Malcolm and I have long dreamed of taking a US road trip in an RV, with Yellowstone topping his list and Yosemite topping mine - just a mere 900 miles apart! Needless to say, it took some serious planning!
This trip was a year in the making and the first where Malcolm had as much input as I did, which was only fair since he would be the one doing all the driving!
Since we planned to stay in or near national parks, I pre-booked campsites, making sure they all had ‘full hook up’ facilities. I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant at first, other than having access to the site’s electricity and water. The bonus? It also meant we could connect to the waste system, saving us from manually emptying the loo - result!
We booked a standard RV (C25) with a toilet, shower and a permanent bed for 10 nights through Cruise America, with plans to pick it up in Salt Lake City and drop it off in Las Vegas. To make our journey more comfortable, we added kits for bedding, plates and cutlery, plus opted for an early bird collection to get on the road as soon as possible.
As international travellers, we had to wait until the day after landing in the US to collect our RV, so after an overnight stay at a Salt Lake City hotel, we headed eagerly to the rental depot the following morning.
The moment we laid eyes on ‘Florence,’ we were smitten...
Once we’d been shown how everything worked and given directions to the nearest Walmart to stock up on provisions, we finally hit the road. With Google Maps downloaded back in the UK, we had everything we needed to navigate between destinations.
Our road trip spanned nearly 1,800 miles, covering six states and five campsites. The roads were mostly wide, sweeping and blissfully empty, with straight stretches surrounded by ever-changing scenery. The journeys themselves were a big part of the adventure.
Yellowstone
Our first four nights were spent in Yellowstone, starting with a 323-mile journey that set the tone for our adventure. We dedicated two glorious days to exploring Yellowstone National Park. Once we were hooked up at the campsite, we didn’t want to move the RV again - Malcolm was keen to enjoy it without any extra driving and I took advantage to film a little intro to Florence...
I had pre-booked a couple of tours that conveniently picked us up and dropped us off at the campsite, with park entrance fees included. The first was a small group tour of the lower loop, where our guide and driver, Marc, was fantastic.
He shared fascinating stories about the area’s history and took us to see waterfalls, hot springs, mud pools, and, of course, Old Faithful.
Marc knew the perfect time to get us there to witness one of its famous eruptions. We learned that out of the 900 geysers in the world, a staggering 500 are found in Yellowstone!
The second tour was a private one focused on wildlife, with our guide, Jason, taking us through the upper loop, including the Lamar Valley - often called the Serengeti of America.
Jason knew exactly where to go to find the best wildlife, equipping us with binoculars and setting up a spotting scope so we could zoom in on the action.
I was thrilled to watch an eagle leave its nest, swoop down to snatch prey from the ground and return to feed its young. What an incredible sight!
We encountered countless bison, some up close and many with calves, as well as a pack of wolves, deer, pronghorns, elk, and the highlight of my trip - two bears! Although they weren’t fully grown, seeing them in the wild was awesome.
Our next leg took us to Elko, Nevada, a 425-mile drive that lasted just over seven hours. We stayed overnight at the Iron Horse RV site before heading on to our next stop: Lake Tahoe in California.
Lake Tahoe
After a couple of bacon sarnies, we hit the road early for Lake Tahoe. The 357-mile drive took us just over six hours, with a pit stop at Walmart in Carson City to restock our supplies. Our campsite at the southern end of the lake was perfectly positioned, and the drive along the east side treated us to some spectacular views.
Lake Tahoe, nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains, is a gem. Measuring 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, this stunning alpine lake transforms from a winter wonderland with bustling ski resorts and gondolas to a summer playground with its crystal-clear blue waters filled with boats, waterskiers, paddle boarders and jet skis.
Our campsite was a charming, wooded spot with a stream running through it, but I miscalculated the distance to the lake. Fortunately, the lovely family running the site offered to give us a lift there and back the next day.
We spent a day exploring the ski resort but unfortunately the gondola was not operating for the summer season, until the following weekend – the views from the mountain tops across the lake must be fantastic!
Instead, we enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the lake before sitting in the sunshine, with a beer or two, watching all the water sports.
Yosemite
The next leg was the shortest but by far the most nerve-wracking. The drive from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite covered just under 200 miles but took over five and a half hours with stops.
The views were stunning, but I hadn’t quite grasped what the drive would involve. We wound our way up and down narrow mountain roads with steep drops - definitely not what I expected! I would have been nervous in a regular car, but Malcolm handled the wide RV like a pro.
We stayed a couple of nights at a campsite, about eight miles from Yosemite’s entrance. It was the nearest spot with a full hook-up. Fortunately, the Cedar Lodge Hotel next door allowed us to use their facilities – swimming pool, shop, restaurant and bar. I’d chosen this site partly because the Cedar Lodge was on the bus route to the Valley floor, so we could leave Florence parked up and resting.
We caught the first bus at 6:30am to beat the crowds and the heat. Yosemite was everything I hoped for and more - absolutely breathtaking at every turn.
Fortunately, the waterfalls and streams were in full force, fed by melting snow from the higher elevations, before they dwindle to a trickle just a few weeks later.
With Yosemite covering nearly 1,200 square miles and elevations ranging from 2,000 to 13,000 feet, we barely scratched the surface. I only wish we could have stayed longer to fully soak in its beauty. Next time, I’d plan for a solid four nights to truly appreciate all it has to offer.
Las Vegas & the Grand Canyon
The final leg took us to Las Vegas, a 417-mile drive that stretched to nine hours thanks to our many stops through Yosemite. We set off around 7am, and not long into the journey, we spotted a young bear by the roadside. He seemed more surprised to see us than we were to see him, darting off into the trees as we approached.
We took the Tioga Road (Highway 120) through the park, which climbs above the valley and offers breathtaking views of alpine lakes, meadows and the mountains at Tioga Pass. This 46-mile stretch is only open from late May to October due to snow, and it had just reopened the week before we arrived. If the pass had been closed, we’d have faced an extra 50 miles on our journey.
Arriving in Vegas was a shock to the system - after miles of wide, empty roads, we suddenly found ourselves in the thick of eight lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Navigating through the chaos, we made it to our final campsite just in time to grab a bite and crash for the night. Thank goodness for the air con; we thought Yosemite was hot, but Vegas was on another level!
The following morning, after an incredible 10-night road trip, we reluctantly said our goodbyes to Florence and took the complimentary transfer to The Bellagio Hotel for our final three nights.
Though we’d been to Vegas before, we hadn’t yet seen the Grand Canyon, so we booked a spectacular sunset helicopter flight that gave us an hour to take in the breathtaking views.
The return flight over the Las Vegas Strip, with all the neon lights twinkling below, was the perfect ending to a truly unforgettable holiday.
