We see a quite a few campervan proposals, elopements, honeymoons, anniversaries at Escape. And the best part is, each story is totally unique!
We see quite a few campervan proposals,
elopements, honeymoons, anniversaries at Escape. And the best part is, each story is totally unique! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we’re excited to spread the love and share some mini interviews about your experiences with Escape.
Thanks to everyone who contributed!
Spring Break Surprise Proposal
Tanner and Hanna, March 2018
Engagement
Em and Mitch, November 2017
How did you initially decide to go on a campervan trip?
We travel to the states from Australia and love it so much! We have both been a few times before so we had done all of the big-ticket tourist items and really wanted to get out and see some different parts. I don’t like to fly so campervan was an obvious choice, and we knew we wanted to see as many national parks as possible!
What led you to choose Escape?
We found escape on
Instagram which is really why we booked it – we were able to see a lot about the vans, and it built trust in us that there were so many success stories from escape. We also loved the look of the vans and value for money/inclusions compared to so many others.
What was your route?
We picked up our van in
Denver and headed straight for Utah (with an overnight stop in a Walmart carpark). We went to Arches NP, Capitol Reef NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Zion NP, a quick stop off at a hotel in Vegas (buffet dinner yes please), then Joshua Tree NP, Big Sur and onto
San Fran to drop our van off.
We were absolutely blown away by the beauty of Utah – it was not what we were expecting and we fell in love with it! The nights were freezing cold especially in Utah, but we were surprised at how comfortable we were in the van – we didn’t need heaters, etc, and stayed warm with layers, an extra blanket, and fluffy socks! Can’t say I found it easy getting out in the morning but it’s all part of the experience 🙂 we got into the habit of eating dinner early before it got too dark and cold.
I would HIGHLY recommend traveling at this time of year – it is so special having certain places all to yourselves. You get the pick of the best camping spots, can always find a parking spot at any hikes or viewpoints, the bathrooms are never busy and you find yourselves all alone in the most spectacular of locations.
Tell us about the proposal! How did it happen?
It was the morning after our second night in Zion. We had gotten up early to drive to a particular slot canyon that had been busy the afternoon before. It was freezing and we wandered down the trail as the sun was coming up. We were the only people there!!! About halfway, he stopped me, dropped to one knee and proposed! We finished the trail walk and drove the van to a little pullout by the stream. He cooked me pancakes for breakfast and we ate with all the doors open watching the running water, just us 2.
What is your top advice for traveling as a couple?
Traveling as a couple – be patient with each other. Especially for us, driving in a foreign country in unfamiliar locations and unfamiliar weather can be stressful – we are always careful to be calm even when things go wrong (taking the wrong exit for the 3rd time…). Make sure you’re doing things both people enjoy OR compromising and sharing the love evenly. Take lots of snacks so you don’t get hangry and don’t wait too long to tell him you have to pee so he has time to find a bathroom haha.
Top advice for traveling by campervan in general?
Traveling in a campervan – we bought a 10 dollar mattress topper thing from Walmart and it was a godsend. So worth every dollar for longer trips, you’ll appreciate the comfort on the 10th night! Make the most of your on the go kitchen – we really loved eating fresh meals in spectacular locations and got creative with
camping cooking – think nachos with the lot, amazing veggie hash and stewed fruit desserts.
First Wedding Anniversary
Ivy and Andres, October 2018
Celebrating 10 Years Together / Surprise Engagement
Grace and Daniella, November 2017
How did you initially decide to go on a campervan trip? What led you to choose Escape?
We went back and forth between different places, Greece, Iceland… but then I pitched the idea of renting with Escape and she was all for it! I remember seeing a Groupon for Escape specifically a few months prior. We wanted to do something different. We loved the concept behind it, all
vans painted by local artists. Amazing!
What was your route? How did you decide where you wanted to go?
