Sometimes the hardest part of a trip is knowing where to start.

I get it. I do this for a living. Still, sitting down to plan a trip can be a bit overwhelming, and answering these three questions tends to be the most challenging part:

Where do we start? Where do we go? And how do we keep it under budget?

When my good friend Kaylee reached out over a year ago, she asked me if I would be interested in an extended road trip throughout the Southwestern United States. My husband and I lived in a van for six months touring the US in 2017, so of course, I jumped at the opportunity to live on the road again, even if it was for a short timeframe.

She left the planning to me, which I was happy to do. I know the Southwest well, traveling to the area at least a half-dozen times prior. I finally felt confident planning the ultimate US road trip.

And boy, it turned out even better than our wildest dreams imagined.

Ultimate US Road Trip - What’s in This Guide:

Part One: Picking the Perfect Van Rental

Part Two: Two Week Road Trip Itinerary

Part Three: Tips & Budgeting on The Road

 

Ultimate US Road Trip: Picking The Perfect Budget Van Rental

Budget Van Rental with Travellers Autobarn

The first piece of the puzzle to any big road trip is knowing your mode of transportation and how you will get from point A to point B. We started looking at budget van rentals about six months before we planned to leave in October of 2021. If you plan to road trip in the summer, I would recommend booking sooner.

The two of us spent hours comparing van rentals. We were flexible on the departure city and wanted something affordable, but that would make traveling comfortable. As someone who previously lived in a van with no running water or electrical hookup, I knew not to make that mistake again.

I'll admit we got a bit frustrated in the initial research phase. Everything seemed vastly overpriced due to the resurgence of #vanlife. Many of the van rentals we came across ranged from $170-$200/night, which seemed astronomically high, in my opinion. For that price, you could book a Holiday Inn every night. We didn't want that.

The moment I stumbled upon Travellers Autobarn after a random Google search, I knew we were going to book with them. It was an easy choice - their rates were nearly half of what we saw on competitor sites, vans were equipped with solar panels, stovetops, sinks, and even microwaves. They also offered unlimited miles with all rentals. I looked up their reviews, and they were some of the best I had seen for any rental car company, which solidified our decision to book with them.

If you book with Travellers Autobarn, get 7% off your entire booking with the code "shaleewanders” for the Kuga Campervan. Minimum 7-day direct booking.

 

Ultimate US Road Trip: Two Week Itinerary

Securing Your Itinerary

Our road trip was two weeks. After booking with Travellers Autobarn, it was decided our trip would begin in Las Vegas because of its central location to all of the Southwest and because flights are typically cheaper than other hubs in the west. I laid out three itineraries and let Kaylee choose her favorite. This is the route she chose:

We did the loop clockwise, hitting Death Valley first and St. Geroge, Utah last. It ended up being the perfect itinerary for our trip. We drove quite a bit at the beginning, but less at the end while spending a lot of time in southern Utah.

You'll also notice a couple of other vital details from this itinerary:

We skipped some National Parks - I've done all of Utah's National Parks before. I've been to Zion at least four times, and I've also heard that there are lines for Angel's Landing these days, and the shuttle into the park is madness. Utah has a ridiculous amount of places to explore. We focused more on visiting places that were a bit off-the-beaten-path and not so much on National Parks. If this is your first road trip in Utah, it might be worth a stop. Click here for my full Utah National Parks guide.

We didn't mind long-haul drives - one entire day was spent driving from Yosemite to the Salt Flats in Utah. It was one of the most desolate and barren drives through central Nevada, but it was worth it. Just make sure you have plenty of gas. We left California with slightly under a half-tank of gas and were just above E when we hit the next town. No signs are warning you of this - so be sure to plan this out.

We're big hikers & prefer to be outside of cities - this might not be the best itinerary for foodies or those looking for a more town(ish) southwestern experience. In that case, look at an itinerary that includes something like Sedona, Flagstaff, Taos, Durango, and Moab.

Don't stick too hard to my itinerary if you genuinely want the ultimate US road trip experience. Do whatever you want to do. Sticking too hard to a timeline can end up ruining a trip. However, if you are looking for a place to start, here was our timeline.

Day One: Las Vegas, Nevada - Lone Pine, California

One of the things I loved about Travellers Autobarn is their flexibility when picking up/dropping off the van. Unlike most car rental companies that require you to return vehicles the same time you picked them up, Travellers Autobarn allows pickup and drop-offs anytime between 10am-3pm. On day one, we picked up the vehicle around 11 am. We drove straight to the store to stock up on food, and I spent a few hours working via hotspot in the back of the van.

We left Las Vegas to arrive at the sand dunes in Death Valley around sunset. It was magical.

Note: Travellers Autobarn restricts rental vans from entering Death Valley National Park during the summer months because of the heat.

After sunset, we drove the additional 1.5 hours to Lone Pine, California.

Day Two: Lone Pine, California - Mammoth Lakes, California

We woke up early the following day to explore Alabama Hills just outside of Lone Pine. If you are interested in high points, you get a magical view of Mt. Whitney from Lone Pine, the highest point in the continental United States at 14,505. Those interested in climbing the peak must get a permit, but we skipped it as I had already climbed it previously in 2019.

In the evening, we made our way north to Mammoth Lakes and explored some hot springs.

 

Day Three: Mammoth Lakes, California - Yosemite National Park, California

We woke up for another soak in some hot springs and then made our way to Yosemite National Park. We had initially planned to spend two days in Yosemite, but the smoke was so bad you could barely see El Cap from the valley. We ended up leaving the same day and spending the night in Lee Vining after smoke predictions were grim for the next few days.

