Home again home again jiggity jig! Although, I am not off to buy a fat pig, I am home and enjoying the relaxation. It is nice to not have to drive for an average of 8 hours a day in order to feel accomplished with oneself. I have been spending my time unpacking, doing laundry (oh my goodness that was necessary), and also repacking (because as this was a post-grad experience it means I must be off to new adventures in a new place). I'm glad I have a bit of down time before my next adventure (aka moving to Norfolk) because my brain and body need some recovery. Also, I am able to embrace and not suppress my introverted self and have had some dates by myself. It is interesting how it was necessary to trick myself into thinking I was an extrovert, needing to be around someone to recharge on the trip. Not that I didn't have anyyyy alone time but it was few and far between so I willed myself to be an extrovert for 3 weeks. Now I can go back to hermitude haha. Just kidding! But really not at all.
Anyways! I mentioned before I wanted to leave you all with some tips, advice, and resources so if you ever decide "Hey, I'm going to be adventurey like that girl Macy I know and go across the country with my friend for three weeks and not spend a buttload of money and not get eaten by bears or wild hogs" then this post will help you. If you never do, hopefully it will amuse you nonetheless.
Helpful Websites
Reserve America: This is the link I'm pretty sure Jackie used to reserve campgrounds. I highly recommend you book beforehand so you don't drive out there just to see a full campground. Also, sometimes the directions are vague so be prepared for that. We booked campgrounds that had a water source, port-a-poddy type things, and were tent friendly. We also stayed in pretty populated campgrounds which helped keep anxieties down regarding bears. Speaking of those furry friends, make sure to note if you'll be staying in a bear territory and learn the precautions to take.
Tripadvisor: This link helped us for reviews of our hotels and restaurants. It was good to know what we were getting into as we approached each destination.
Yelp: This was another website that gave a lot of good recommendations for restaurants and places to go. I went to this website pretty much every day to find a good and cheap place to eat. It was nice because you could filter your results by type of food and price range.
Cheap Hotels and Student Universe: I used both of these websites and compared them with eachother to find the best rates. Remember, you pay what you get for. I tried to get the cheapest rates I could find... but sometimes that was VERY evident upon our arrival haha.
Budget
I don't feel awkward or embarrassed letting you all know how much our budget was for our trip. I mean, if I had that insecurity I would definitely not have shared a majority of the stories and thoughts I divulged throughout my trip! Here is the breakdown of what we roughly spent:
Groceries (enough for breakfast, snacks, and one meal every day): $160
Gas: $800
Hotels: $490
Parking/tolls: $85
Park entrance fees: $100
campground fees: $130
Personal eating out: $150
Personal fun money: $100
So per person it was about $1160. Not too shabby for 3 weeks and 15 states.
Non-perishable Food Ideas
I actually spent a lot of time researching this before we left. This may not be top secret information but I love to snack. I love weird snacks. I love snacks in the morning. At night. In my bedroom. In my purse. In the bathroom (just kidding). Basically, I wanted to be prepared for when I got the munchies. I knew it was going to happen. But I also didn't want to only eat carbs and sugar...two of my favorite things..I didn't feel like crushing the scale when I got back. So here are some of the meals we ate camping as well as some snacks:
Meals:
-tortilla, refried beans, and frito roll up (THIS WAS AMAZING... my standards dropped soo low)
-refried beans, canned green beans, instant quinoa/brown rice (we called this "Grand Canyon Mash" for it's remarkable similar appearance to most of the terrain around us at the Grand Canyon...red, green, brown)
-refried beans, olives, fritos, diced pepper...mash.
-tortilla, pasta sauce, parmesean cheese...roll up thing (this was good too...!)
-Lentil soup... MMMM YOU CAN HEAT THIS UP RIGHT ON THE STOVE IN THE CAN!
-mac n cheese... just steal some butter packs from a restaurant before you make it
-pasta and sauce... yup
-instant sweet potatoes and canned green beans... that was an awkward meal
-pb, jelly, tortilla
-pb, fluff, pretzels, tortilla
-pb, fluff, banana, tortilla
-oatmeal
*also, I might add it is way more fun to pronounce everything wrong. for ejemplo: we liked to call the tortillas "tore-tajz-uhs." It was way more entertaining... and it felt like a delicacy that way.