Originally we decided that we would go up the PCH from LA all the way to San Francisco, hitting up Big Sur/Carmel. An all-coast scenic drive. But unfortunately there was a huge mudslide which took out an entire bridge and it would have re-routed us and it just wasn’t something we wanted to do. So instead, we did Venice Beach, Santa Monica then made our way up to
Death Valley! It was an amazing experience…we only camped out for 1 night at Stovepipe Wells but we will be back!
From Death Valley, we made our way to
Las Vegas! We witnessed something very cool on our way in a town called Pahrump. Traffic came to a complete stop for what seemed like hours. We saw camera crews and little crowds on the side of the road. Thought they were filming the next Fast & Furious movie but it was actually for a world record! The Agera RS is the world’s fastest car reaching 277.9 MPH. Amazing. We got to witness a world record in the making.
Spent 2 nights in Las Vegas. Did as much as we could in 48 hours, sleep was not one of them! On the 2nd night after doing the happy half hour on the High Roller…. we met a group of people in the LINQ Promenade just drinking dancing having a good time. A few moments later, I turn around to see Daniella on the verge of tears, I know she said a little speech but all I can remember is her wanting to spend the rest of her life with me! And just like that, we were engaged! I remember everyone surrounding us clapping even taking videos and pictures. It was so sweet. Truly the most amazing moment of my life.
On our last 2 days, we were able to do some sightseeing. Universal Studios, Hollywood, Beverly Hills.
What is your top advice for traveling as a couple? Top advice for traveling by campervan in general?
Definitely make a list of destinations, to see what would make the most sense. And be ok with not seeing EVERYTHING. Might have to skip out on something. We were only on vacation for 10 days and there were a lot of things that we wanted to see and do. But we cut it down to just a few so that we didn’t rush. Still had the trip of a lifetime!
And advice for travelling as a couple, well we are both pretty easy going….so it’s like whatever she wanted to do I was ok with and vice versa!
Tell us the story about finding Pedro!
So after leaving Las Vegas we had planned on driving through Joshua tree but opted out and decided to save it for next time. Instead, we made our way back to the LA area but stopped in Long Beach to have some lunch at the San Pedro fish market. The girl working at the desk at
Escape in Inglewood had suggested it to us at the start of our trip.
Upon leaving the fish market, I’m not sure how she spotted him but I just remember Daniella’s face going pale as if she had seen a ghost. She said there is a kitten on the road! She pulled over and I jumped out. It took me a couple times walking up and down before I eventually spotted him. Without hesitation, I wrapped him up in my jacket and ran back into the van.
Made some calls and reached out to a friend who runs a rescue here at home. Got in touch with the people at the Animal Hospital of South Bay Rolling Hills. Got the necessary vaccinations and the OK to bring him back to Canada with us! He suffered a gash on his chin and his tail is short and jagged. But all good otherwise! $50 plane ticket and he was able to fly with us as a carry-on. We had 2 cats already! Marvin and Oreo…and now little Californian Pedro!
The Proposal
It was the night of our 10 year anniversary and we had planned on taking pictures in front of the High Roller by the beautifully lit up fountain. I secretly asked 2 couples to help me film the proposal. That was when I had Grace turn and face the fountain while I got her ring and got the ladies all set up with phones. She thought they were there to take some pictures of us.
I will never forget the look on Grace’s face when I approached her, made a speech and got down on one knee and asked my soulmate of 10 years to marry me. She was in complete shock but with the biggest smile on her face. I had no idea so many eyes were on us and people were taking pictures of us, clapping and cheering. Congratulating us. It was the most beautiful moment and we are so looking forward to our wedding!
We have decided to
rent with Escape for our honeymoon and travel east from
Las Vegas to
Miami! It is going to be amazing 🙂
Honeymoon
James and Anna, September 2018
How did you initially decide to go on a campervan trip?
