Charting New Adventures: Our 2025 Travel Plans Unfold!

Some time ago, a couple with an Airstream visited our (now permanently shut down) Tucson retail location and provided us with an acronym we’ve always remembered. They informed us they were on a prolonged Airstream journey because they aimed to optimize their QTR: Quality Time Remaining.

This dialogue truly resonated with us, and we’ve embraced it by incorporating as much travel as we can into our schedules, whether via Airstream or not, every year since. After all, who can predict when we will lose our health and ability to move, or the chance to explore the globe? If we don’t begin crossing items off our bucket list and arrange our road trips now, when will we? 

Now is the optimal moment to arrange next year’s travel itinerary

To be honest, we discuss voyages and travel almost throughout the entire year. Yet late December to early January is our favorite period to outline significant trips for the forthcoming year and confirm dates on the calendar. We discover that once a journey is marked on the calendar, there is a strong probability that we will actually GO.

During the planning phase, we first reflect on the bucket list destinations that have always been at the forefront of our minds. It’s an excellent jumping-off point for discussions. Is there anywhere you’ve always desired to visit or something you’ve always wished to undertake? Do it! Citing “QTR” in this instance, life is fleeting, so why not fit in as many bucket list excursions as you can? 

After being part of the Rose Parade Rally in Pasadena a few years back, I penned this blog regarding the reasons and methods for planning a bucket list journey.

In 2025, we’ve arranged two of them: Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (a bucket list item for me, Rich has experienced it already), and the Baja Peninsula, Mexico.

I’ll be at my keyboard in the early hours of January 15 when the Balloon Fiesta opens its RV bookings. We’ll be traveling with another Airstream couple and will incorporate some cycling into the adventure. 

For our Baja trip, we’re joining Airstreamer friends Julio and Erica, seasoned Baja explorers who’ve produced some fantastic videos about their journeys, which involve scuba diving, snorkeling, and deep sea fishing. 

Incorporate a few national park selections into your itinerary

In February, we will return to our beloved “hometown” national park: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It features a no-hookup campground in a stunning desert environment. (Limited generator sites are accessible, with restricted generator hours.) We will be joined by friends who are visiting the park for the first time. 

In March, our destination is Big Bend National Park in Texas. Rich has praised this park for years. It is so expansive that it nearly takes an hour to cross, featuring three distantly located campgrounds. Last year, we were close when we enjoyed breakfast in Marathon, Texas on a road trip back from Central Mexico, but we didn’t have time to make a detour for a visit. Over breakfast, we promised to arrange a trip as soon as we could – and that trip will occur in March 2025.

I’m sure there will be additional national parks added to our schedule as well. Two we’ve discussed frequently lately are Death Valley and Hovenweep. 

Our top recommendation

Create a catalog of your bucket list travels, crack open the Road Atlas and/or laptop, and initiate your 2025 travel preparations before the New Year’s Eve toast. We plan to do likewise since we still have open slots on our calendar, and numerous ideas in need of development.

Here are various articles to ignite ideas and motivate your discussions. NPS.gov is also a fantastic resource.