Our Road Trip Adventures With An Electric Car

We took a road trip last summer and had the best time exploring in Utah, Idaho, and Oregon. We chose those states simply for the appeal of the outdoor activities and scenery they offer. As you’ll see, there were plenty of family-friendly things to do and we enjoyed our trip.

Trips are unique to each traveller depending on the length of stay, purpose of the trip, and travel style. Therefore, my intent for sharing about our trip is to give you an insight into the area, along with our experience and helpful tips. My goal is to help you simplify the planning of your trip, and your experience while you visit.

Where We Went

When we planned our trip our goal was to relax, hike, and simply explore the area . Our trip was eighteen days long, but could easily be shortened to two weeks. We prepared an itinerary in advance, and were open to changing our plans as needed. Our goal was to relax and not to overload our days with constant activities.

During this trip, we traveled by car to:

  • St. George, Utah
  • Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Boise, Idaho
  • Sunriver, Oregon

Here’s an overview of the beautiful places we visited, and still stand out in my mind … our trip highlights.

Utah

Zion National Park

Zion National Park was on our list of places to visit, so it was the first place we went to. It was approximately a 45 minute drive from St. George, and we enjoyed the scenery along the way. At Zion National Park, we did a couple of the easy hikes and used the shuttle service to return to the Visitor Center. It was a hot day, but we were prepared with plenty of water, hats, and sunscreen. We also picked hikes that offered lots of shade.

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park is a beautiful community park that offers beautiful city views from the top of its rocks. We went there twice. The first time we went there, we drove around just take in the views and beauty of the rocks. The next day, we went there again to walk around and climb on the rocks. The views were spectacular!

Utah State Capitol

Whenever we travel to a capital city, we find it interesting to visit the Capitol Building. So, while in Salt Lake City, we decided to visit their Capitol Building. We did a self-guided tour and enjoyed the architecture and history. It took us around two hours to browse and learn during our visit.

Natural History Museum of Utah

Our trip to the Natural History Museum of Utah did not disappoint. It’s always impressive to see full-sized dinosaur skeletons and fossils. We enjoyed the various exhibits both indoors and outdoors. It was a great to learn more about Utah’s past.

Idaho

Freak Alley Gallery

We’d heard about the Freak Alley Gallery before our trip, so it was on our itinerary. The day we arrived in Boise, we headed straight to downtown to browse this spectacular display of murals. Browsing the murals and walking around downtown was a fun way to spend our first evening in Boise. There were plenty of restaurants set up for outdoor eating, so we enjoyed dinner in downtown after browsing the murals.

Old State Penitentiary

The Old State Penitentiary was an interesting place to tour and learn some local history. Some of it is in ruins due to a fire, but for the most part there were plenty of buildings to view and learn about. It took us less than two hours to do our self-guided tour.

Kathryn Albertson Park

The Kathryn Albertson Park was much more beautiful than I’d expected. We decided to go take a walk there one evening after dinner, and were impressed by the beautiful setting and variety of habitats. The evening was the perfect time for our visit. The weather was not too hot, and the lighting was great for pictures.

Oregon

Sunriver Resort

The highlight of our stay at the Sunriver Resort, was the peaceful environment and views it offered. The many walkways and bike paths within the resort were the ideal for relaxing and disconnecting from everything else. Of all the places we visited during our trip, this is the place that stands out and we hope to return to.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

A visit to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument was on our list of places to see, and it didn’t disappoint! We took an easy hike and appreciate the land and views. The visitor center offered a lot of helpful information, so we enjoyed learning during our visit.

How We Got Around The Cities

We drove our car everywhere we went. Even at the resort in Sunriver, we drove to the village area and then walked to the restaurants and shops. The house we stayed at wasn’t exactly walking distance to the village, but we knew that when we booked it and we’re fine with that.

We traveled in a Tesla car, and it was pretty comfortable and enjoyable. Locating Supercharger stations was simple, and it generally took us about 20 minutes to charge the car. We actually welcomed those stops because it was a nice way to take a break and stretch or grab a snack. During our longer drive days going from one city to another, we coordinated the car’s charging times with our meal times. Then, we simply selected Supercharger stations located near restaurants so we could eat while the car was charging.

Where We Stayed

At each of the cities we visited, we stayed in homes we rented through Airbnb. Since we were traveling for eighteen days, we definitely wanted the convenience of having a kitchen and laundry facilities. During this trip, we wanted the convenience of being able to enjoy homemade meals. We also wanted to be able to pack light by having access to laundry facilities. Since we were using an electric vehicle for this road trip, we made sure some of the homes we stayed at were equipped with a car charger.

Where We Ate

Since we stayed in homes at each city, we cooked meals most days. Part of the appeal of staying in a home while traveling, is being able to cook at home. Constantly eating meals out during a long trip like this one, isn’t appealing to us. To keep things simple, I used a grocery delivery service at each of the cities we visited.

How We Planned For Hot Weather

When planning our trip, we knew the weather would be hot. These are some of the ways we customized our plans for that, besides just ensuring each of the places we stayed at offered air conditioning:

  • We planned our hiking excursions for either early in the morning or in the late afternoon.
  • When the temperatures were highest, we opted for visiting the museums in lieu of hiking.
  • In St. George, we stayed in a townhome located in an HOA that included a community pool.
  • In Salt Lake City, We also took a day trip to Park City, since we knew the weather would be perfect there. I highly recommend that! Park City was beautiful, and the weather was perfect for enjoying a meal outdoors.
  • In Sunriver, the weather was generally pleasant during the day but we still found it ideal to visit the village in the late afternoon. The weather was perfect then, for eating outdoors and walking around,.

Overall, we really enjoyed this road trip and got to see a lot at each of the areas we visited. It was a great way to spend time together, while learning something new everywhere we went. I can’t wait to see where our next adventure will take us!

How about you? Do you enjoy road trips?