We both knew we wanted to do a bit of an unorthodox honeymoon and stay within the United States. Living in California we are hooked on long weekend adventures and any chance to escape on a road trip. Since we got married back east (
New Jersey), which is where our families are from, we thought a road trip back across the country would be a great way to celebrate our honeymoon and get back to
Los Angeles. We decided that we’d give ourselves two weeks after the wedding to spend time in a few places along the way and really enjoy the experience.
What led you to choose Escape?
We chose to rent from Escape because when we were searching for vans to travel in or rental vehicles it was the best option cost-wise as well as the closest van rental to New Jersey, that also allowed us to return the van in another state. It was a perfect fit and to top it all off, once we saw the
custom paint job on each van, we were sold.
What was your route? How did you decide where you wanted to go?
Our route began in
Jersey City, where we first picked up our van. From there, we spent about two days driving through New Jersey and Pennsylvania with no set plans of where to stay along the way. To do this trip the way we wanted to, we would wing our travel plans until that day and just enjoy the entire experience. Our first night in eastern Pennsylvania, we set up camp in a Walmart parking lot. We had ordered the
top crows nest/sleeper with the van as well so we could sleep up top most nights. But given that we were in some random parking lot, our first night was spent comfortably warm inside the van. We spent the first night of our honeymoon shopping for goodies in Walmart at midnight and setting up camp in the parking lot – it was surprisingly one of the best parts of the trip.
Over the next few days, we drove through the rest of Pennsylvania, through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and eventually into South Dakota. Those first couple of days were primarily spent inside the van so we could cover enough ground to make it West for all of the beautiful parks we wanted to hit. Once we got to South Dakota, we camped one night in a KOA (Campground of America), outside the Badlands National Park and another night inside of the park at a campground that we had reserved for the night – one of the only spots we planned to stay at. Each night was special in its own way, and besides our first night in Walmart, we spent every other night of our trip up top in our sleeper.
From South Dakota, we drove Southwest toward Wyoming, spending two nights inside of Yellowstone National Park. The park itself was so massive we couldn’t get to all of it in one trip, but our heads were on a swivel the entire time. At this point, we had been into our trip for about a week and the van had quickly become our home and our comfort zone. Nearly every opportunity we had, we set up camp, started a fire and cooked using the
cookware and propane stove in the back of the van. It was such a freeing feeling to
cook under the clear starry skies with a campfire going right next to the van. We were in heaven.
After two days spent in Yellowstone, we traveled an hour south to the smaller national park in Wyoming – The Grand Tetons. This place blew our minds – the size of the mountains, the snow-capped peaks and the sheer beauty of the surrounding landscape made the Tetons a favorite of ours on our trip. To get off the grid a bit we chose to camp outside of the National Park and in the National Forest our first night there. Although much more secluded and away from the amenities of the park, this proved to be the most rewarding place we camped in the entire trip. With an unobstructed view of the Tetons, away from people and under the stars, our Escape sleeper became our magic vehicle for stargazing. Our second night in the Tetons, we found a campsite right outside the park that had availability and an electric hookup so we could finally recharge some of our batteries. That night, we spent the evening in the small town of Jackson, south of the Tetons – eating our first sit down restaurant meal of the trip and putting back a few IPAs to wash down the meal.
Our next stop on our journey was south towards Utah. The drive itself was pretty beautiful – catching an insane sunset driving through the Dixie National Forest on the way to Moab. When we arrived in Moab, we met up with our good friends for a few days to do some exploring together. Our first day in
Moab was spent mountain biking through some state parks and exploring Arches National Park. That night we drove our trusty van across the state a few hours to the Canyonlands. We spent a beautifully cool night under the stars, cooking up some late-night food and listening to the sound of the campfire.
The following morning, we parted ways and just the two of us hit the road for our last stop of the trip – Bryce Canyon National Park. The route we chose to take to get there was a couple hours longer than the freeway but was way more rewarding and insanely scenic. Along the way, we drove through National Monuments, National Parks, and scenic canyons. At this point, the attachment to our van was real – we’d spent every night of a two-week trip sleeping inside of the van and driving at least 8 hours a day. Our last night of the trip was spent camping outside of Bryce Canyon National Park with the perfect fire, a hot bowl of mac and cheese, and a peaceful and secluded site under the stars. It was a perfect ending to an amazing two-week honeymoon.
