How to plan those stops/activities while hitched?

[MichaelS78]

As a newbie I'm hoping to get some advice on how to plan stops for day activities or anything else that isnt as easy to navigate as a gas station while hitched.

Do you just pull in and hope for the best? Or do you only plan ahead and go to large parking lots etc? I would love to think that I can just freely pull into those interesting roadside attractions without worrying about not being able to get back out easily.

I know this is something that comes with experience but I'm curious and thought I'd ask people's approach to this.

Toyota Sequoia pulling 21NE if that helps.

[gbaglo]

Trailer or no trailer, I often use Google Streetview to check the parking situation for a location.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Trailer or no trailer, I often use Google Streetview to check the parking situation for a location.

yeah, this... street view and/or satellite view.

[Iowa Dave]

Once in a great while I pull into a no exit unless I turn around parking lot. In the Smokies mist of these are marked so you won’t go in and have a tough time getting out. Believe the signs and park away from the doors of the attraction in a mall or big box stores parking lots. Lots of times you’ll see another trailer or two in a lot and it tips you off as to where there’s open area parking so look for them. I’ve never used street view etc, I just rely on intuition, don’t go into big towns much and can back out of anything I drive into (in time).
We like to drop the trailer at the campsite and then go to an attraction or for groceries, beer, etc. makes it easier and better milage, especially out west where it’s often further to town than in the Midwest. YMMV Always “get out and look” when you have to back up. “GOAL”

Iowa Dave

[Ron in BC]

I've used Streetview on occasion but you have to know in advance exactly where you're going. A lot of times things are random and you get pretty good at making very quick observations and decisions on go, no go.

Ron

[JazzDad]

I agree with Dave. There have been times I parked the rig and walked into the parking lot to have a good look-see.

[MichaelS78]

Ok I'll give Google street view a try. Will be handy for when we get to a campground early but can't setup yet. And for when we depart but still have most of the day left.

One thing I don't like about Washington state campgrounds is the late check in of 2:30. Makes it hard with kids since they get up early and go to bed early. By the time you setup on a Saturday most of the day is gone.

[John in Santa Cruz]

if I'm going to a destination, I like to stay at LEAST 2 nights, if not 3+, that gives us full day(s) for local exploration. the day I arrive at a camp is pretty much dedicated to setup and relaxing.

thankfully my kids are grown up and moved out, so its just the two of us, and we can plan around what WE want to do instead of what THEY want. Kid #1 is a research geologist specializing in recent earth movements, working at Oxford (UK), currently on a field project in Azerbaijan(!), kid #2 is working as a 'compliance officer' at Cancer Research Center in New Orleans.

[Iowa Dave]

You’d have to plan way ahead if your Escape looked like this. There could be clearance and backing in angle problems. But window peepers would not be a problem. And it would be cheaper on toll roads that charge by the axle.

[hrewer]

Originally Posted by MichaelS78

Ok I'll give Google street view a try. Will be handy for when we get to a campground early but can't setup yet. And for when we depart but still have most of the day left.

One thing I don't like about Washington state campgrounds is the late check in of 2:30. Makes it hard with kids since they get up early and go to bed early. By the time you setup on a Saturday most of the day is gone.

Michael, we’ve arrived early at many campgrounds and have been allowed in if the campsite is open.

[MichaelS78]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

if I'm going to a destination, I like to stay at LEAST 2 nights, if not 3+, that gives us full day(s) for local exploration. the day I arrive at a camp is pretty much dedicated to setup and relaxing.

thankfully my kids are grown up and moved out, so its just the two of us, and we can plan around what WE want to do instead of what THEY want. Kid #1 is a research geologist specializing in recent earth movements, working at Oxford (UK), currently on a field project in Azerbaijan(!), kid #2 is working as a 'compliance officer' at Cancer Research Center in New Orleans.

Yeah I was just talking to the wife about planning our weekend trips to where we arrive after work on Friday night and make that about setup. Then at least we have all of Saturday to go do stuff with the kids. The negative with this is that we really have to be on the ball with having everything ready to go so we arrive at the park before it gets too dark to setup. If I had more vacation days I would just take Fridays off (or Mondays) but I'm saving the vacation days for the longer trips where we actually travel farther than the state parks within an hour or two from the house. When we were deciding on buying an Escape I was comparing the time investment to the setup I was doing while tent camping with my son. I dramatically underestimated how much harder setup was going to be with both kids and our 2 dogs. We will get better at it but the trailer is a bit more than I was expecting.

