Favorite stops on our road trip

“What have been your favorite places?” is the second most asked question we (Alisan and Theo) get when people hear that we’re living on the road, traveling North America in our VW van. 

I’ll give a broad overview of where we’ve been one year into our journey… We started in California, then went north to Oregon, spending time on the coast, Eugene, Portland, Bend, and then we drove east to explore more of the American West: Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Utah. We even drove way up north to Banff, a 16 hour day’s drive that I will never forget. 😝

Allow me to introduce you to my favorite places that I've been along the way. And the winners are...

Favorite national park: Yellowstone, WY
Favorite campground: Devils Garden, Arches National Park, UT
Favorite public lands campground: North side Snake River, Twin Falls, ID
Favorite drive: Oregon Coast
Favorite detour: National Bison Range Scenic Byway, MT
Favorite small town: Jackson, WY

Favorite national park: Yellowstone, WY

We visited Yellowstone in the off season, early November. I've heard the horror stories of an overpacked park with crazy traffic, tourists everywhere you look, and hardly a peaceful spot to yourself, so I was glad to be there at this time of the year. Now, there is a lot to do in Yellowstone National Park so I can hardly cover it all now- not that I'd be able to anyways since we only had two days to spend, and one of the main roads was closed to snow (so there's one small downside to going in the off season, but we still had plenty to see).
We camped at the Mammoth campground in the northern part of the park, and woke up to elk outside our door each morning. Noah our dog was on high alert, and we didn't want him spooking them, so he had to stay in the van mostly. The weather in November is quite chilly there, but it was brisk and the air smelled clean. We got all bundled up to explore the park, first stop being Mammoth hot springs (which are not swimming holes mind you!). They're on a hill of travertine, created over thousands of years as hot water seeping from the spring then cooled and deposited as calcium carbonate. Yellowstone Park's geothermal energy creates such amazing formations and mystic geysers. While on a tour through the park, we had to stop multiple times to visit sites of bubbling, gushing, and boiling hot water coming up from the deep depths below the Earth's surface. Theo and I were both in complete awe.

Mammoth hot springs, Yellowstone National Park, Nov. 2018

Small bubbling geyser (or mud pot? fumarole?) in Yellowstone.

And now for my favorite location in Yellowstone Park... the Boiling River 😍. This river combines with the cool Gardner River and natural hot tubs are formed off to the side to get a nice even mix of cold and hot water. This is one of the few public swimming opportunities in the Yellowstone area. As you walk the short trail from parking lot to the tubs, you'll pass over the Boiling River via a small bridge. The steam is super thick and the Boiling River itself looks very inviting- especially when it's November and you're freezing your tush off in a bathing suit. But we read that just a small touch of the water can give you third degree burns! Once you walk farther down, you'll see where the two rivers converge and to your left there are small pools lined with boulders and rocks to keep the water in. I recommend being careful as you step in the water and make your way down to the pools, as the water temperatures can vary greatly and you may suddenly find yourself in a hot spot. Walk slowly and keep an eye where the hot water is flowing from the Boiling River. Once you find your perfect spot, it's like a dream.

The small hot tubs made naturally from the Boiling River's hot temps.

Boiling River in Yellowstone National Park.

Favorite campsite: Arches national park, UT

As far as campsites we paid for, by far the best in value and scenery was Devils Garden campground in Arches National Park. Our site was 21, it had a big plot of land, a seriously amazing view of the unique sandstone formations, and was rather secluded from any neighbor’s direct view. This site is in the National Park so reservations are suggested.. but if you can get to it in the off months, you may be lucky and score a spot when you drive in. We were there early November, the sun went down early and it was pretty chilly at night, so likely there were less campers around than other months. We don’t mind paying for campsites every so often, especially if they feature flush toilets! We were on top of the world that stay. The campsite is also within walking distance of the popular Devils Garden trailhead to Landscape Arch, and if you keep going you'll reach Double O Arch.

Moab, Utah was also a super cute little town. We missed the opportunity to go mountain bike riding, but we did get a good hike in with Noah in a dog-friendly area near Arches. More on that in a later post about traveling and hiking with dogs.

