Big Trip?

[DutchmenSport]

On another forum thread someone used the term "Big Trip." That got me to wondering what others consider a "big trip" to be. Everyone has a different idea depending upon personal experiences, but just wondering, what yours?

Does "big" mean the distance traveled from "home" to the final destination points. Or does "big" mean the time of the over all trip.

Or does "big" mean the financial investment ... for example a trip may be only 3 days, but day 2 is going to be spent at an amusement park that costs $150 a person to get in. If one has 4 kids and 2 adults, that would be $900 for one days' activity. (That's big in my opinion!)

For us, "big" has actually become smaller and smaller .... really. Once I retired, the distances got longer and longer and the time away from "home" is now 10 months out of the year (longer and longer). But it doesn't feel "big" any more. It not a "big deal" for us to be away from home for months at a time, or to travel a couple thousand miles any more either.

Have we become desensitized to time and distance? Things do change when one retires.

Is "big" just a mental concept?

So, what do YOU consider to be a "Big Trip?" I'm just wondering. No right or wrong answers here, just your thoughts. Life changes us, your opinion may differ over the years too. Thoughts anyone???? What makes it "Big" in your opinion???

[Rotnjonny]

I always enjoy reading your posts! This is a great conversation starter!

Like you “big” was time and mileage for us. When we first retired, our first trip out was 4 months and 8,000 miles. I thought it was huge! We just returned home (for a short stay). We were gone 9 months and nearly 11,000 miles and it didn’t really feel “big”.

Similar situation with our TV. People say “why such a big truck (F350 DRW)” but for me it isn’t really any different that parking a Subaru

I guess it all comes down to the individual person’s ‘normal’

[mlh]

Big trip to me means a combination of at least 2000 miles and or a month as for the money couldn’t care less. I’m not rich but I’d prefer to spend what we have instead of financing a party when we are gone.
Lynwood

[Cbrez]

If we’re traveling within our region (Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina) I don’t consider it a “big” trip. But when we go from Virginia Beach to Florida for the winter or to Indiana for the NAFR, I definitely perform checks and maintenance that I don’t worry about when traveling regionally.

[twindman]

I guess I rarely do 'non-'big! LOL
Most of the time I travel at least 4000, and often 7000-8000. Alaska twice - 10,000 mi.
I AM shortening my drive time per day tho. 18 years ago 400 miles wasn't out of the ordinary. Now I shoot for around 300 (or less). The old body gets tired sooner these days!!!

[MandK]

“Big” changes with time and each trip that’s bigger makes the last trip “no longer big” I guess. Except if it’s a bucket list trip. A big trip was once taking our boat to Cleveland (from Buffalo). Then we did the North Channel in Ontario. We would cruise right past Cleveland regularly at that time to get to the Erie Islands and think nothing of it. Then when we retired we did the Great Loop, a little under 8000 miles and lived on the boat for 445 days. That was a BIG trip, not only miles but it’s at the top of every boaters bucket list. More people successfully submit Mt Everest each year than complete The Great Loop. Two years later we went back south to spend a winter in the keys and the Bahamas. That was a big deal to us. Lots of fun so I’d say that was a big trip even though it was less miles than the loop.
Now we take Monty south in the winter, take a couple weeks to get there, stay in 4 different places for 5 months and take a couple weeks to get home. I don’t consider it a big trip, it’s a lifestyle. Although this year we took a slight detour on the way home and spent a week on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
We don’t use Monty much in the summer because of the boat, but we may sell it this year or put it up in long term storage because the plan next year is to take a BIG detour when we leave Florida. South, SW, Utah, Rockies, Canadian Rockies, Montana, hit the WRSR in Hermosa while we’re out there. Should be about 9K miles front door to front door. That’ll be a big trip. We’ll see. Man plans, God decides.

[Foldbak]

Big trip to me = money!

[JABURKHOLDER]

2017

79 days
26 states
Tow miles 8519
Total drive miles 11424
Gallons of diesel 1123
Fuel cost $2769
Campground cost $1824
Total expenses approx $9000

Big trip ?

Ambitious is more apropos

[ChrisW]

Since we’re “Weekend Warriors” with our monthly FCRV group, our annual Big Trip is at least 7-10 days and a further distance than we usually do, eg 8 hrs. I love getting our stuff out for longer than the 2 night trips!

