Planning long road trips....timing, caching...

Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 10:23 am

So I'm on the brink of a long road trip and have my caches picked out. I have more chosen than I need to find, but if time allows.....

It's easy enough to get an estimate of my driving time with mapquest, but I'm struggling to figure out how to plan for my caching in there, so that I can gauge how long I'll need each day and where I'll end up. If I didn't have some time constraints (have to get back to my retirement dinner!) this would not be an issue.

Can anyone help? I have stuff like EarthCaches, Virtuals, Y2K caches and caches that look like they take me on interesting hikes. Along with a few thrown in on the route to give myself leg stretchers. Mostly, they cluster up in bunches of 4-8 at each stop or nearby location. It's not like we've never done this kind of thing before, but this one covers half the country and part of Canada, so it's a larger undertaking. Plus....it's just going to be me, myself and I, so I have to be more mindful of driving and navigating to places than if there were both of us with assigned jobs. In other words, I don't think I'd better plan to drive and cache for as long a time period as we might if it were the two of us.

If it helps....I'm heading up through the Straits, crossing into Canada at the Soo, spending a day or two near Georgian Bay in Killarney, stopping for a couple things in Toronto, Niagara Falls, down Lake Erie to Erie, then cutting across to the Hudson Valley, into CT and then to Bridgeport to take the car ferry to Long Island. I've been to Niagara Falls twice, so I just want to do some ECs and virtuals and the postcard webcam and that's enough sightseeing there for me. At the Straits, I'm just getting one cache we "need." (I hope). Been there and all over twice before as well. Thanks for any insight. My calculations thus far suggest I'd better hit the road in two days, LOL.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-12-27 Posts: 342 Location: Wausau

Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 12:51 pm

Now that's an interesting conundrum that really gets a CodeJunkie excited. So many "algorithms" that could be used for this one.

My first thought would be to use the D/T ratings (add or multiply) and then multiply by some factor (3 minutes per total?).

Example:
1.5/1.5 P&G => 1.5*1.5*3 = 6.75 minutes (seems a little "heavy")
3/3.5 with a hike => 3*3.5*3 = 31.5 minutes (seems a little "light")

I've wondered this same thing before and wish I had a better planning method myself. I always end up with too many on the list and not enough time to finish them.

Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 1:54 pm

So far, I've made my absolute "have to" list. I think there are less than 10 caches on that list. I will shorten my travel time to the Straits area and maybe get myself a little further and across the border a day sooner that way, by crashing with family in Green Bay tomorrow night.

I know I have more stuff on my list than I can possibly do, but it's like teaching; better to be overprepared. My caching is in clusters and really not too many in any one. Like, all along trails in wildlife areas and state parks and such. My biggest issue is really wanting to do this day hike in Killarney, which would mean taking two days there camping, but the forecast actually looks decent. I'm tempted to just skip my commitments and go play, but I'm not senile enough to claim that as an excuse.

I'll be ramming home in two days on I-80, just getting a couple on/off ramp ones in Jersey and one oldie in Indiana just off the highway.

Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 4:06 pm

Whenever polish cutie and I plan a trip I do pretty much the same as what you've described:

1. Make a list of MUST caches.
2. Sprinkle in a few MIGHT caches.
3. Plan to have too much time for the MUST caches
4. Hope for the best on the MIGHT caches.

A must is a must. I say estimate and budget a bit more than you think you will need for those caches. Then, if you find yourself with more time or ahead of schedule...then you can do the mights.

Don't know if this helps, but it's what we've done in the past. Have fun, sounds like a great trip.

Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 5:44 pm

Thanks, I'm going to do my best to get the ones I really want and worry about where I am when I get there. That way, I really only have one absolute, which is the hotel in CT and the car ferry the next morning to get me to Long Island. I have 70 total, including stuff in WI on my way to my in-laws tomorrow night, so you'd think I could manage to look for the majority of them in 10-12 days time, right?

Time will tell.

Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 10:14 am

It looks like you're on the road...logged two of my caches yesterday...glad you enjoyed them...hope you have a great trip:D

Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 1:58 pm

Let us know how it turned out.

We can use your detailed notes and specific time tables to calculate for future road trips. You DO plan on taking detailed notes and second specific time charts right?

Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 8:40 pm

At the moment, I'm in Niagara Falls, the Canadian one. So far, I've been able to get all my "have tos," and most of the others I'd loaded. I did THE most awesome hiking cache ever this morning in Killarney Provincial Park, after a wonderful night camping with me, myself and I there. Beautiful place off the beaten path. No moose, but I did see sign of them there. Those who know me will not be surprised to her this! The rock "scrambles" make the stuff at Devil's Lake seem like a walk in the park, but the view once on top of literally breath taking. Took me about 3.5 hours round trip...about 2.5 miles one way.

The next couple days will be interesting to see how I fare, but I'm a day ahead of my schedule...such as it is. Today was one of the most awesome caching days in my life. I got a whole 5! Rod, those were great caches, I'll be sure to add any of those whenever we're in that area.