Renter Interview: Sister Road Trip

Jessica and Kélissa went on a sister road trip in October 2018 in an Escape campervan. We caught up with them to learn a little more about their trip together!

How did you initially decide to go on a campervan trip? Had you ever done one before?

We would always go on weekend road trips not too far from home on the East Coast of Canada. We both love exploring, hiking and camping (you could consider us pretty outdoorsy and also pretty close as sisters). We had never gone on a far & long term road trip and the timing seemed perfect for us (both single and in our early 20s). That’s when we came up with the ultimate road trip adventure idea. It was our first time booking a campervan (we didn’t even know such a thing existed) and it made the experience everything we could have hoped and imagined for.

What led you to book a trip with Escape?

Escape had comparable prices compared to other rental companies but what got us was the van designs, nothing like camping in style!

Tell us more about your trip. What was your route and how did you plan it?

We knew we wanted to go to West Coast USA. We were inspired by some Instagram posts that we had seen from all the parks, scenic views, and hikes from there. We developed an itinerary based on our top 5 must-see locations. We looked at some similar trips itineraries on Pinterest to help us outline the route. Our 10-day road trip started off in California, visiting Yosemite NP. We then decided to drive through Death Valley, CA, before headed to Zion NP in Utah. From Zion, we went to Bryce Canyon and after a few days spent in Utah, we drove to Page, Arizona to visit the antelopes. We then headed to the famous Grand Canyon, Nevada, and our last stop was Las Vegas, Nevada. For the full details of our itinerary, you can read our blog post.

How did you find where to camp?

We didn’t have any campgrounds booked as we wanted to have a flexible and cheap itinerary. We used an app called iOverlander which opens a map and shows you places to stay overnight (free of charge or for very low rates), we would often choose some BLM lands nearby national parks. We would then stop at local gyms or campgrounds to pay for showers.

What is your top advice for traveling as sisters?

Patience! You will be together living in a van for a week. Make sure to balance each other out.

Compromise. We had a rule – one would cook and clean if the other one drives in high traffic and during the night.

Reminding yourself that it’s all about the experience. Pretty sure it is safe to say that we know each other very well – but somehow this trip brought us even closer (if that’s even possible).

What were some of your highlights from the trip?

Seeing all the beautiful sceneries. Driving through mountains, forests, and deserts. Zion National Park had the most breathtaking hikes – the narrows and angels landing. The lower antelopes in Page, Arizona was another highlight – learning about the history while walking through these canyons was an unforgettable experience. Yosemite NP in California was another one on top of our list as it kind of reminded us of Canada (our home) – the views on top of these mountain peaks were simply incredible. We also had a ton of fun in Vegas, Nevada, it really is a playground for adults!

How did you like traveling by campervan vs other forms of travel? Any other tips/resources for future renters? What worked and what would you have done differently?

We really liked the fact that we didn’t have to worry about bringing any cooking or camping gear (especially since we were flying to our starting location). Everything we needed was available for rent with the van. If you are traveling from afar, I would definitely suggest getting a campervan like this. We stopped by a few grocery stores in the cities we’d pass by to get food for the next few days.

They also had bedding sheets, pillows and a pull out bed inside the van. Which is so convenient and wouldn’t compare to a road trip with a regular vehicle whatsoever.

You also have a bunch of extra options like getting external shower bags for the van – although we didn’t really use this as the weather was quite chilly for the time of year, so showering in the wilderness was a no go for us.

Overall our experience was awesome we wouldn’t change a thing!

Thanks, Jessica and Kélissa!

Our campervans can accommodate almost any type of adventure.  Book your Escape campervan and plan your next getaway today!