Snacks:
canned olives
dried fruit
chicken salad and cracker packs
fluff and pretzels (this was our dessert...)
canned pears
canned mandarin oranges
bananas, apples
carrots, celery, sliced peppers (EAT THESE FAST OR THEY WILL GET SLIMEYYY)
mixed nuts
make sure to have splenda/sugar and little creamers too!
**random: I highly recommend buying some energy drinks. Even if you don't really like them that much.. They can be stored in the car and then moved to the cooler before you drink them. This is important for when a narcoleptic episode or waves of delusion come upon you. It will happen and you must be prepared.
Preparations
Book your hotels in advance, get rolls of quarters, know your budget. Know which city you will be in on each day and research some possibilities of things to do.. but don't nail those down until closer to when you get there. You never know how much energy you'll have and you don't want to wear yourself out on day 3 because you've been Mr. touristy cray cray.
Helpful Iphone Apps
-"best parking"- this guy really helped... you put in the major city you want to go to and based on an address, attraction, or neighborhood it will locate parking in the area with the prices for when you will be there. This was helpful and we mostly paid under $10 for parking even in the major cities.
-"gas buddy"- this app helped us locate the nearest gas and it showed how much it was (the last time a user updated it). I use this one at home too to find which gas station is the lowest.
- any navigation app- this will save your butt.
Packing
Baby wipes, face wipes, and bug spray will save you during any camping expedition. Bring a jacket that will double as a pillow. Pack a laundry bag. Make your toiletries bag accessible at all times. Bring a little bit of detergent to wash clothes at a hotel...more specifically the hotel's tub haha. A hat.. for the 5th day of no shower availability.
phew man! Look at how much I've written so far! I am sorry this is probably wayyy too long! haha
Hotels vs Hostels
Hotels that have AC and breakfast are kind of necessary. Go for those guys. Also, try and get a pool, work out area, and two beds. It'll make ya feel like royalty. Check out the reviews for hostels... you'll meet a lot of interesting people. Lots of international people. We met people from France, Wales, and Switzerland. Hostels are kind of hit or miss because they can be trendy or sketchy and the line is kind of thin. Sometimes they are a way better deal than hotels so don't write them off... just check the reviews. Niagara and Austin both had nice hostels that I would not mind going back to.
Misc... situations to be aware of (if you made it this far, congratulations. This is my funnier section)
Camping hips: now this is kind of embarrassing... but I want to warn all of you fellow pear-shaped women out there who will be camping for several days in a row. I tend to sleep on my side and even with my sleeping pad... I bruised my hip bones after day 2 of sleeping on the ground. This was unfortunate because I am stubborn and refuse to change sleeping positions. So they kept getting worse. I KNOW HOW EMBARRASSING RIGHT?! I got freakin' bruises on my bones because of uneven weight distribution?! Not a cool story. However, I did realize after day 3 that if you put a shirt under your hip bone and try to lean more into your shoulders it will alleviate the painful effects. FYI.
Honking at your car: A few times throughout the trip, Jackie and I realized Gus had been getting some love honks from truck passerbys. This was awkward for all parties. Mr. truck, I'm sorry you are lonely but you are old. Gus may be a fine looking vehicle but honking at him just makes him feel uncomfortable. Stop checking out his bumper. If a similar situation happens to you, do not allow your car to make eye contact and suggest that he or she move forward without any acknowledgement of what just happened.
Rats on people: There was a... situation... in San Francisco. Me and Jackie were minding our own business, walking down the street, trying to get to the farmer's market... then BAM! What do we see? A man with a rat in his hood! This was frightening on many levels. If this happens to you (!?) do not make eye contact with said man or said rat.
Read aloud to eachother: This is something we didn't do that much of until the end of the trip when we got desperate for entertainment because insanity was closing in on us. We did finish the first Harry Potter book and Bossypants though. Do this if you don't get carsick... and develop fun voices for the characters. British accents help. A lot.
Carm sleeves: Try to find 'carm sleeves.' Originally we made fun of this idea for it's absurdity...but you start having second thoughts when your left arm is about 5 shades darker than the rest of your body. Jackie actually attempted to make one out of newspaper. Desperate times call for desperate measures I tell you. Watch the clip below but disregard the last 10 seconds because it was NOT a bad commercial afterall! Pure genius.