[lajitasgal]

Distance and time spent overall. We're too old to do a weekend trip of 900 miles total like we used to do. Now I'd want at least 4 days at the destination if I'm traveling 6 hours to get there and again to get home! Ha, this question reminds me of our first camping trip from central Texas to Monument Valley/Grand Canyon. We were using a rented pop-up and traveling long hours every day. It was pretty awful (although seeing the sites was fantastic). Glad it didn't put us off camping - just taught us that we didn't want a pop-up, nor did we want 8-hours of driving per day!

[laverdur]

I suppose that there are many ways to consider a trip a "big trip". For us, it is time duration and miles driven. Most of our trips are 4-8 weeks in duration. However, in 2018 we left Oregon for a 3-month journey that would take us to Newfoundland and Labrador. Our first stop of significance was at the Lippert plant in Goshen, IN to have hydraulic self leveling installed. It was well worth the money. Then eastward across southern Canada to Glenholme, Nova Scotia to visit friends. While there we took advantage of the high tides to see a 49 foot tide roll up the Bay of Fundy. That is an impressive sight. From there we took a ferry to Newfoundland and spent a month enjoying the sights, the history and the people. When we arrived back in the US we worked out way down part of the eastern seaboard seeing friends, stopping in Hershey, PA to to tour the Hershey chocolate factory. From there we started working our way back west, visiting friends and family along the way. From North Dakota we headed back to Canada to see the sights of the southern provinces on our way back to the west coast. Total trip mileage was 10,197, not counting any local driving at each stop. Would I do it again? You bet! A trip like this calls for two oil changes so that I can keep to my 5,000 mile interval. Yes, that might be overkill but, it is cheap insurance.

[Ren]

Anytime we have to change the oil in the truck while out is a big trip.

[Creeker]

Originally Posted by Ren

Anytime we have to change the oil in the truck while out is a big trip.

Now we're making sense! That's definitely a sign of a good trip.

Reading through the replies makes me look forward to the days where we are not in a hurry because of limited time off work. 500 miles per day is the norm for us. When traveling out west, the first day is usually 600+ miles to get past St. Louis. Be nice to call it a day after 200 to 300 miles.

If our health and the stock market hold, we'll find out in about year. As fast as the last decade has went, it will be here before we can turn around.

[Todd & Mary]

This is a thought-provoking topic. We retired 2 years ago and have been full time RVing since. Before retirement 100 miles was a long way. Now when we travel, we cover 300-400 miles a day, but don't consider it big, just another day. We no longer have a sticks and bricks home so time away isn't a consideration either. We winter in AZ. and summer in WI. so the long trips happen spring and fall every year and have become routine. We always make stops to see things as we travel. I would say we have become boring and don't consider anything "BIG trips" any longer! We just travel the country in search of the beauty it has to show us. We would much more like to see natural wonders rather than man made and tend to stay away from major population centers when we stay. As a manager at a fortune 500 company, I've dealt with people my entire life and prefer to avoid them when I can. Not antisocial, just enjoy our peace and quiet. And I think we've earned it! So get off my lawn! Just kidding! Thanks for hearing me and we hope you enjoy your Big trips in the future!!

[Playhouse]

Interesting topic. Our loose definitions are:

• Weekend: A trip spanning Saturday & Sunday and optionally Friday and/or Monday.
  
• Trip: Up to two weeks, but usually just a long holiday trip like Thanksgiving week or the week after Christmas.
  
• Big Trip: Anything we can't do when we're working.

In the late spring of 2019 my wife rage-quit her job and then I got laid off a few weeks later. My first thought was panic, but it's a large company and they keep you on the books for 60 days for legal reasons, and then my severance of nine months pay kicked in (very sweet). So instead of panic, we took a couple small trips with friends (already scheduled) and then hit the road for the Big Trip.

Our Big Trip was a few months, 19 states/provinces, and just short of 11,000 miles. And then my employer called me back and rehired me.

My wife just retired for good and we're starting to plan other Big Trips in the future with combinations of PTO and remote work. Time will tell.

[twindman]

Yeh, retirement really sucks huh! LOL If you have something to do a few times a week it is nice also.