Road trip: Do it or forget it?

Before I did the whole enchilada, I think I'd try a scaled down "trial run" to see how it goes. Fly somewhere, rent an RV and then do a four- or five-day tour. You can always chuck the camping part of it ... there's no law that says you can't park an RV at the motel you're staying. But if your wife really, really wants to do it, what the hell? How bad can it be if you know you're doing something she really wants to do?

For me, I'm staring at a too-soon-to-be empty nest and pondering those things I'd like to do before I get too old. I've always dreamed of buying a cruising sailboat and gunking around the southern Atlantic coast. I've never done it, and I might hate it, but I sure would like to give it a try. So, to that end, I'm working/dieting the lard off my fat ass, and I'm spending lots of time perusing craigslist and other on-line boat listing sites.

 

Thanks for all the input. We're going to do this and we're thinking we'll do a test run later this year.

Sometime between the start of the school year and the time when leaf-watchers show up, we thought we could do a tour through New England. In 12 days we thought we could focus on three spots — Vermont, Maine and Montreal. I'm not sure how feasible this is; there looks to be a lot of driving on secondary roads. And I need to check on costs and logistics if we don't start and finish at the same place.

 

Stop by Lake Memphremagog on the Vermont-Canada border. Lake cruises depart from Newport docks.

 

Not to threadjack, but usually when my wife and I make a road trip, we're out of things to say to each other within an hour of hitting the road except for "find a gas station, I've got to pee." Anybody else have this issue?

 

Nope. My wife and I do a lot of road-tripping, and barely even turn on the radio. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with her.

 

I like the idea of the SUV with camping gear in the back, so you can either rough it or do a hotel. And doing a short-term RV rental as a trial run is good advice as well.

 

Just Punch Buggy and the License Plate Game the entire time?

 

I like the idea of flying into Montreal, renting an SUV and booking B&Bs throughout the region, but to each his own.

 

May be on the minority here but I don't like B and Bs. I feel like they are not anonymous enough and I don't want to have to make chit chat in the morning.

 

I agree 100 percent. I mean, do the owners get off on listening to mattresses creaking and groaning every evening?

And while the breakfasts can be high-quality food, the glacial pace it takes to get through them (along with the mindless/often awkward chit chat Chet mentions) makes the simple complimentary grub at a chain motel look better and better.

 

I agree on the BnB. Have not stayed in one since childhood. Didn't even like it then.
I find it creepy and uncomfortable.