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Gear
We spent about $100 each on our hiking
shoes, and about $200 on the packs, tent, sleeping bags, munchies, etc.
we needed for our overnight stay in the GC. Budget about $300 total for
good hiking/backpacking gear. To save $ on gear, check out my trip
planning page, which lists places to shop.
Lodging
When we weren't staying in a prime
location, we stopped at budget motels on the way. The best value almost
always turned out to be the Best Western Express chain. They check you
in fast, usually for around $30, and their rooms are clean, fairly new
and not too spartan. Instead of catering to truckers, they seem to attract
budget-conscious travelers, retirees, etc. Most of them also have guest
laundry, which cuts down on the amount of clothes you have to bring. To
get the best rate on a hotel in a national park, go to Amfac.com. You
don't get to pick where your room is online, so call after you make your
reservation and try to reserve a specific type of room, etc. You'll be
sure to have a room that way and the rate is usually better than the rate
you get when you just show up. Do not, however, bother shopping hotel
rates for Las Vegas on the net. I booked the LV Hilton for $133 and we
found out the Luxor had rooms for just $109 the day of! Just show up and
get a room somewhere. Finally, aim for just slightly off-season. Early
April is ideal. You'll avoid peak-season charges and nagging, traffic-causing,
time-consuming crowds.
Decent budget motels cost us about $120 total
Prime hotels cost us about $510 total ... we splurged
a bit.
To check prices,
make reservations, etc., go to my
Places
to Stay page
Note:
Some brave folks hope to save money by sleeping in their car. I don't
recommend this. Road trips keep you in the car so long — we were
desperate for a break from the car by bedtime every day, and felt so much
more refreshed after a good night's sleep in a clean bed. You'll feel
and think better if you spring for even the cheapest motel.
Transportation
Rent a car online; I recommend Avis
or Enterprise.
There's almost no other way to get a great deal; some trip planning websites
offer to search car rental rates for you; I recommend you do it yourself.
On the Avis website, my AAA membership couldn't even get me a better rate.
And don't skimp here if you're planning a long road trip. Space matters.
Compare-price a compact and mid-size car to see just how much more some
real leg room will cost. And compare the cars each rental company offers
in each class. Avis, for example, rents a Sunfire as a compact, while
Enterprise rents a similar car as the next class up. Jack thought we would
be OK with a compact, but I found out the mid-size was just $25 more.
Four hours into the ride, he even felt a little cramped in that roomy
car! When driving long shifts with all your travel gear, maps, etc., you'll
be glad for a comfy seat and some cabin space. Its the best little extra
you can spend on yourself. Also consider gas. We wanted a big cushy sport
utility, but gas was up to $2/gallon so... not! The Pontiac Grand Am we
rented was great ... except that the back seats didn't flatten out and
you couldn't open the trunk from the interior. Really inspect your rental
car for these little conveniences before you drive away.
We paid $290 for 9 days in the Grand Am. What a deal.
We spent about $140 on gas.
Entertainment
Plan lots of in-car entertainment
-- bring new CDs, audio-books, snacks. Grab some tour books from AAA
and plenty of different maps -- road, topo, and scenic -- to study
as you approach destinations. Learning about them adds to the anticipation
of your adventure. Learn enough about each destination to be able to prioritize
what you want to do. When I started planning this vacation, I wanted to
see everything and go everywhere. That can be exhausting in execution.
Just study up on things to do, and when you get to a destination, ask
locals about particular attractions to help you decide if they're worth
it. We spent about $30 on this stuff.
Meals
Don't eat out three times a day. You'll
get sick of food and spend extra cash even when you're not even hungry.
Keep enough snacks in the car that you can skip or delay a meal until
it is convenient to your schedule. The longer you wait to eat, the better
the food will taste, no matter what it is. We ate out roughly twice a
day, stopping for drinks frequently and snacking here and there. We didn't
feel pinched up or overfed that way.
We spent about $35/day ($315 total)
How Much Did it All Cost?
$300 on Gear
$510 on Prime Hotels
$120 on Budget Motels
$290 on the Rental Car
$ 80 on admission to parks
$140 on gas
$1440 total -- 'not
bad for 9 days we will never forget, and that have changed us forever.
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