How did you find where to camp?
Most of the time, we would figure out how far we’d end up getting each night and scope out campsites in that area that way. Using an app called
Hipcamp was a helpful way to see what sites other people have stayed at and recommended. Other than that it was just using our phone maps or the physical U.S. map that we kept with us the entire trip, in case we were in remote places without service. Each national park also has campsites but those fill up way quicker than sites outside of the park. If all of the sites are full both inside and outside of the park, KOA sites are available in most areas and by going on their website you can easily see which sites are available and close by. As a last resort, a Walmart parking lot is a safe option. Most are well-lit, open 24 hours and allow overnight car camping for free.
What is your top advice for traveling as a couple?
We travel extremely well together and since we started dating 5 years ago, traveling has always been easy for us. That is one of the reasons we knew we would be right for one another, we could travel well with each other and always find a way to make each other laugh and have a good time. I think being able to go with the flow and let things happen naturally, while also having some kind of plan is a tough balance but important to traveling as a couple. Patience is also a huge factor in traveling as a couple. Driving 10+ hours with anyone, with little sleep and out of your element can test your patience and your ability to think logically. But most importantly, traveling together should feel effortless and be fun! We learn so much about one another when we are on the road and it’s incredible to be able to do something new with the one you love every day. It is such a freeing and beautiful feeling and we encourage every couple to travel together as often as possible!
Top advice for traveling by campervan in general?
Traveling in a van is definitely tough to get accustomed too, but once you do it is very hard to travel any other way. A few key tips for traveling by campervan that make the journey more enjoyable.
- Keep a toiletry bag of essentials (toothbrush, deodorant, soap, etc.) handy and in an easy-to-reach place. There’s nothing worse than getting to a dark campsite late at night and having to dig through bags with a headlamp to find one toothbrush and a bar of soap. Organization in close quarters is key.
- Another crucial tip is to always plan ahead for filling up the tank with gas. There will be plenty of times you’ll have a half of a tank thinking you have enough to make it through a remote part of the drive, when suddenly you realize you’re 50 miles from any gas station and are almost on empty. Don’t make this mistake! Running out of gas in some of these remote, mountainous areas is scary and can be totally avoided if you take the proper precautions ahead of time.
- One last tip – always store bags, plates, and any misc. items in parts of the van where they will not move around on the drive. It is super distracting to have bags flying all over the van when you hit rugged terrain. Strap stuff down or store it properly and it will be a much quieter and smoother drive =).
- The last, last tip – travel in a campervan whenever you have the opportunity! It’s been one of the best experiences we’ve ever had and we can’t wait to do it again!
Photos by Anna and James, @leavethemap
Honeymoon
Erin and Daniel, September to December 2018 (76 days)
How did you initially decide to go on a campervan trip? Had you done a campervan trip before?
Yes, we have been to NZ for 9 days in a campervan. We wanted to experience the best parts of America and get amongst the national parks and nature.
What led you to choose Escape?
The awesome paint jobs and price/flexibility
What was your route? How did you decide where you wanted to go?
We went everywhere, we had our top 20 things we wanted to see and worked out our route from there.
How did you find where to camp?
We used a variety of websites such as
freecampsites.net and RV Parky app.
What is your top advice for traveling as a couple?
Take it all in and enjoy the time together.
Top advice for traveling by campervan in general? (Especially for such a long time!)
Bring minimal clothing, plan your meals for a couple of days so you do not buy unnecessary items. Have storage boxes for clothing and shoes etc.
We absolutely loved our time in Warpspeed and couldn’t imagine having any different type of honeymoon. Thank you xx
Honeymoon
Sara and Jacob, October 2018
