Once the parks are selected, the next step is to identify what activities you would like to do during your park visit. The NPS (National Parks Service) app and the Recreation.gov app are very helpful with this step. Both apps do a great job identifying available activities, be sure to check the event calendar. Once you find things that you would like to do, you can make reservations on recreation.gov. I strongly recommend that you identify areas of interest and make your reservations as soon as possible. I regret that I did not make dining reservations at my favorite parks, and now they are not available. There are bus tours available, hikes with rangers, boating adventures, and according to the park more adventurous things like canyoneering and more.
Utilizing the spread sheet, you can estimate all of your expenses with Excel totaling your columns ; mileage, gas, lodging and activities. The final page of the excel workbook is the budget page. This page displays the total project budget, and demonstrates the percentage spent in each area; gas and tolls, lodging, activities. It provides a way to get a good look at where your money is being spent, and offers you the ability to make adjustments as needed.
The Excel workbook made this project manageable for me. I was able to calculate the travel mileage and gas costs, determine lodging expenses, and then add activities, while remaining close to our budget.
Having never planned a cross country trip before, the Excel trip planner made this possible. Allow yourself plenty of time to figure everything out, a good year ahead of your planned departure date. Happy planning!
joansantacroce 