"Where do you want to go now?" is not a question RVers typically ask one another when they're on a trip together; most RVers know where they're going before they leave home.

Which way?

Yet, needing to ask that question can lead to an exciting adventure. One of the appeals of RVing is freedom -- freedom from work, from the neighborhood, from the routine of everyday life. For an RVer, what could be more liberating than embarking on a trip without an itinerary? Just head on down the road, no pre-arranged destination to restrict your route, no commitment or reservation to observe. You're free to go anywhere within the confines of time, budget and rig capability.

Not that there's anything wrong with organizing a trip. Having a plan is an efficient, prudent way to travel. A plan reduces indecision, it makes mail forwarding more convenient and it assures that you don't arrive at especially popular campgrounds to find no site available. For many RVers, a plan enhances enthusiasm because they can anticipate certain activities at their destination.

Still, a plan limits spontaneity, just as a life jacket limits motion. Sometimes, despite the increased risk, it's intriguing to act without a plan and see what happens. In RVing, this means an aimless start and a flexible spirit. It means regular studying of the atlas and visits to tourist-information centers to decide where next. A historic courthouse to the right or a national monument to the left? A lakeside campground up in the mountains or a boondocking area down in the desert? A canyon drive to the east or a wine country tour to the west? Your world, your choice.

RVing like this encourages serendipity -- making delightful discoveries -- because travelers are more alert than if they had an itinerary and are more likely to give things a try.

My wife and I are currently experimenting with freestyle travel. Previously, we always picked several destinations and the routes to them weeks before leaving. This time, with three months to spend on the road, we decided to break our own rules and just go. We chose only the direction -- south, away from the chilly rain and dreariness of the Pacific Northwest in late fall.

Our meanderings so far have taken us to some places we had already been and decided to revisit, and to others we had never heard of. Each night we check the weather forecast, discuss how we feel about where we are, and decide whether we want to linger or move on. On several occasions, part-way to a new destination, we've yielded to spur-of-the-moment inspiration and turned down a different road that looked more interesting.

Too many choices can be confusing as well as exhilarating. We stayed an extra night in Show Low, Arizona, simply because we couldn't make up our minds where to go next and needed more research time. But the sense freedom only grows.

So if you're adventurous, give it a try yourself. Toss the plan and ask the question: Where do you want to go now?