We love RV travel most of all for the freedom it offers. You can stop and explore wherever and whenever you choose, and best of all, you have a nice place to stay during your adventure.

But RV travel also involves making choices. You can’t do everything -- and we have a few wishes that went unfulfilled from our trip across the country this year.

On the East Coast, we decided to skip New York City and New England and start heading home from Washington, D.C., a difficult decision at the time. We really wanted to visit Eastern Canada too, and heard from reader Anita Eaton, who strongly recommended visiting Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Sorry Anita -- we missed it this time.

In the West, we checked off many places we’ve always wanted to see, but had to leave out the Tetons, Great Basin National Park, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon. In California, where we spent nearly two months, we missed out on Yosemite National Park, a place that Leslie has not visited since she was a child. And we never even made it to central and western Oregon.

To loosely paraphrase Frank Sinatra: RV regrets -- we’ve got a few.

It’s time to start planning Road Trip 2.0. This time around, we’re heading south along the West Coast. The Oregon Coast will get our full attention this time and we’ll swing east to Bend to see bluesman Keb’ Mo’ play in early October.

Then, thanks to a suggestion from faithful reader Seabury Blair Jr., we’re going to check out Diamond Lake near Crater Lake and use it as a base for exploring Oregon’s stellar national park.

After that, the North Coast of California looks mighty inviting, and we also want to hit the Alexander Valley-Sonoma wine country.

While we missed out on many incredible locations, we also made some amazing discoveries that we’d like to revisit. Half Moon Bay, Big Sur and the Central Coast of California  are high on our list again.

Locations are just part of the plan. We're also planning to slow down.

The first time around, we traveled a lot -- 20,000 miles, to be exact. This time, we’d like to do things differently, spending more time in locations we love.

San Diego is certainly one of those places. Last year we spent just a few days there. This year we’re talking about spending a month.

So the planning continues. It’s an exhilarating process, all made possible by our RV.

 

RV planning apps

We heard from reader Bill Codd, who asked “What RV camp app do you like?” We use Park Advisor, which is free and offers a look at what’s out there, from commercial campgrounds to county, state and national parks. The user reviews and ratings offer additional information that comes in handy in making a choice.

We’d like to hear from you. What method do you use to locate your RV campground? Do you have a favorite app? Please let us know at goingmobile@spokesman.com and we’ll share your suggestions.

 

Find us on Instagram

Food shots, videos, slideshows -- oh my. We have so much more on our Instagram page. Check it out at instagram.com/ourgrandtour.

 

This week’s Going Mobile question

California -- we’re coming for you. What should we see on the North Coast? Send your suggestions to goingmobile@spokesman.com and we’ll share them in the next column.

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