Go with flow? or detailed planner for bike trips

[bikerHen]

We just finished a short tour, and found it better to go with the flow. Plans change when out on the road. Pushing to a destination is not always a good thing. As when I stop for a breather, while we were looking for the turn off to the campground we wanted. I spied a campground across the highway and said "we are staying there!" It was a bit noisy, but after 70 miles pulling a loaded trailer in 90 some degree heat, it was time to stop. And they had free showers!

The next day, when the short easy ride I had envisioned, turned into 40 some miles of rollers and 2 miles of a 5 -8% climb, a motel won over the campground we had planned, especially since a sudden change in the weather, and it was in the low 40's that night with lots of rain and thunderstorms. bikerHen

[boy in a kilt]

I think the hybrid technique you've been using is a great idea. When I plan tours (and I use the term loosely), I try to arrange it so at the end of the day I'm somewhere there are multiple camping options. This way, if I don't like or can't make it to the place I actually want to go, there is probably someplace else I wouldn't mind going.

This has bitten me once. I ended up doing 110 miles across a mountain range. My original plan was to stay someplace just after the summit of the pass. However, I was low on food so I opted for the last campground because it was fairly close to town (and food). It ended up being closed.

By some weird thought process, I decided it would be better to ride the hilly 50 or 60 miles home rather than stop, get food, then ride the four miles back uphill to the first one that was open.

[Eden]

I'm a hybrid type too. When we did our 2 weeks in Spain we booked the more touristy areas where finding an open room might be hard, but left some of the in between stops open to what we found. It was nice to be able to be flexible and we never had a problem finding a place to stay (of course we were not there during tourist season...) One place did lose our business. We started into a courtyard area in front of the hotel with our loaded bikes and an old woman chased us out with a broom....