Cambria Travels

a wandering RV course

Our 3 3 3 rule…

๐Ÿ‚ New Adventure Continues ๐Ÿ‚

The 3-3-3 Rule: Traveling with Intention

August 21, 2025

๐Ÿ 40th Anniversary โ€ข Maine Bound ๐Ÿ

Over the years of RVing, we have discovered that the journey itself is every bit as important as the destination. One of the most meaningful guidelines we have adopted along the way is what the RV community affectionately calls the 3-3-3 Rule โ€” and it has transformed the way we travel.


The principle is elegantly simple: we aim to drive no more than three hours per day, travel no more than 300 miles, and arrive at our campground โ€” set up and settled โ€” by three o’clock in the afternoon. Three hours. Three hundred miles. Three o’clock. It is a rhythm that honors both the road and the traveler.


We are not in a hurry. The open road rewards those who take their time โ€” and so does life.

Now, driving itself has never been the challenge โ€” it is the variables that can make a long day behind the wheel genuinely taxing. Navigating through dense city traffic, managing unexpected detours, or encountering the occasional overly confident driver on a narrow two-lane road adds a layer of stress that simply isn’t worth it when you have the freedom to choose otherwise. Keeping drive time intentionally short means our driver arrives refreshed, not wrung out.


There is also a practical wisdom in arriving early. Pulling into an unfamiliar campground after dark โ€” attempting to navigate tight lanes, back into a site, and connect utilities by flashlight โ€” is an experience best avoided entirely. We would far rather ease into an afternoon arrival, take our time getting set up, and spend the remaining daylight hours simply enjoying wherever we have landed.

Life on the open road โ€” our RV parked at a campground, unhurried and settled in for the afternoon.
Life on the open road โ€” unhurried, intentional, and full of wonder.

Yes, this approach means it takes us a little longer to reach our destinations. But that is entirely the point. This 40th Anniversary adventure โ€” this Changing Leaves journey to Maine โ€” was never meant to be rushed. Every mile is a memory in the making, and the 3-3-3 Rule ensures we are present enough to appreciate each one.


We would love to know โ€” do you have guiding rules or personal principles that shape the way you travel? Perhaps a routine that makes life on the road smoother, safer, or simply more enjoyable? Drop a comment below and share what works for you. Every seasoned traveler has wisdom worth passing along.

Wherever the road leads you today โ€” may it be a good one. ๐Ÿ‚

Nancy

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