Travel Logs

[mtngal]

Oh my memory is not what it might be! Last November (not even a year) was my time driving to TX, back to CA again in
Feb, and then returned to TX last June. Each trip I took a different route, now I'm recreating these trips in a "travel log" (more details than my blog will have). So, I was wonder what kinds of travel logs you gals keep. Routes, places you stay, mileage?, people you meet?, neat places you visited or to visit next time? And what's a good format for future reference? I tend toward steno pads. Oh, the other thing I noticed was that on legs of the trips I traveled alone I made some good notes, but when a friend was along, nothing! So I need a structure and routine to keep my trips for for many years to come!

[MsBHaven]

That's a good question. I want to improve my recordkeeping as well because my memory is the pits. Currently I have a blog but that doesn't contain everything I want to keep (prices, mileage, etc. etc.) I also have a spiral notebook where I log in mileage, time, prices, name of campground. I'm kicking myself because on my last trip I could have bought a little camping journal that I think would have been perfect. It had a page for each day of the trip and areas for time, mileage, prices, etc. plus an area for "words about the day". I think something like that would work for me. I travel alone and stop often to see tourist stuff and take a break - - I think I could update it throughout the day. It would then be helpful to refer back to it when I have time and Internet access to update my blog.

I guess I could enter everything in a Microsoft Word document throughout the day, but that would mean I would have to start the computer each time. I think having that camping journal would be a quick and easy system. I could have one journal per trip I guess. Guess I'll check out the Internet and see if I can find a camping journal online.

[Cedar518]

I keep a small notebook. I don't bother with campground costs, or gas costs as most of the time I'm within 50 miles of home. I do keep dates, campground, site number, and general impressions of the place. Also a few lines about friends we meet, etc. I keep a separate three ring notebook by my computer here in the house with campground info,... site maps, and favorite site numbers. Really helps from year to year to remember what sites are the best,... largest, level, etc.

[AlmostThere]

Diana, check out this website. Hope it helps!
http://www.thecampingjournal.com/index.htm

[asirimarco]

I have a Trip Log that I set up in Microsoft Access. The setting up was a female dog but it is great for me. It has several sections, one for car - gas: how much, mileage, price, miles driven etc. Another for the motorhome, one for campgrounds - price, name, what it has - wifi, cable, laundry etc. A daily journal etc. - Now that it is sset up it does all the calculations for me including converting liters to gallons, currency to US - MPG, total milage, expenses daily and total
Before I kept stuff on paper and never remembered everything. Now I take receipts at the end of day and just enter them. There is a program on line that you can buy that does basically the same thing, but can't remember what it is called.
http://www.rvnotebook.com is one of them

[Bethers]

I don't keep enough info, but for the first 3 years was really good at keeping up an Excel spreadsheet - with my daily mileage, where I was at and comments. (The first two years, I kept a spreadsheet with all my expenses - I quit that - but do pay attn if I start to stray).

The one spreadsheet I keep gives me the name of where I was at - and I keep meaning to put in more info, unfortunately, I never do. One reason so far I don't have a blog - even though I have a great website name, and even designed one - to keep track of my travels and pics, etc. I guess because I work on websites and online stores to keep on the road, I just don't want to spend more time doing my own - even though I'd love to have it. It's on my someday list (if I ever stop procrastinating about it).

There's a lot of ways to keep things, but I'm not in favor of real paper for anything you want longterm - I try to get rid of anything extra I would have to carry around.

[SeeyaGal]

I use the Camper's Daily Record Book by Leaf Logs $4.95. It has almost 60 entrys
Date____________
Arrived_______________ Odometer_________
Left________________ Odometer____________
Weather____________Miles traveled_______

gas/oil food camp fees meals out entertainment Misc

total expenses

Campground Information
Name______________
Address____________________
Tel__________________site_____________
other good sites_________________
_electricity _showers _store _ Boat landing
_water _ flush toilets _ Fishing _shade
_sewer _laundry _ swimming _ anything else_________
Rating Excellent Good Fair Poor

On the back you write whatever notes you want

I have used them since 1999, I love it because I can always go back to it for reference...like this week, I was trying to remember what campsites we had satellite on at this campground. I have one more left so I am going to order at least 10 more. I have CRS so I like knowing where I've been lol.

[mtngal]

thanks for all the good ideas, seems like everyone agrees that keeping a log IS a good thing, just some different approaches. I made some notes in a spiral book for now, it's surprising in just the three trips I have done how much I had to refer to the maps and guide books to recreate the days. That just proves how important it will be for me to keep current. Thanks everybody!