| Buying a car is to be considered for a
stay over a month, renting is not cheap even with budget companies, train
and bus are expensive too and not very convenient if you do not plan to
spend your stay in cities. We could not afford hotels for a three month
long stay, we chose to go to campgrounds and sleep in the vehicle.
Seven-seater vans are common in the USA. They provide a lot of space with
backseats removed, sometimes back benches can even be unfolded as a
sleeping platform.
We were looking for a Dodge Caravan, however we found a $3500 Ford
Aerostar that is slightly bigger. From $2500, you can expect a car that
will not require too much mechanical attention. During our 16 000 miles
trip, we only had to top up oil, buy two new tires, jump start after
headlights were left on and wait for the brake fluid to cool down in Death
Valley.
It could have served our relatives for a few more years if they were not
hit by a sloppy driver, making our faithful set of wheels a total
write-off.
To make the van our home, we spent another $500 on:
- a futon, full size bed at night, a sofa by day
- plastic boxes to store dry food and clothing under the sofa
- a large Coleman 12v cooler that proved a very useful luxury, to keep
milk, drinks and perishables
- water container, solar shower
Despite its 4 l / 6 cyl. engine, electronic 4WD automatic transmission,
power steering, air conditioning and the cooler our van ran more than 18
m/gal. Our 2l / 4 cyl. Toyota van does not do much better. |
| Food is rather expensive but casual
clothing and electronic equipment is cheaper. Only petrol is real
cheap, it is a relief considering the long distances to travel. |
| Weather was very cooperative that
summer, rain only disturbed our plans on two occasions. Most of the time
it was sunny, hot and dry. Farmers were in despair while holidaymakers
were in heaven. |
| Driving was pleasant, speed limits
generally well abided on. Traffic was smooth, driving at speed limits of
55 to 75 m/h on interstates was much less tiring than on european
motorways, even where trucks were in numbers. Drivers are generally
courteous, slightly less in urban areas, becoming more stressed reaching
the east coast to get really hectic in Massachusetts especially in Boston
(Hi, Paul!). |
| Bears are not a problem in national
parks campgrounds, bear-proof food storage and rubbish bins are efficient
to keep them away. Backcountry camping is a different exercise, a
bear-proof canister is the ideal solution and extreme care has to be
exercised. We did not go for any overnight trip in bear country this time,
when we do, we will probably join an experienced party to make sure we do
things right. |
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|
This National Geographic guide has been our reference, maps, hiking
suggestions, driving and camping tips, all that with beautiful
photographs. Order
it at Amazon
For serious hiking, their National Geographic Trails Illustrated
maps are a must. |
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