Okay! I think that's about all of the relevant information I wanted to leave you with! Thanks again for keeping tabs on my trip and I hope this post was helpful! If you ever want to plan a trip and want my opinion on particular places to stop, let me know and I'd be glad to offer my two cents :) And don't worry, I will continue to spread my awkwardness in Norfolk. Nowhere is safe :)
Anyways! I mentioned before I wanted to leave you all with some tips, advice, and resources so if you ever decide "Hey, I'm going to be adventurey like that girl Macy I know and go across the country with my friend for three weeks and not spend a buttload of money and not get eaten by bears or wild hogs" then this post will help you. If you never do, hopefully it will amuse you nonetheless.
Helpful Websites
Reserve America: This is the link I'm pretty sure Jackie used to reserve campgrounds. I highly recommend you book beforehand so you don't drive out there just to see a full campground. Also, sometimes the directions are vague so be prepared for that. We booked campgrounds that had a water source, port-a-poddy type things, and were tent friendly. We also stayed in pretty populated campgrounds which helped keep anxieties down regarding bears. Speaking of those furry friends, make sure to note if you'll be staying in a bear territory and learn the precautions to take.
Tripadvisor: This link helped us for reviews of our hotels and restaurants. It was good to know what we were getting into as we approached each destination.
Yelp: This was another website that gave a lot of good recommendations for restaurants and places to go. I went to this website pretty much every day to find a good and cheap place to eat. It was nice because you could filter your results by type of food and price range.
Cheap Hotels and Student Universe: I used both of these websites and compared them with eachother to find the best rates. Remember, you pay what you get for. I tried to get the cheapest rates I could find... but sometimes that was VERY evident upon our arrival haha.
Budget
I don't feel awkward or embarrassed letting you all know how much our budget was for our trip. I mean, if I had that insecurity I would definitely not have shared a majority of the stories and thoughts I divulged throughout my trip! Here is the breakdown of what we roughly spent:
Groceries (enough for breakfast, snacks, and one meal every day): $160
Gas: $800
Hotels: $490
Parking/tolls: $85
Park entrance fees: $100
campground fees: $130
Personal eating out: $150
Personal fun money: $100
So per person it was about $1160. Not too shabby for 3 weeks and 15 states.
Non-perishable Food Ideas
I actually spent a lot of time researching this before we left. This may not be top secret information but I love to snack. I love weird snacks. I love snacks in the morning. At night. In my bedroom. In my purse. In the bathroom (just kidding). Basically, I wanted to be prepared for when I got the munchies. I knew it was going to happen. But I also didn't want to only eat carbs and sugar...two of my favorite things..I didn't feel like crushing the scale when I got back. So here are some of the meals we ate camping as well as some snacks:
Meals:
-tortilla, refried beans, and frito roll up (THIS WAS AMAZING... my standards dropped soo low)
-refried beans, canned green beans, instant quinoa/brown rice (we called this "Grand Canyon Mash" for it's remarkable similar appearance to most of the terrain around us at the Grand Canyon...red, green, brown)
-refried beans, olives, fritos, diced pepper...mash.
-tortilla, pasta sauce, parmesean cheese...roll up thing (this was good too...!)
-Lentil soup... MMMM YOU CAN HEAT THIS UP RIGHT ON THE STOVE IN THE CAN!
-mac n cheese... just steal some butter packs from a restaurant before you make it
-pasta and sauce... yup
-instant sweet potatoes and canned green beans... that was an awkward meal
-pb, jelly, tortilla
-pb, fluff, pretzels, tortilla
-pb, fluff, banana, tortilla
-oatmeal
*also, I might add it is way more fun to pronounce everything wrong. for ejemplo: we liked to call the tortillas "tore-tajz-uhs." It was way more entertaining... and it felt like a delicacy that way.
Snacks:
canned olives
dried fruit
chicken salad and cracker packs
fluff and pretzels (this was our dessert...)
canned pears
canned mandarin oranges
bananas, apples
carrots, celery, sliced peppers (EAT THESE FAST OR THEY WILL GET SLIMEYYY)
mixed nuts
make sure to have splenda/sugar and little creamers too!