You must be very proud of your kids! Our Kid #1 is researching stop signs and yelling STOP very loudly at every one he sees. We are not worried about getting his eyes checked, he sees stop signs very far off in the distance Our Kid #2 is working at waddling across uneven terrain without falling. Then giggling uncontrollably when we pick her up.

[MichaelS78]

Originally Posted by hrewer

Michael, we’ve arrived early at many campgrounds and have been allowed in if the campsite is open.

Yeah I figure we can count on getting in at 1pm since that's when checkout is. When tent camping I would arrive as early as 11am and nobody ever said much. Especially during shoulder season. However we've only gone on two trips so far with the trailer and the parks are pretty booked up on the weekends. I don't think Ill want to risk getting there any earlier than 1pm. Unless planning ahead to do an activity that has room for the trailer.

[John in Santa Cruz]

We're re-tired. Every day is Saturday. I like traveling mid week and staying away from cities when possible.

[gbaglo]

Retirement sucks. No days off. No stat holidays. No vacation.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Retirement sucks. No days off. No stat holidays. No vacation.

you must be doing it wrong. every day is vacation.

just got back from seeing DakhaBrakha tonight at the Sunset Center in Carmel. 3rd row seats just off center.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX8dyBKGGD4

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Retirement sucks. No days off. No stat holidays. No vacation.

see, my wife is retired too. she finds far more things to keep her busy than I would if I were her, but hey, we're two different people, I wouldn't have it any other way.

another live DrakhaBrakha piece, this is like what they opened tonights show with

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a5ktK5xTkY

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Retirement sucks. No days off. No stat holidays. No vacation.

Yeah, but...you didn't have to take a drug test to get the gig.

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by MichaelS78

Do you just pull in and hope for the best?

Sort of. I'm not going to just head down a tiny alley or something, but I don't sweat it too much. You can get out of anything you can drive into, one way or another.

I'd kind of a dude-trucker in my job, because I'm an engineer that designs trucks and I drive them sometimes to evaluate the product. When I was first driving, I was on a 700 mile loop with three trucks in Oregon. We stopped for lunch at a truck stop, everyone was very hungry and needed the facilities.

We realized to park at this place, you had to swing right and block all access to the diesel pumps. Then you had to back up across those lanes into narrow, nose out parking. It was super nerve wracking for me to back up a semi into a narrow slot while blocking traffic and being watched by about 20 real truckers.

But I really needed lunch, so I did it.

[2Travelers]

I would add to this discussion: Be sure to also look up.

I have made this mistake only once (so far). I pulled into an unfamiliar, smaller gas station carefully checking my horizontal clearances but failing to notice that the owner had added a self-service car wash bay at the far end of the pumps that had a significantly lower roofline than the one over the pumps. I made it out OK with the help of my usual back-in spotter as well as some amused locals. I have avoided (or have been very cautious using) smaller gas stations since.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by 2Travelers

I would add to this discussion: Be sure to also look up.

I have made this mistake only once (so far). I pulled into an unfamiliar, smaller gas station carefully checking my horizontal clearances but failing to notice that the owner had added a self-service car wash bay at the far end of the pumps that had a significantly lower roofline than the one over the pumps. I made it out OK with the help of my usual back-in spotter as well as some amused locals. I have avoided (or have been very cautious using) smaller gas stations since.

The last place I worked we had a loading dock that was poured concrete. One of the walls converged slightly and it drove the rookie drivers nuts. Four takeaways from my four years there. Record number of passes to bump the dock with both corners of the trailer :19. Drivers who got out of the truck and announced they were ready to unload who were parked headfirst into the dock:1. Drivers who offered asked and begged our delivery driver to back in for them : about one a week. And finally Number of drivers who got stuck in our lot on glare ice and could not wait for us to put down some sand because they had a hot date in town and were going to “just unhook the trailer and come back later” : 1. Number of empty trailers that caught the wind slid across the lot and flipped into the ditch when he pulled the pin:1. Never a dull moment with these “gentlemen of the road”.
Iowa Dave