US Road Trip: November 2006 - December 2006

Our estimate for driving through the United States was $50 per day plus gas and we actually spent a little less than that estimate. The cost of camping was a little more than we anticipated. Our route through the Southwest didn't take us across much National Forest Service land, so sometimes we had to pay as much as $25 per night to camp at an RV park. We never free camped in the US. We also spent a little more than we expected at restaurants and bars since we were visiting friends and family for some of the time, but eating out at most one meal per day in a cheap restaurant the rest of the time helped us keep the costs of food down. Carrying our bikes and our possessions, our car was only able to average 31.6 miles per gallon, but the average price of gas was a little cheaper than we thought at $2.395 per gallon.

*We classify food, lodging, and miscellaneous costs as daily costs. Food and Lodging are pretty obvious. The only thing to mention is that beer is included in the Food category. Miscellaneous costs include toiletries, internet cafes, stamps and postage, haircuts, laundry, and any other small health and hygiene costs we need to keep us going on a daily basis.

**We categorize our non-daily costs into the following categories. Gear is the maintenance of our existing gear as well as new purchases. Maps and guidebooks are also included in this category. Fees, Fines, and Tolls includes visas, banking fees, and any other official fees we are required to pay. Entertainment is used for park and museum entry fees, guided tours, movies, books, and any other activities we do which require payment. The Transportation category includes bus, train, taxi, subway, and ferry rides including any fees we have to pay for the bicycles. Health includes trips to the doctor and medications as well as any immunizations boosters we need.