Favorite public land camp (free!): North side of Snake River, Twin Falls, ID 

Technically just outside the city limits of Twin Falls is land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), meaning on this land we were able to pull our van right up where we pleased (preferably off the side of one of the dingy dirt roads) and camp. To get there, follow the 93 north out of of Twin Falls and turn right (go east) on Shoshone Falls Rd., its the first right after bridge (Perrine Memorial Bridge). Once you turn onto the road you’ll be on the north side of the Snake River. Look around and take your pick of camps!  Just watch out for bumpy dirt roads. The BLM technically governs the land north of Shoshone Falls Road all the way up to I-84. ***As always with free camping on public land, if you see an area that is clearly already been used as a campsite (lands cleared of brush, fire pit, circular gathering of logs/rocks), pick that one to help reduce our impact on the earth and leave no trace.***

Exploring our free campsite that overlooks the Snake River. instagram

Favorite drive (and/or hike!): Oregon coast

Possibly the best coastal drive on mainland US. Also, an incredible coastal through-hike but I'll go into that in another post! 

The Oregon Coast's entire 363 miles of coastline is open to the public. Oregonians and visitors alike have legal public rights to access the whole coastline, made up of epic towering sea stacks, secret coves, and forest-covered headlands. So you can just cruise Hwy 1 stopping where you like, and there's no shortage of amazing views, cute beach towns, and delicious eateries along the way.
I have endless gratitude for the passionate individuals, organizations, and agencies who helped reserve Oregon's coast for us all to explore, truly making it "The People's Coast." 
When we first went to Oregon in the van, I was going to join my friends Jocelyn and Morgan on the coast so we could through-hike the Oregon Coast Trail. We had an amazing time, hiking roughly 12 miles a day then stopping at campsites where Theo would be there with the van, fridge full of cold beers and a fire roaring at the pit. For more info on hiking the OR Coast Trail, message me 😊. 
After the hike was complete, Theo and I explored more of Oregon's beach towns; one of our favorites being Yachats, OR. It's a small town that surprised us with how cute and also hip it was. Yachats Brewing was a gem- such good food and amazing beer and kombucha on draft. The coastal trail runs a long 7 mile stretch across town, and the coastline is dominated by epic black basalt rock, the result of lava flows from 50 million years ago. Cape Perpetua, highest point on the OR coast is just a few miles south, and there is both a state park with camping nearby and public land on the mountain side where you can boondock/camp for free 😁.
I know everyone talks about the California coastline drive, which is also amazing, but if you're looking for more seclusion and more dramatic scenery, the Oregon Coast is a must-see. 

Favorite detour: National Bison Range Scenic Byway, Charlo, MT

This drive actually consists of two roads, the nineteen-mile long Red Sleep Mountain Road and the five-mile long Prairie Drive. It winds through an 18,500-acre reserve for the American bison. There are nearly 500 free-roaming bison on this preserve, so you are almost guaranteed a sighting.* And the road itself winds through little valleys and mountains; we were there for a golden and purple sunset and it made the views just that much more incredible. 
*Just don’t get out of your car! Anyone seen the rag doll toss video of a bison hurling a 9 y.o.?! Don’t be like that. Respect wildlife and leave no trace. 

Such a cutie! please note that I took this from my car and zoomed in.. don't get this close on foot!

Driving the Nat. Bison Range Scenic Byway. instagram

Favorite town: Jackson, WY

We planned on going to Jackson all along, but what we didn’t plan on was spending 2 weeks there. Not that I’m complaining! It was glorious. We were there twice actually, once in October and again in late winter, March to the the beginning of April. So we saw 2 seasons there, crisp, cute Fall and snowy, sweet Winter. The town itself is full of life and beautiful buildings, homes, and parks, many adorned with antlers sheds and other natural earth elements. There’s a bazillion restaurants, cafes, and bars to choose from, as well as a few small live music venues. My favs spots of this town to eat and drink were: Pinky G’s pizzeria, Thai Plate (BYOB!), Persephone Bakery, and the Silver Dollar bar. Ask for more recs if you come here. The town is also very dog-friendly, so major plus there!

Of course, Jackson Hole the mountain is beyond beautiful, whether for skiing or just taking the massive gondola up to get a sweet Belgian waffle. Around Jackson there’s also hiking and biking trails, white water rafting, and a small airport. Theo and I dubbed Jackson, WY as a dream destination for settling down later. Could be too expensive and not feasible, but it sure was pretty and sure was fun.

Antler sheds covering the entryway for Jackson's downtown square. instagram

Backyard and dog where we house-sat in Jackson. instagram

At the Astoria hot springs just south of Jackson. 

Super cute downtown area in Jackson, WY.

And that's the end of my list. If you have any questions, please reach out! I’d love to help as much as I can to plan your own trip or van life journey. Check out the map below (or the sidebar) of where we’ve gone so far in one year on the road.

***A list of my favorite VanLife Essentials