If you do make the detour to Yosemite National Park, make it at least two days. It was not worth the long drive to the valley for a few hours.

 

Day Four: Lee Vining, California - Salt Flats, Utah

Day four we spent driving across Nevada, making it to the Utah Salt Flats just before Sunday. If you take our exact route, you'll go through an...interesting...town in rural Nevada called Tonopah with a "World Famous Clown Motel." It's a unique stop, but don't enter the gift shop if you have a fear of clowns.

 

Day Five: Salt Flats, Utah - Midway, Utah

We spent most of the day at the Salt Flat in Utah, relaxing, working, and enjoying the scenery. In the afternoon, we made our way through Salt Lake City and over to Midway, Utah, where we opted to stay at the Wasatch State Park campground for electrical and water hookups.

 

 

Day Six: Midway, Utah - Green River, Utah

We navigated from Midway, Utah, down and around to Green River, Utah, with a detour to Captial Reef National Park. I won't name exact places to stop for many places in southern Utah because options are abundant, and on a two-week itinerary, you'll need to pick and choose wisely. We opted for a hike to "mars" and some other scenic areas near Capital Reef National Park.

 

Day Seven: Green River, Utah - Moab, Utah

Spending a day in Moab is always a great option. We skipped Arches National Park (but it's worth a quick stop if it's your first time in Utah) and headed to Canyonlands National Park for sunset. We camped just outside the park on some BLM land.

 

Day Eight: Moab, Utah - Torrey, Utah

We spent the morning in Utah picking up some essential items before we headed into the more desolate area of central-southern Utah. On the way, we stopped at Goblin Valley State Park, which was unique and fun to roam around in. We found another free BLM spot to camp outside the town of Torrey, which gave us the best views + sunset.

Day Nine: Torrey, Utah - Escalante, Utah

We made the short(ish) drive to Escalante early on day nine. There are SO many spots to stop along the mountain pass on the way to Escalante. However, it rained ALL day, and we ended up spending most of it at Escalatte Caffe in Escalante editing and working. If you are here when the weather is clear, which is more likely than not, there will be an abundance to explore.

Day Ten & Elevan: Escalante, Utah

Our first day in Escalante was a washout, but we spent the next two days in the area exploring, hiking, and enjoying everything the area has to offer. It was nice to relax a bit and not have much driving between destinations. We chose this area to give us a couple of days to explore and rest, but there are many areas in Utah where you could do the same.

Day Twelve: Escalante, Utah - Kanab, Utah

After leaving Escalante, we finished out our ultimate US road trip with a trip through Kanab. I'd been to Kanab a few times before and the landscape never ceases to amaze me. Highly recommend a stop on your trip.

Day Thirteen: Kanab, Utah - St. George, Utah

We spent most of the next day in one of my favorite towns in the United States: St. George. It was my first time back and visiting since we nearly lived there in 2017. I wondered if I would love the town as much I did back then. I did, and part of me wonders where we would be if we had lived there instead (but I loved my WY town!). At the end of the day, we ended up parking on some BLM land outside of town on our way back to Las Vegas.

 

Day Fourteen: St. George, Utah - Las Vegas, Nevada

Our last morning was bittersweet. We looked forward to more regular showers but hated the idea of dropping off our van rental back in Las Vegas. We gave our sad goodbyes at the Travellers Autobarn office and headed straight to the airport, where we worked and talked about what a great trip it was - a dream we lived.

 

Ultimate US Road Trip: Tips & Budgeting on the Road

#1: Buy excess paper towels & toilet paper before hitting the road. You'd be surprised how fast you go through them in a van! Also, keep your grocery bags and reuse them for trash.

#2 Download areas you will be in on Google Maps. Even if you have an iPhone, you can download the Google Maps application. This ensures you will still navigate and plan route times if you are out of service. To download offline maps, type in a location like "Death Valley." Scroll to the far right past directions, save, label, etc., until you see the option for download. Adjust the square for the area you wish to download.

#3 Save places you want to go on your map. That way, it is easier to eyeball your route and know where to go next.

#4 Utilize free camping resources. We only paid for a single night at a campground throughout the trip. Many truck stops, rest areas, Walmarts, BLM land, and national forests offer free camping. Please remember to leave no trace and do NOT have unauthorized fires.

#5 Research shower options. There are many RV parks and rec centers that offer showers for a small flat fee. When we lived in the van in 2016, we had memberships to Planet Fitness for showering purposes. Because the duration of this trip was much shorter, we opted for rec center showers.

#6 Know where you need 4WD. There are many places, especially in Utah, where 4wd is required to get to. We ran into a few issues during the trip after not researching correctly, which required us to miss or replan our route because we could not get to the location or trailhead in our vehicle.We also endured multiple longer-than-average hikes throughout the trip down roads we were unable to access.

#7 Utilize your kitchen to save $$. Your biggest expense in the van is going to be gas. Beyond that, traveling in a van rental should be quite affordable. To be honest, I often spend less money traveling in a van compared to my day-to-day life. One of the biggest money savers on the road is utilizing the kitchen in the van. Buy groceries in bulk early, and cook often on the road.

#8 Buy a National Park Pass. If you plan to visit two or more national parks, buy an annual national park pass. The pass is $80 and is good for twelve months from the month of purchase. Many national parks are $30 for a one-week entry, meaning that visiting three or more national parks makes the annual pass more than worth it. The annual pass is for more than national parks, and allows access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites.

 

To view Travelers Autobarn campervans, click here.

To book your own van rental, click here.

 

USE CODE “shaleewanders” to get 7% OFF your entire budget van rental booking for the Kuga Campervan. Minimum 7-day rental, direct bookings only.