Ideas for cheap lodging....

There is another free lodging option -- generally this applies to RVing, but a car works too and these days, you often see car boondocking.... (it used to be called car camping). Anyway, here is an overview.

Mark

First of all, the Sam Walton's last request thing is a myth that simply isn't true. Wal-Marts in many locations will allow customers to park overnight, but some will not. As was stated in the article that Mark linked to, some towns have even outlawed the walmart camping practice. Again, as has been stated, you need to check with management before just parking overnight at any private parking lot, be it a walmart, a truck stop, or some other similar location.

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So what you are saying is to just find some BLM land and just go out and set up camp out there?

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I'm going to repeat this one last time, because somewhere you are badly misreading what I am writing. You absolutely can not just find some BLM or National Forest land and set up camp. In many cases, camping will be legal and allowed on these public lands, but that is not universal. This is why talking to the ranger station that oversees the land is important. They can tell you where you can or can not camp, and where you can park your car.

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Originally Posted by Lifemagician

Thinking of hostels, at which I stay frequently when travelling in North America, check out this site.

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Hostels are great, but they aren't plentiful. When I was in high school and college I had some great inexpensive trips staying in hostels -- they're less useful now that I have a family of four. When you're paying for four people, you can usually find a "real hotel" for less money than a hostel x 4.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

If you want to "suck up the dangers", no one here is telling you that you can not take risks and/or break the law. If you so choose, you certainly can take unnecessary risks in pursuit of your adventure, but there is a difference when you start recommending that people do things that carry significant and substantial risks and then tell them that they are safe because you haven't had any problems yet.

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Everyone does have a different risk-acceptance level, but sleeping in a safe location is pretty high on my priority list. I mean, you're going to be unconscious and completely veneruable. Sleeping just any old place just isn't safe.

Personally, I'd rather skimp at home in order to have more money to spend on my vacations (so I don't have to make dangerous choices). For example, we've stopped going out to lunch on Sundays after church -- instead, every meal we don't eat out deposits $$ into our trip fund.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

First of all, the Sam Walton's last request thing is a myth that simply isn't true. Wal-Marts in many locations will allow customers to park overnight, but some will not.

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I don't know whether my local Walmart allows people to overnight there, but I do know that that parking lot is the site of multiple car-jackings every month. I won't go there after dark. Ever. It's in a safe place, near good neighborhoods, etc. -- but it's set-up is perfect for thieves: it's a short driveway, which opens up onto a two-lane highway that's straight as an arrow in both directions. With nothing to block their view, thieves can pull out even if the light's red, and they can be across the county line in minutes. It's a fine place to be in daylight, but no one goes there after dark.