What is this Trip Planning all about?

In an effort to provide our members with more usable resources, we announced at our June meeting that we will be starting to collect trip itinerary submissions from our members. These trip itinerary planning documents will be housed on the Club’s website under the “Resources -> Trip Planning” link. They will be stored as PDF files to make it easy to download and print or save.

The intent behind this is to provide a starting point for those who are interested in planning a trip, but not sure where to go or what to see/do. This is not meant to take away from doing research online, but as an additional planning tool to help with recommendations from other like-minded travelers on what to do/not to do.

We will collect the following information, including recommendations for/against something:

Travel locations and routes (be specific on roads used if they are out of the way places, if you have them!)

Any rest stops, Visitor’s Centers; or side stops that can be recommended or should be avoided;

Places to stay – please use the inexpensive ($), moderately priced ($$), or expensive ($$$) scale as defined below to indicate pricing (this includes hotels, bed & breakfast, AirB&B, Cabins, RV/Campgrounds, etc);

  • $ - < $75 per night
  • $$ - $75-120 per person
  • $$$ - > $120 per person

Places to eat – please use the the inexpensive ($), moderately priced ($$), or expensive ($$$) scale as defined below to indicate pricing:

  • $ - < $15 per person
  • $$ - $15-30 per person
  • $$$ - > $30 per person

Places to photograph (including best/worst time of day);

Type of photography that can be done (scenic, wildlife, night sky, etc.);

Specific/specialized photography equipment and lenses (identify if Crop or Full Frame sensor is being used);

Clothing considerations;

If hiking is involved – please use the easy, moderate, strenuous level indicators, as defined below:

  • Easy – flat, well paved or solid dirt, short hike less than 1/2 mile, suitable for all ages and fitness levels;
  • Moderate – trails consist of variable terrain containing small changes in elevations and texture, may not be suitable for small children, may require a hiking stick, up to 5 miles round-trip hiking distance;
  • Strenuous – only experienced or fit hikers, large change in elevation, uneven terrain, may require a hiking stick, half-day or more round-trip hiking distance;
  • Wildlife to observe;

Length of time spent on overall trip and in each location, if possible;

Time of year your travels were made;

Local information sources (wildlife refuges offices, etc.)

If flying, identify the routes taken (city/country);

If driving, approximation of mileage driven;

Anything else you want to have included.

Once the trip information is submitted to me, I will put it in a template format that will also include a map for reference. The trips can be both domestic and international.

I believe this can be a valuable and helpful resource for all of us – not to mention fun to share the wonderful places around the world our members have been able to see!

Example documents will be posted on the website sometime PRIOR to our July meeting.

Should you have any questions, please contact Elisabeth Shore directly on my cell phone (214-763-6302).