start to look at the increased trip cost for fuel it usually is an acceptable difference.

We will still be on the road but likely cut our mileage a little.
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Old 03-14-2008, 12:37 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Motoman
Relative to cutting back elsewhere, I have always tried to keep my commuting and solo trips costs down.
Sounds like all your smaller compromises really add up to give you the ability to keep Airstreaming!
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Old 03-14-2008, 12:49 PM   #10
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Every year we take two trips to Ashland, OR (~300 miles away) to see the plays, and we stay for three or four days. So knowing we will be taking that trip either way, we always wonder if we should drive the van and trailer (13mpg), or take the sports car (25+ mpg) and stay in a hotel. If we stay more than a day, it always pays to take the trailer, even with gas prices as they are.


Personally, after not travelling last summer because of all the time we spent with Alki's cancer ordeal, I don't care how much the gas costs, this year we're getting out. I'd rather do without something else than not get out and relax a bit.
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Old 03-14-2008, 01:09 PM   #11
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Last year we put over 10k miles on the airstream with our biggest trip being one to Olympic np, then moving down the coast to include several other np's before returning home. After adding up the cost of fuel last year I doubt if we ever had a year like that again. We're just very fortunate to live where we do in Colorado in that we can plan so many short trips to np's and other great sites. Our big trip this year is to Yellowstone and that won't be much over 1000 miles. We're still debating a trip down rt 66 to Sedona and back, but it's unlikely with the price of fuel.
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Old 03-14-2008, 01:27 PM   #12
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Just remember that when your hour glass runs out of sand - you can't flip it over and get a redo. Go camping...!!
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Old 03-14-2008, 03:52 PM   #13
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Quote:
Just remember that when your hour glass runs out of sand - you can't flip it over and get a redo.
How true! You never know what tomorrow may bring. Next year the price of fuel will probably be higher.

If using your Airstream is what gives you pleasure, take it as far as you can afford and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. It doesn't matter how near or far you go as long as you enjoy the experience.
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Old 03-14-2008, 04:11 PM   #14
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I'm with Paula!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foiled Again
Perhaps we can all start to think of knowing places DEEPLY rather than driving THROUGH them.

Paula
Time to get creative! Some of our best memories are when we "vacation" close to home ~ right in our own backyard. Doing all the things the tourists come to our area to do ~ guess it helps to have the Colorado Rocky Mountains in "our backyard"...but just about everywhere has local flavour & fun! When we were newly married and not able to vacation big, we would see how far we could make 50-bucks go...we made it an adventure, it was fun! Sometimes it's the little things in life ~

If you boondock - the camping is free so you can save your money to pay for the gas! Campsites around here can be $35-50+ per night...two or three nights is a tank of gas! And the scenery is better...

Shari
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Old 03-14-2008, 04:22 PM   #15
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Last year we went from Miami to Seattle and back meandering about all the way. Added it up and we traveled 16.5 thousand miles and burned 1288 gallons of regular at an avg price of $2.94 (total was $3800.00). Took 6 months doing it.

If I could, I'd do the whole trip over again. Even if gas went to $4 a gallon it would cost me roughly $1200 more spread over 6 months. Definitely worth it.

Heck, I could cover that switching from Heineken to Rolling Rock...

Go. Go now. You never know what will hold you up "next time"

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Old 03-14-2008, 04:56 PM   #16
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Exactly. We are hitting the road this summer with the expectation that even as expensive as fuel will be this summer, it will be even higher next year. I want my family to enjoy the open road with me while we still can. I will be look for me local opportunities, but we will be making one big trip to the Seattle area this summer.

If anything, slow down. If driving at 55 get me 10-15% better milage while towing, then I'll drive 55 when it's safe.
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Old 03-14-2008, 05:05 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gen Disarray
The price of fuel took another bump yesterday and I was forced to rethink the spring break trip to Big Bend National Park. Reluctantly I have concluded that although I could go I am better off not doing so. Instead, I will be staying at the local wildlife refuge with maybe a side trip somewhere more local.
Rodney,

Have you figured out where else you may end up after the local wildlife refuge? You are saying side trip, does that mean sans trailer? As many point out there are a lot of great areas around most places that are actually a draw to tourists and that as locals we seldom see ourselves, although if I remember right you are new to the area you live now.

I was looking for places within a tankful of gas of us today just to see what that would do for us and I am amazed. Besides big chunks of Vancouver Island (Victoria, etc) we have areas around Whistler (home of the 2010 winter olympics), the Olympic Peninsula (all around Seattle) and many other areas east and south and all have pretty outstanding camping.

Barry
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Old 03-14-2008, 05:27 PM   #18
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Wink State, National Parks (& Walmart)

I recently had to travel to Monterey, CA from Seal Beach, CA for a 3-day conference. Susan & I decided to spend 5 days in Big Basin Redwoods State Park before driving down to Monterey (about 1.5 hrs away). Just for the conference, hotels (3x $150/day= $450) and food ($60-$75/day for the 2 of us when eating out) and driving our Prius (figure $65 - $75 for gas), it would have been about $725 for 3 nights. Instead, we spent a total of $83 per day (gas, food & lodging), for the 5 days in Big Basin ($115) AND 3 nights in the Monterey Fairgrounds ($35/night, with full hookups!). Total: $670! That meant having almost all our meals in the Bambi, but we still ate out a few times in Monterey. It also helped to stay overnight free at Walmart in Paso Robles, and again on the way home, we parked on the side of Pacific Coast Hwy in Malibu, CA. Clearly, with a little planning, cooking ahead of time, and using state parks, we did much better camping for 8 nights than we could have for 3 nights in the city without the Airstream. The cost of fuel is only part of the picture.
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Old 03-14-2008, 05:30 PM   #19
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Maybe it's the 60's in me... I dunno.

Somehow or another, with the exorbitant profits the oil companie$ are getting and the benign interest HalliBush, Inc. pays to the experience we're going through, I keep wondering, what's the payoff here keeping folks close to home? Limiting travel? Re-distributing the wealth?

We can expect more and demand more. Status quo is maintained only through silence.

Fuel prices determines the future of what we do and where we go and who we see and how we do it (not to mention everything else that's delivered to where we live!).

Airstream says, see more, do more. And I'll add, "expect more" from those we elect.

In my humble opinion...
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Old 03-14-2008, 09:52 PM   #20
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Ditto to the Health Stuff

Hi all - I am new to this forum so please bear with me...
In the last year, both of hubby's parents died, his sister came to visit with a blood clot in her leg and hubby ended up on the floor with chest pains at work in China.

We decided enough was enough and looked over our finances. We quit our jobs and bought an Airstream. The day we bought it, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. We looked at each other in the doctors office and both said at the same time, how soon can we get this taken care of? 5 weeks later we hit the road.

We have not regretted a moment of it. Yep the gas is one of our higher expenses but we compensate by giving up or doing other things. A bit more boondocking. Not throwing food away. Etc. Etc.

Maikel (hubby) is now doing finance articles on our website telling folks how we did it. We get numerous questions about how can you afford it. It's the "latte factor" mostly.

Huggs - Susan
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