Florida to New Mexico: Trip Summary

After a miserably hot night in Mississippi we decided it was too hot and humid in the southeast to continue “tent camping” in our SUV. We skipped our planned stop in the Florida panhandle and headed back home. It would be a long day of driving. We were 13 1/2 hours / 794 miles from home. When we finally arrived I wrote these words in our travel journal:

Too much driving! Felt car sick for the last couple of hours. We shouldn’t do that again! Very sad to be home. Want to go back to New Mexico!

Our first Great American Road Trip was a big success! We saw so many really cool places and are hooked by the freedom of the open road. Now filled with wanderlust we’re eager to make plans for future trips.

For those interested in how much this trip cost we’ve outlined some of the details below along with a final trip tally.

12 Day Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Brevard County to Falling Waters State Park, Florida – Distance 402 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $82.50

Day 2: Kincaid Campground, Kisatchi National Forest, Louisiana – Distance 542 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $124.10

Day 3: Waco Mammoth National Monument & Lake Whitney SP, Texas – Distance 381 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $153.83

Day 4: Brantley Lake State Park, New Mexico – Distance 509 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $103.95

Day 5: Living Desert Zoo, Carlsbad Caverns, BLM Campsite, New Mexico – Distance 102 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $110.87

Day 6: Sitting Bull Falls, White Sands National Monument, Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, New Mexico – Distance 341 miles

Day 7: Valley of Fires Recreation Area, New Mexico – Distance 43 miles Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $3.50

Day 8: International UFO Museum & Research Center, Bottomless Lakes State Park, New Mexico – Distance 127 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $113.21

Day 9: A Stop at Abilene State Park, Marriot Hotel, Abilene Texas – Distance 360 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $294.73

Day 10: Dinosaur Valley State Park, Fort Parker State Park, Texas – Distance 301 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $92.23

Day 11: Clear Springs Recreation Area, Mississippi – Distance 431 miles- Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $94.02

Day 12: Home – Distance 794 miles – Daily Expense Gas, Food, Camp fees $142.33

Fuel Cost

Total Mileage: 4333 miles / Average cost of gas $2.90 per gal. / Cost per mile .17 cents. / Average miles per gallon 17.5

Total Expense

• Fuel: $726.74
• Food & Drinks: $370.12 (This does not include the cost of our prepacked freeze-dried food)
• Entertainment: $40.00 (We have an interagency pass)
• Souvenirs: $69.74
• Camping fees: $119.30
• Hotel: $112.85
• Misc. supplies: $46.77 (Broken flip flops, car charger, etc..)

Total Trip Cost: $1485.52

We learned something about ourselves on this trip and that is that we don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to have a good time. The basic necessities are what is really important. So if you are like us and don’t have a lot of money to buy that second home on wheels, then figure out how to do it with what you’ve got. You will thank yourself later – guaranteed!

If this is your first time visiting you can read about this trip from the beginning by starting HERE. If you’ve been following along we hope you continue to join us as we continue to write about the many places we’ve been and all of our future travels.

Until next week…

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