Product Description

Where would your dream take you if you had a whole year to just travel? But perhaps you're thinking, "if I only knew how to start planning my adventure!" This detailed "how-to" guide will get you moving from the dreaming to the doing in no time at all.

Included is step-by-step, real-life information on planning the trip you've always wanted to take -- along with generous doses of humor and advice on topics such as:

* How to pay for a year away from home * How to unravel all your current commitments - to family, work, and organizations * How to plan on the fly and enjoy every day * How to pack in 3 small drawers and 24" of closet space - for two! * How to handle the emergencies that crop up along the way * And the most asked question: How to enjoy your traveling companion on a 24/7 basis!

Once you've decided to "leave it all behind", Live Your Road Trip Dream takes you along on an action-packed, whirlwind tour of the authors' trip - just to help you visualize what months on the road might really be like, and to offer a glimpse into how decisions and discoveries are made along the way.

This is the ultimate road trip planning guide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #120639 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 276 pages

Christine Delsol, San Francisco Chronicle, December, 2004
…the authors pack their book with advice on making your dream happen.

The Villager, June, 2004
"The book that launched a thousand road trips ...see what (they) learned on the road trip of a lifetime."

Wilsonville Spokesman, July 28, 2004
"...offers ... advice and instructions on how anyone with the free time can put things on hold ... and go traveling."

Customer Reviews

Better the Second Time Around
I read the first edition of Live Your Road Trip Dream a few months ago and found it to be a great resource for anyone thinking of spending an extended period on the road. A few weeks ago I read the second edition and think it's even better. Phil and Carol White do an excellent job of taking you along on their trip while pointing out that your dream trip belongs to you, and that you should do your trip your way.

I really like the planning worksheets the Whites include with the book. They're very detailed and useful. I also enjoyed reading about the Whites' continuous effort to stay in touch with their grandchildren and their practical attitude toward the What If? part of travel planning.

I'm a homeschooler myself, so I was intrigued by the idea of spending a year on the road as an educational experience. Although the Whites don't go into great detail on the how-tos of homeschooling or gap year road trips, they provide some ideas to jump start your thinking. Road trips aren't just for retirees.

You'll really enjoy the Whites' travel narrative if you like hearing about other folks' adventures. I felt like Carol was sitting in my living room with a photo album, telling me about her trip, ankle cast and all.

This book won't tell you how to choose the perfect RV or how to repair it if it breaks down. What it will do is encourage you to consider all your travel options, and it will provide ideas, tips and tools to help you along the way.

Are these people organized or what?


This is not a directory of parks where you can take your RV. Nor is it a road guide to every stop in the U.S. with details of what to see and where to sleep. It is a combination of a how-to-do-it guide and a personal journal of a trip. And it is incredibly useful in the planning of the trip. As a completely disorganized person I admire the highly tuned organization that went into this trip.

When you come down to it, this book could be used by a couple going on an extended automobile trip as well as an RV. All those questions that come up: what to do about mail and bills (especially unexpected ones). Who watches the house or do you rent it out? What happens if there is an accident--either to the vehicle or to the occupants? How do you deal with an emergency at home? (I had no idea it was so easy to simply park your RV in a motel parking lot and take a plane home if need be). And of course--how do you keep out of each other's hair?
You do get to know the Whites personally through the book. They are obviously good sports. No whining when Carol breaks her ankle. The trip goes on and she hobbles up and down the terrain. They are defintely the poster couple for active retirement--trudging through national parks, rafting down the white water, golfing when they come upon a welcoming green. They are not only active they are obviously well-to-do and are able to stay in motels and eat at the better restaurants when they desire.

It doesn't matter if you don't have their stamina or their yearly income. What they have outlined is a very usable roadmap for taking the year off and traveling while still keeping in touch with family, friends and finances. They have also worked up a budget for a more frugal journey (around $44,000 rather than $78,000).

I mention this book in my newly published "Crafting the Travel Guidebook", because I consider it an excellent example of the double category book. It also happens to be a good read!

Road Trip???
These two authors basically drive around the country and pour out verbal diahrea on boring facts about their trip that no one in their right mind should care about. They are actually proud of the fact that they only???? spent 80k in one year of travelling. They must have lived like anaimals! Also, Carol seems to use the exclamation point way too excessively in her writing! If you are not retired and are somewhat of a young age please avoid this book. I did give it one star because if you have a good sense of humour you might enjoy her little stories!