The general outline for this entire trip was one day of driving, checking into the AirBnb during the evening, having 1 full day to explore the area and then leaving the next morning for another full day of driving. The only exception was San Antonio where we decided to stay an extra night.

AirBnb
I booked every AirBnB weeks in advance. The process was easy and only took a span of a few hours to book accommodations for the entire trip. Use my referral link if you need an account! The only reason why I took so long is because I needed to plan out where the stops would be, and I’m really picky about location, reviews, and whether the area would be suitable for Duke. My budget was also $50 a night (not including fees) which meant that we would have to be staying in a room within people’s houses rather than having our own apartment.

Some key factors that made our stays amazing:
-Very welcoming hosts who already have experience with AirBnb
It’s a great way to get to know people and get a local’s perspective on the best of what each location has to offer.
-Being close to highways but 10/15min away from tourist areas
I wanted to be able to access the craziness when I wanted, but also sit back and chill (with dogs) during off times. 
-Privacy
Who wouldn’t book the place with a separate bathroom or your own patio area?
-Great common/outdoor areas for Duke
Corey still had to work, so being able to sit in a backyard or by the pool made “work” much more bearable
-READ REVIEWS! You’re going to be in a stranger’s home. Don’t pick sketchy neighborhoods where your car might be stolen. Don’t live with potential creepers. No old creaky houses. I’m not looking to be haunted by a ghost!

Weaverville, NC  –> $126 (2 nights)
New Orleans, LA  –> $125 (2 nights)
San Antonio, TX  –>$158 (3 nights)
Las Cruces, NM  –>$110 (2 nights)
-TOTAL: $519

Gas
When I used the Roadtrippers App they estimated that my total cost for gas would be $620. Luckily, gas prices are much lower across the US (except Cali) than they expected. Pretty much the entire trip until we got to Hollywood, gas prices ranged from $1.60/gallon to $1.85/gallon.

Corey and I made an effort to fill up the tank every time it was half full. Typically this coincided with us switching drivers or needing to use the restroom. If we were on a well travelled highway where we knew gas stations would be at every exit, we waited until we had a quarter tank left, but during times of sketchy late night Texas/Arizona driving, it was always half a tank. Plus who knows what crazy detour you’ll be forced to take due to major highway closures in Texas. Ughhhhh….

Anyways, gas jumped to $3.18/gallon and even $4.06/gallon at one place I saw in California. It was nice while it lasted.
–TOTAL to cover the route we took plus detours and driving wherever we needed to to get the best food around: $326

Snacks & Drug Store Stuff
During our long days of driving we ate breakfast/lunch in the car. Having a ton of healthy snacks also made the trip more bearable. We packed a packing cube with fresh fruit (apples, pears, and oranges), dried bananas, jerky, kale chips, taro chips, granola bars, peanut butter, and had bottles of water on hand. Every time we arrived at a location, this bag always came with us so we could have breakfast the next morning or midnight snacks, and to keep the food from going bad. I would definitely recommend doing this. Healthy snacks are a must!

We also bought a ton of Starbucks Double Shot cans and kept those in the car for caffeine emergencies. At one point, I was attacked by mosquitos and needed Benadryl and cortisone cream.

We splurged a lot in this category…
–TOTAL (Wholefoods and Coop Grocery store): $210
-TOTAL (CVS and 2 Walgreens trips): $135

Fine Dining
We ate at a restaurant on average of once a day. And when we went out to eat, we didn’t hold back at all! Drinks weren’t involved majority of the time, but each place included 1-2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and possible dessert. We’re proud foodies.
–TOTAL: $661

Other
Souvenirs from chili store in NOLA: $27
Sleds and souvenirs from White Sands: $42
We weren’t charged admission although it would’ve been $5pp
Starbucks and McDonalds: $36
Parking at SXSW: $30
Parking at French Quarter: $25
–TOTAL: $160

GRAND TOTAL= $2011

This is definitely a lot for 2 people to spend over the course of 10 days. Taking into consideration that we would’ve needed to relocate to Cali anyways, getting two people, a dog, a car, and our more important belongings across the country for $2K while splurging on food and exploring various cities, this trip was so worth it! It was basically a free road trip since flights for all of us and shipping a car would’ve totaled the same amount.

For anyone who’s considering taking a road trip, costs depend greatly on how and where you spend. Luckily gas was really cheap for us. We also only paid for parking only twice in our entire trip. We also didn’t spend much on drinks. If you go bar hopping and plan on driving the western coast, I can totally see charges racking up pretty quickly.

Although we were on the road for 1.5 weeks, it felt extremely rushed. We were basically on the road driving every other day for 8-14 hours. It was actually two 12 hour drives and two 14 hour drives. Just one 8 hour drive. And we hustled! Driving meant driving. Only time we stopped was for gas and restrooms. So if you plan on lumping your drives so that you can do a large chunk at a time and then have more time to explore, don’t expect to be socializing and having the time of your life with whoever you’re driving with. Whenever we switched drivers, it was because the driver was tired, and as soon as we switched they normally knocked out. Our first leg of the trip was 14+ hours and it flew by because we were so exhausted from not sleeping the previous night that passenger just slept for 2-3 hour chunks. We had to strategically plan on sleep because if the passenger was wide awake, they were tired by the time it was their turn to drive or bored out of their minds and painfully restless.

Also, we each got a speeding ticket. It sucks, but we also expected it. I was driving the same speed as every other car on the highway and got pulled over in VA for going 79 on a 60. I still need to call and figure out the cost of that.

As for a travel partner, make sure you both know what you’re getting yourself into and have the same interests/expectations. I can totally see how this could ruin a friendship! Haha! We were both very easy going and flexible with timing. We also had food as a priority rather than visiting museums or doing other activities.

Overall, it was a such a great experience! I know we’ll do it again in the future. What would’ve been ideal was driving for 1 full day and then staying at each location for 4-5 days. That would’ve definitely broke the bank though.