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Hey wonderful people! In August 2018, I traveled to America from Japan for a two week vacation. During this time, I visited my hometown, spent time by the beach in Los Angeles, hung out with family and friends, and went on an epic USA road trip. Here you will find a general idea of what happened over those eight days, the total cost, and some travel tips. Happy reading!

Road Trip Route

Los Angeles >> Las Vegas >> Zion National Park >>

Denver >> Omaha >> Valparaiso >> Chicago

Be sure to check out my travel guides for Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago for places of interest, food, transportation, and accommodation options I recommend in each city!

Due to personal time limitations, my boyfriend and I had to make this a quick trip with slightly short time frames in each place, as I wanted to spend several days back in my hometown with my family, too. We ended up budgeting 8 days for our entire USA road trip.

Below is a rough idea of the time we spent driving and sightseeing.

Approximate Costs

This road trip was a vacation with the dual-purpose of moving my boyfriend to his new home in the American Midwest. Our international relationship means we already spend very little time together in person. Thus, we felt it was justified to live a tad luxuriously and enjoy ourselves while together, hence the high spending total listed below. I also chose to fly back to Los Angeles from Chicago, adding an extra $150 USD to the total.

Gas $275 USD in total

Accommodation $200 USD for two people

Food, drink, sightseeing, & shopping $700 USD for two people

Flight Chicago >> Los Angeles $150 USD for one person

Total per person $80 USD per day (for eight days)

Best Drive

The best part of the drive was actually the longest between Zion and Denver. Although it totaled approximately 10 hours, the beautiful rock formations, canyons, and mountain scenery we drove through was absolutely stunning; most of it looked surreal. The Rocky Mountains have a purplish hue to them, which is amplified during dusk—so magical!

Worst Drive

The worst part of the entire road trip was the drive from Denver to Omaha. Every single person we spoke to about our road trip told us the same thing: the drive was terrible. Of course, they were all correct. It was basically 8 hours of straight road, blue skies with clouds, and green grass along the highway. Not a very diverse drive nor exciting in the least.

Travel Tips

1. Set up travel notifications through your bank(s) if you plan on using credit or debit cards.
2. Pack water and snacks in a cooler to save money.
3. Budget beforehand to ensure you don’t overspend.
4. Fill up for gas before you reach a 1/4 tank—some of the highways have minimal pitstops.
5. Drive when the sun is out. It is safer to drive in unfamiliar areas during daylight hours.
6. Have a paper copy of your road trip maps, itinerary, and accommodation places. Some areas have poor cell service.
7. If you plan on camping anywhere, check in advance to see what kind of camping is allowed (camper van, tent, etc.), as well as if reservations are required.
8. Prepare an extensive road trip playlist and have some Podcasts downloaded—I personally love listening to murder mysteries on long drives.
9. Have some plastic bags (bad for the Earth, I know) readily available, as well as some toilet paper, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer.
10. Enjoy the open road!

#1 Recommendation

My number one recommendation would be to spend a solid week (or more!) in the Southern Utah area to immerse yourself in all of the natural wonders. Then, make your way to Denver, Colorado and do some more nature-based adventuring in the surrounding mountains.

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Time is a funny thing. While you’re in the moment, it’s seemingly paced and slow. Yet, when looking back, time seems to have passed by so quickly. This short road trip taught me to live in the moment more, as well as to enjoy the time I have with the people I love.

Happy travels to you all! Please email me (taytraveleat@gmail.com) if you have any questions or would like to chat about travel. 🙂