Monday, August 6, 2012

The Master Plan

Last week I received an email from a friend that I have been communicating with regarding renting their RV. They recently bought a new one and he said, "Let me know what your plans are and we’ll see what we can do." That prompted me to sit down and create a Master Plan on how we are going to finish seeing 22 states (and D.C) in less than five years. And squeeze a trip to Europe in as well.

"What do you think honey? Is this going to work?"

2013 (Paradis 8th - Annelies 4th)
  • Spring Break 2013: Southwest 5 States (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado). Fly into Vegas, rent a car and drive through Utah, Arizona (hike to base of Grand Canyon), New Mexico and fly out of Denver after visiting Colorado. 
2014 (Paradis 9th - Annelies 5th)
  • Spring Break 2014: Going East 8 States (Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware  New Jersey, Pennsylvania). Drive up through Canada, go down into Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and back home via Canada. I think this would be a good RV trip.
  • Summer 2014: Upper Northeast 6 States (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine). I'm thinking we will fly into one state, drive through the others, and fly out at the end.
2015 (Paradis 10th - Annelies 6th)
  • Spring Break 2015: Wyoming - Yellowstone. Another RV trip?
  • Summer 2015: Europe for two weeks
2016 (Paradis 11th - Annelies 7th)
  • Spring Break 2016: Alaska. Fly.
2017 (Paradis graduates - Annelies 8th)
  • Spring Break 2017: Hawaii. Fly. Paradis requested this be the last state.
This schedule looks tight (budget-wise), but I would still like to do:
  • A full week in D.C., although both go with school in 8th grade.
  • A full week - or long weekend - in New York 
Update March 17, 2013 : Annelies and I were talking, and we realized life doesn't end when Paradis leaves home. We have so many more trips to plan after she is gone ...
  • Route 66. Travel the entire 2,448 miles. Probably in a RV.