Departure -8

Still frantically filling in info on my spreadsheet of possible stops, but not stressing about it too much, because I have downloaded every conceivable phone app to help me find campsites, laybys, water etc en route.

I also signed up to the Caravan Club last night (I really hope they don't think it's because I was so impressed by Caravaner of the Year), so increase the number of potential stops we have available to us.  It was a farcical process.  Their website (after filling in all the forms) told me that it was unable to allow me to join.  Ten minutes later I got an email with a membership number, but, I don't have a log in for the website/app, but that is sorted out now.

The Camping and Caravaning Club app thankfully only wants membership number, and not password, because there is no hope of me knowing what that is at this point.

Thank goodness the van has its own phone (really old contract with unlimited internet that I've never had the courage to cancel, because nobody gives unlimited internet anymore).  The screens are getting rather cluttered with mapping, and camping apps.  Quite a nice find, I think, was park4night.  It seems to have lots of parking areas, and laybys and things, much like WildCamping UK.

Also have an AA camping app, and WikiCamps installed.   It's a pity BritStops don't have an app, but all the regions that our route travels through have all their Britstops loaded as POIs in our Garmins now.  It took some time, but will be really useful for finding places on the fly, seeing as there is now very little of this trip that we can plan in advance, other than routing.

With all these park4night, BritStop and Wild Camping apps, it must really seem like we're freeloading motorhomers.  Not true at all, but, these informal places to park up, alongside roads etc, are the best possible overnight places for people that can't say in advance where they are going to be stopping.  I will be trying to pick an overnight place around 3 hours before we expect Nick to finish riding, but this could change moment to moment.

We are adjusting our Lands End back to John O'Groats course to go via Saltash in Cornwall.  Some of you ;) will know why, and this has lead Nick to decide to include a previous Devon Coast to Coast ride in the return journey, so I'm having to add stops and potential overnights for that area to my spreadsheet, as well as routing from the north end of that ride, back onto the Jogle route.

I'm also starting to realise just how little time is left, and that of that time, 3 days is weekend, of which 2 are fully booked.  *and breathe and relax and reach for the wine even though its midday ... *

Oh ... and ... if anyone has recommendations of apps that I haven't yet loaded, please let me know!!