Hello! Today, I am publishing Part 2 to my post from yesterday Unplanned Road Trip Planning. As a recap, we left our house on Wednesday and we are not sure when we will be going back.
This will probably be a 10 to 14 day road trip. This is nothing crazy, but it is more than what we usually do. Some of you who are truly location independent are probably laughing at me. I am such a homebody though!
I do miss my bed, but we’re having a lot of fun on this road trip. Below is an update/recap of different parts of our trip.
How’s it like working on the road and being location independent?
Okay, okay, I know it’s only been since Wednesday that we haven’t been home. However, it feels like it’s been forever! Luckily we have been at a hotel since Saturday at 6 a.m., but on Monday we left the hotel life and we plan on camping the next few days.
I’m not going to lie, I still have to work, so the first thing I did was to see if there was a Starbucks near our first camping location. And WOOHOOO because there is one just a few miles away from our camping spot.
I have done most of my work ahead of time though (I worked like crazy last week). So, if anything does come up, it will just be extra work.
Freelancing and being on the road is a little difficult though. It’s hard to stay on task because Colorado is so beautiful. I have been buckling down at night time though and in the early mornings to get work done.
Usually when I am at home, I am online pretty much all day long whenever I am awake, so only being able to be online when I can find internet is something new…
Where are we staying?
Before last week, I never camped before. We started our trip by driving out to Wes’s family’s property (tons of acres, there’s a really pretty creek, and more) and camping out there for two nights.
We left on Friday evening and arrived in Denver around 6 a.m.
From 2 a.m. to around 6 a.m., I spent my time frantically calling hotels within a two hour radius of Denver, and literally every single hotel and motel was booked besides ONE. We even stopped by some extremely sketchy motels (I’m talking $20 a night run-down motels on the side of the road), and even those were booked. We were just so tired and didn’t think it would have been that hard to find a place to sleep.
We finally found a hotel (Crowne Plaza). They even let us check in early without paying a fee, and didn’t make us pay any extra fees for our dog as well. They said we were lucky because it was the only open room they had. Apparently there were a lot of plane delays/cancellations the day that we got there, so that was why everything in the area was completely booked.
Then, on Sunday we left Crowne Plaza and we went to a La Quinta in Silverthorne, Colorado.
For most of the rest of the trip, we plan on camping at campgrounds. I have never done this before, so this will be interesting! We raided REI the other day and bought every single thing that we need. Also, some people bought items from REI from our wedding registry, so that really helped out as well.
We have been thinking more and more about possibly renting an RV, buying a pop-up camper or doing something else along those lines for our next trip. There are still a lot of other areas that we want to visit in the United States, and having a camper or RV would make things 1,000 times easier. Anyone have any tips on this? Or is this a dumb idea?
What about driving in a Jeep Wrangler?
A Jeep Wrangler is not usually everyone’s top pick for a car when going on a road trip. There are two main reasons for this: gas mileage and it’s a rough drive.
The gas mileage is HORRIBLE! Our Wrangler gets between 15 to 19 miles per gallon. Not exactly the most eco-friendly.
Driving in a Wrangler can also be rough, especially when over a long distance. It’s LOUD, and it’s not very big. We had to take out the back seat and have made a science out of perfectly stacking our bags and camping gear so that our dogs can have as much space as possible. There’s still a lot of room back there for them – they can both sprawl out and sleep.
Even with the negatives, it is nice driving with the wrangler. If we didn’t have the dogs with us, then there would be plenty of room. Also, we like to drive on off-road trails and the Wrangler is perfect for that.
How are our dogs doing?
Our dogs are doing really well. This isn’t their first road trip though. We took them with us to our Gulf Shores (also around 12 hours from our home) trip last year, and they also accompany us whenever we drive to hike or walk on trails near our home.
Whenever we hop in the car, they almost always immediately go to sleep, which is very nice because that must mean that they are comfortable in the car!
We haven’t left them alone at all, and we don’t plan on doing that as well. They are going to be with us the WHOLE time, because we are crazy dog people and we love them.
We have a folding water bowl for them, so we can give them water whenever they need it. We also make sure to make plenty of stops so that they can stretch their legs and use the bathroom.
Also, trying to find a pet friendly hotel hasn’t been too bad. Super nice hotels, of course, won’t let us in, but we’ve not having any problem with other hotels. Our bigger dog isn’t allowed at some because of her weight (many have weight limits of 30 or 50 pounds), but we still were able to find hotels to call home for a few nights.
Do you want to be location independent one day? Do you like to camp?
Do you think being an online freelancer and camping is crazy? Haha!
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NZ Muse says
I freaking hate camping. Like, I’m not high maintenance AT ALL, but camping is just too rough for me. I really like travelling by campervan though and reckon it’d be a great way to explore the States.
Michelle S. says
Haha before this month I never went camping! I think it’s all about the equipment you bring. We made sure to buy all the best and high quality stuff from REI so it really makes everything better.
Kemkem says
I’ve never camped, nor would l like to. I like the idea if the RV, and you can get one of those hotspot things for wifi. Your dogs are so cute!!! My friend used to have a wrangler, my god, it is a rough ride! Have fun..
Michelle S. says
I’ve looked into the hotspot but they seem so expensive. Are there cheap options out there?
