By Finding a place to stay can get expensive. Even an inexpensive places has taxes and fees that make even one night costly. There are a variety of ways to budget for rooms or campsite while road tripping. How you are traveling will make a difference as to where you can stay.
- State Parks – Due to COVID many state parks require advance booking but these can provide a relatively inexpensive place to stay along with being good for tent and RV camping along with the occasional cabin or screened shelter. If you are planning to state in multiple state parks in the same state, see if they have a state park pass that helps with entrance and overnight fees.
- National Parks – These are farther between than state parks and many are first come, first serve on the camping spot but they provide beautiful places to stay at a reasonable price. Consider investing in a national park pass if visiting multiple, these are good for a year.
- Harvest Hosts – A small yearly fee allows those with RV to park at participating breweries, wineries, and museums. This is a great way to support local and find an inexpensive place to stay for the night.
- FreeCampsites.net – If you are camping along your road trip this site is a great way to free places to camp and it allows you to plan out your trip.
- Apps – There are apps help travelers find campsites too such as The Dyrt. Depending on where your road trip takes you make sure you have an idea of where you want to stay just incase you loose cell service.
- Unique Hotels – These can be a bit difficult to find among the mass of information out there on the web. They can vary in price range but would be worth staying at for the experience. Check out these sites to help find those unique places: Design Tripper, McGee Travel Tales, Ready Set Jet.
- Airbnb or VRBO – these can provide some unique options but they can get pricy.
- Hotel Chains – Many hotels with in conjunction with airlines and credit cards to provide points for free rooms and upgrades. Many also have their own reward point systems that travels can take advantage of.
There are tons of ways to find places to stay. There are some road trippers that are even comfortable sleeping in their vehicles at rest stops or parking lots. This is an inexpensive option if you are comfortable doing it. I would love to know what resources you to find lodging when road tripping. I hope these helped you! Let me know in the comments!
A Gang Hideout with a Secret Tunnel
Welcome to the Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas. If you want a little bit of a western stereotype then look no further than the Dalton Gang. This gang was a group of brothers and friends that were lawmen turned outlaws. The gangs end was tragic when they tried to rob two banks at once and most members of the gang were killed in a shootout with lawmen.
The Dalton Gang Hideout Museum is the one time home and barn of Eva Dalton Whipple, her brothers were members of the gang. After Eva and her husband moved from the home an unexpected visitor entered the house and frightening the new owners who were at dinner. This visitor entered and left the home via a tunnel that connects the house to the barn.
The tunnel has been reinforced and heightened since the days of the Dalton Gang.
One of my favorite little tid-bits about this bit of history is that there is no concrete evidence that the Dalton Gang actually hid here from the law. There is good circumstantial evidence but nothing solid. Be that as it may, this museum presents a wonderful bit of regional history and some lore to help encourage those wild west fantasies of the cowboy days of American westward expansion.
Where do you think we are off to next?
How do you find places to stay on road trips? What do you think of the wild west outlaws of Kansas? Let me know in the comments!
Don’t miss the past stops and road trip tips!
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