Day 36: Creating a Simple Van Traveling Plan Map

I need a break from writing extensively today. Planning my van travels as part of the previous post took a while. I was choosey with where I decided to stay. So, in this post, I want to briefly show you how I created a van traveling plan and a corresponding map with Google Maps.

People keep saying I need some art! I like that idea. But for now I’m enjoying the simplicity of the van. I’m also enjoying using the Airplay feature on the Macbook Pro with the Samsung TV when looking at Google Maps.

1. In one browser window, open tabs for Hipcamp, Boondockers Welcome, Harvest Hosts, Recreation.gov, Southwest Florida Water Management (this page), and any other van camping booking site you like.
2. In another browser window, open Google Maps. Click the menu button in the top-left part of your screen. Select the Your Places option. Click the New List button. Then select a name for your list and click Create.
3. In the browser window with Google Maps, open another tab with a blank Google Doc. (The other window will get too busy with other tabs as you start exploring places to stay, and making a third window just for the Google Doc may be too much if you only have one screen.)
4. Poke around Google Maps with an open mind. See which places speak to you. Personally, I do not research places in advance. I just go based on the vibe of the map. This saves time and has always worked out. For the most part, you can have a nice time wherever you go. And if you don’t like it, you can leave. The joy and endless options of van life.
5. Start finding and booking places to stay in the first browser window around places that look interesting on Google Maps. As you do, add to and from dates in the Google Doc. Bold these dates and, after them, add the location and link to the booking page if available.
6. In addition to adding information to your Google Doc, add the location of the places to your list on Google Maps. To do this, select a location on the map. On the left side of your screen, a window will open with a button that says Save. Click Save and add the location to your list.
7. When you’re done, you can take a screenshot of the map with your travel plan and annotate it with arrows if you like. I did this with the built-in image editing tool in the Preview app that comes with Macbooks.

This is what my van travel map looks like for February 2022.

If you’re anything like me, rigid plans can make you feel trapped at time. So, for me, that’s not what this map is. Instead, it’s reassurance that I will have a place to stay every night in my van. It does not mean I can’t stay elsewhere along the way. (The only exception to this is that you can only no-show at Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Host spots three times before you’re banned. But don’t worry about it.)

I choose to be happy.