Christine Berry - Wealth Way Online says
I’m not so big on camping. I like it for a handful of days then I get a bit tired of it. I’m really looking forward to being a bit more disconnected from the internet – I’m literally online 80% of the day.. it must be so bad for me!
Michelle S. says
I thought I would hate camping but it’s not bad at all!
Income Surfer says
Sweet! My wife and I love camping, although we wont again until our infant is 6 months old. We’re planning on doing an extended road trip next year, likely in a slide-in camper. Renting a travel trailer might be a good option for you guys next time, but I’m yet to hear of anyone renting an RV in a cost effective way. Between the gas and the fees it always sounded better to take a car and stay in hotels.
Have fun!
-Bryan
Michelle S. says
Yeah it probably wouldn’t save us any money but the convenience factor is what really interests us.
FI Pilgrim says
Unlike Muse and Christine, I love camping. Especially with kids, and especially if it’s in the mountains somewhere. And that sounds like the perfect blend, Starbucks for work and then relax in the great outdoors!
Michelle S. says
I actually went to look for that Starbucks and it didn’t exist! 🙁
RJ says
In defense of your Wrangler it is a great vehicle to have if you’re gonna be going up the mountains and such. Fuel economy be damned sometimes, you’re not gonna get to the cool out of the way places driving a Prius.
Michelle S. says
Haha yes I do love my jeep!
John @ Wise Dollar says
It has been quite awhile since I’ve been camping, but I always enjoyed it. We are location independent, in theory as we can do our job anywhere as long as we can get an internet connection. That said, it would be pretty difficult in practice with the kids.
Michelle S. says
Haha yes, I’m sure it would be much more difficult with children.
Holly@ClubThrifty says
Your dogs are adorable!
I work on most of our vacations but it’s really hard. I focus much better when I’m at home.
Michelle S. says
Thanks Holly!
Allison says
How fun! Love CO!
That pic of your dogs is adorable!
Michelle S. says
Thanks!
Kayla @ Shoeaholicnomore says
I actually really enjoy camping! I think its a lot of fun, but I don’t think I could do a LONG camping trip.
Michelle S. says
Haha we’re switching it up every day. We’ve actually only camped once on this trip so far, and we’ve stayed at a hotel 3 times.
E.M. says
Your dogs are so cute, they look very happy! I think taking an RV or camper around would probably be a good idea next time. Less stress on finding a hotel and wifi connection at least. Working away from home is pretty hard, but you never know until you try something to see how it works out!
Michelle S. says
Yes, we are really looking into having an RV or camper for the next trip. Living out of the Jeep is hard!
Nicola says
Your dogs are so cute! I haven’t been camping in a long time, but I did used to enjoy it 🙂
Michelle S. says
Thanks! I love them 🙂
Jason B says
I definitely want to be location independent. I have never been camping but I would like to do it one day.
Michelle S. says
Being location independent is definitely great!
Melissa says
I LOOOVE camping!!! I think I mentioned that on another post of yours! 🙂 I don’t think it’s crazy to camp and freelance – heck, I’d totally do it if I could! I think the only ‘hassle’, if you can call it that, is finding reliable wifi or Starbucks/coffee shop to sit and write for a little while. That’s why I think breaking it up and staying a hotel every once in a while is a good idea too 🙂
Have you thought about teardrop campers? My parents are going to get one soon, since they’re retired and want to spend more time camping. They don’t have to be big and bulky! Here’s one example: http://www.golittleguy.com/model?id=42&model=6-Wide-Platform
Michelle S. says
Yes, finding a Starbucks has been a little hard! We have been mostly staying at hotels for that reason.
And yes, teardrop campers are something that I have been looking at. I love them!
Daniel says
Sounds like you’re having a great trip! I think I’d worry that the online freelancing would take away too much from the trip itself. Do you set limits on how much time you spend on work while you’re on vacation?
Michelle S. says
Thanks! And I’m still trying to work as much as I normally do on this trip. That’s mainly because I already took so much time off for my wedding so I really need to get back into working.
Michelle S. says
Thanks! This trip hasn’t been too bad. We can’t stay at night hotels really because of the dogs, so all of our hotel stays have been cheap. Then for food we have been buying most of it from Target because we received a lot of Target gift cards for our wedding.
anita says
I love camping and I always bring my dogs along with me. They love it! They go crazy exploring all of the new scents! I can only bring my dog with me when I camp, I can’t bring my dogs with me to any other trips so I camp very often!
Millennial Boss says
Colorado is gorgeous! We love living here! I’ve stayed at the LaQuinta in Silverthorne with my dog as well. It’s one of the only (cheaper) ones that allow dogs in summit county.
My fiance and I are planning a three-week national parks road trip in the next few months right before I start my new job. It’s going to be an experiment to see if we want that lifestyle once we become financially independent. We just got the annual national parks pass which will help save money on the road but unfortunately dogs are not allowed in most parks. Haven’t figured out what we are going to do yet!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Dogs are allowed in national parks, but just not on most trails. There’s usually a kennel near the gate, or if you have an RV then that’s an option too 🙂
Tvu Le says
Would you share what your daily work life look like? I’m curious to see how much of your day is dedicated to blogging and any other business ventures you may have. Thanx a bunch!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
This may help – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2018/06/digital-nomad-lifestyle.html