**random: I highly recommend buying some energy drinks. Even if you don't really like them that much.. They can be stored in the car and then moved to the cooler before you drink them. This is important for when a narcoleptic episode or waves of delusion come upon you. It will happen and you must be prepared.
Preparations
Book your hotels in advance, get rolls of quarters, know your budget. Know which city you will be in on each day and research some possibilities of things to do.. but don't nail those down until closer to when you get there. You never know how much energy you'll have and you don't want to wear yourself out on day 3 because you've been Mr. touristy cray cray.
Helpful Iphone Apps
-"best parking"- this guy really helped... you put in the major city you want to go to and based on an address, attraction, or neighborhood it will locate parking in the area with the prices for when you will be there. This was helpful and we mostly paid under $10 for parking even in the major cities.
-"gas buddy"- this app helped us locate the nearest gas and it showed how much it was (the last time a user updated it). I use this one at home too to find which gas station is the lowest.
- any navigation app- this will save your butt.
Packing
Baby wipes, face wipes, and bug spray will save you during any camping expedition. Bring a jacket that will double as a pillow. Pack a laundry bag. Make your toiletries bag accessible at all times. Bring a little bit of detergent to wash clothes at a hotel...more specifically the hotel's tub haha. A hat.. for the 5th day of no shower availability.
phew man! Look at how much I've written so far! I am sorry this is probably wayyy too long! haha
Hotels vs Hostels
Hotels that have AC and breakfast are kind of necessary. Go for those guys. Also, try and get a pool, work out area, and two beds. It'll make ya feel like royalty. Check out the reviews for hostels... you'll meet a lot of interesting people. Lots of international people. We met people from France, Wales, and Switzerland. Hostels are kind of hit or miss because they can be trendy or sketchy and the line is kind of thin. Sometimes they are a way better deal than hotels so don't write them off... just check the reviews. Niagara and Austin both had nice hostels that I would not mind going back to.
Misc... situations to be aware of (if you made it this far, congratulations. This is my funnier section)
Camping hips: now this is kind of embarrassing... but I want to warn all of you fellow pear-shaped women out there who will be camping for several days in a row. I tend to sleep on my side and even with my sleeping pad... I bruised my hip bones after day 2 of sleeping on the ground. This was unfortunate because I am stubborn and refuse to change sleeping positions. So they kept getting worse. I KNOW HOW EMBARRASSING RIGHT?! I got freakin' bruises on my bones because of uneven weight distribution?! Not a cool story. However, I did realize after day 3 that if you put a shirt under your hip bone and try to lean more into your shoulders it will alleviate the painful effects. FYI.
Honking at your car: A few times throughout the trip, Jackie and I realized Gus had been getting some love honks from truck passerbys. This was awkward for all parties. Mr. truck, I'm sorry you are lonely but you are old. Gus may be a fine looking vehicle but honking at him just makes him feel uncomfortable. Stop checking out his bumper. If a similar situation happens to you, do not allow your car to make eye contact and suggest that he or she move forward without any acknowledgement of what just happened.
Rats on people: There was a... situation... in San Francisco. Me and Jackie were minding our own business, walking down the street, trying to get to the farmer's market... then BAM! What do we see? A man with a rat in his hood! This was frightening on many levels. If this happens to you (!?) do not make eye contact with said man or said rat.
Read aloud to eachother: This is something we didn't do that much of until the end of the trip when we got desperate for entertainment because insanity was closing in on us. We did finish the first Harry Potter book and Bossypants though. Do this if you don't get carsick... and develop fun voices for the characters. British accents help. A lot.
Carm sleeves: Try to find 'carm sleeves.' Originally we made fun of this idea for it's absurdity...but you start having second thoughts when your left arm is about 5 shades darker than the rest of your body. Jackie actually attempted to make one out of newspaper. Desperate times call for desperate measures I tell you. Watch the clip below but disregard the last 10 seconds because it was NOT a bad commercial afterall! Pure genius.
Okay! I think that's about all of the relevant information I wanted to leave you with! Thanks again for keeping tabs on my trip and I hope this post was helpful! If you ever want to plan a trip and want my opinion on particular places to stop, let me know and I'd be glad to offer my two cents :) And don't worry, I will continue to spread my awkwardness in Norfolk. Nowhere is safe :)
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