Where we are
69°FMoabStart hereSubscribe- National ParksRoute 66 in Ten Days: Our Honest Itinerary3 days ago
- National ParksOur First National Park Trip: Arches at Sunrise4 days ago
- National ParksThe Night Drive That Changed How We Travel6 days ago
- National ParksHow We Got the Annual Parks Pass to Pay for Itself6 days ago
- National ParksFall Colors: A Five-Day Loop Through New England1 week ago
SAM & MAYA · ON THE ROAD SINCE 2021
Honest road-trip itineraries, national park guides and the real cost of living in a van.
Sam Ortiz
Maya Ortiz
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Written by
Sam & Maya Ortiz
On the road in UtahWe’re Sam and Maya. We sold most of our stuff, bought an old van and have driven 61,000 miles of two-lane roads since.
Road TripsNational ParksVan LifeCar Care & Gear
61kMiles driven
38States
29National parks
THE ROUTE SO FAR
Our home base is Denver — but home is wherever the van is parked.
Miles driven by state
Our top states since 2021 (from our trip log).
EXPLORE
Most read
Road Trips
Itineraries, routes and long drives.
National Parks
61k
Miles driven
Since spring 2021.
- Canyonlands sunrise
- Capitol Reef pie stand
- Bryce Canyon in snow
- Home to Denver for Christmas
Next stops
Van Life
Postcards From the Road
Where we are, one route worth driving and one honest lesson. Join 15,000 travelers.
Send me postcardsCar Care & Gear
Tires, checklists and kits.
Members
Road Crew
Full itineraries, free.
Series
A Year in the Van
The honest version, in four parts.
READER FAVORITES
Route 66 in Ten Days: Our Honest Itinerary
Diners, ghost towns and the stretches nobody tells you about.
Read More
Our First National Park Trip: Arches at Sunrise
Why we set three alarms and never regretted it.
Read More
We Lived in a Van for a Year. Here’s What It Cost
Fuel, food, campsites and the repair that almost ended it.
Read More
How to Change a Flat Tire (We Learned the Hard Way)
A step-by-step guide from two people who once didn’t know.
Read More
How We Got the Annual Parks Pass to Pay for Itself
Seven parks, one pass, plenty of savings.
Read More
RECENT
Fellow travelers
OUR STORY
What a year of van life really cost us.
@two.lanes
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If you’re rushing, you’re not traveling. You’re commuting.
— Sam & Maya
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