CC Ryder wrote:Well, I took the plunge, I registered for the AMA! My family thinks that I am in a mid-life crisis....I am looking forward to the ride down to Denver. Any of you have advice of how much to budget per day for food, gas and lodging? If I give myself one week down, one week there, one more to come home. That should allow for extra time for pit stops and picture taking. Now it's looking at my Route options from Surrey, Canada.
Budgeting:
First you need to figure out (a rough estimate) how many miles you'll be traveling, and how far you're comfortable riding in a day. Keep in mind that if you start out mid-day, you'll need to stop sooner and may end up spending an extra night on the road (extra lodging expense). Starting out first thing, means you'll get farther before needing to stop for the night.
Food: How much do you "need" to eat? Is a yogurt and piece of fruit enough to keep you happy for a few hours, or a sit down, meat and potatoes feast, or something in between?
>You can walk into a grocery store and pick up a piece of fruit, a yogurt, some granola bars or nuts for a meal. A lot healthier and longer lasting on the road than fast food, and satisfying. Usually for around $5. A lot of grocery stores now have salad bars, and sandwiches. Fast food (burger and fries, etc) will leave you hungry again in an hour. I'd say that allowing $15-$30 per day for food on the road. You know how much you need to eat to stay happy and feeling fine. Some days you may spend more, others less. Pick an amount that seems reasonable and workable for you.
Gas:
What is your bike's typical "loaded" gas mileage per tankful? How far can you go between fill-ups? How many gallons/liters does your tank hold? How much does it cost to fill up each time? Do the math using your distance per day: # fill ups per day X cost per tank* = cost per day in gas. *Gas prices always rise during the summer, so don't be stingy with this number.
Lodging:
Check out orbitz, travelocity, etc. fir hotel rates along the route. pick some likely overnight stopping points and see what the best rate is for the type of lodging you're comfortable with.
>>My plan is to have the phone numbers of likely hotels with meso I can call before I get there. It seems that if you walk in, some hotels figure you're desperate and will take whatever rate they're pushing. If you CALL they know you're shopping and will often quote a better rate. Option 2 is to have hubby make my reservations via Orbitz as I travel.
I'm planning to get AAA Roadside RV - towing coverage for the trip. (Regular AAA doesn't cover motorcycle towing). Also got a SPOT tracker so hubby can keep tabs on me, and I can signal for help if I get stuck someplace without cell phone coverage.
P