About Us
America From The Road is all about U.S. travel and outdoor adventure. Here you’ll find destination guides, road trip itineraries, hotel and restaurant recommendations, and more!
From the wild West Coast to the so-called “flyover” states, and from the charming towns of the Northeast to the sunny shores of Florida, America From The Road celebrates the beauty and diversity of travel across the U.S.
Here, you’ll find inspiration for your next adventure—whether it’s a relaxing beach getaway, a bucket-list hike, a weekend city escape, or the ultimate scenic drive.
We have a soft spot for road trips and love sharing detailed itineraries, insider tips, and all the best stops along the way so you can make the most of your journey and discover the incredible places that make America special.
We hope to inspire you to have your own adventure whether it be a weekend getaway or cross-country road trip.
Awards for America From The Road
- 2023: Bronze award for “Best Travel Blog” from North American Travel Journalists Association (press release here)
- 2023: Silver award for “Best Photography in Outdoor & Adventure” category from North American Travel Journalists Association (press release here)
- 2022: Honorable mention for “Best Photography in Landscape” category from North American Travel Journalists Association (press release here)
Arial Evans
Founder of America From The Road
Hi, I’m Arial, a content creator and full-time travel blogger obsessed with road tripping across the U.S. Since 2014, I’ve been writing destination guides and road trip itineraries, so you could say I’m a professional road tripper 😉
On this website, I share beautiful landscapes, overlooked destinations, and unique places worth pulling off the highway for — all to inspire your next adventure!
Along with years of exploring America’s backroads firsthand, I’m also a vetted member of the North American Travel Journalists Association and Society of American Travel Writers. I occasionally collaborate with destination marketing organizations to ensure the information I share is not only inspiring but accurate and up-to-date.
More about me…
You won’t hear the “I quit my corporate job to become a travel blogger” story from me — mostly because I’ve never worked or had any desire to work in the corporate world. The closest I ever came was a short stint in a call center for a ski resort in Mammoth Lakes.
I’ve always had a restless, adventurous spirit. I’m that person who’s constantly wondering Where does that back road lead? What’s around the next bend in the trail? And seriously… what’s in the middle of Nevada???
Answering questions like these has taken up a lot of my time (and plenty of money, too). The upside for you is that I can now help you figure out whether a destination is worth your hard-earned cash, and more importantly, your valuable time.
I started this travel blog in 2014, around the same time my husband (then boyfriend) and I decided to live in a van full-time. To be honest, it wasn’t entirely by choice. We wanted to explore America as deeply as possible — not just passing through for a day here and there, but staying longer in the places we loved so we could really get to know them.
Since hostels aren’t really a thing in the U.S. and constant camping was too much of a headache (after a four week tent-camping road trip in 2013, I swore never again to pack and unpack gear every single day), vanlife felt like the perfect solution. Back then, #Vanlife wasn’t a trend — in fact, it was a little embarrassing to admit you lived in a van. But that didn’t stop us.
And you know what? Full-time vanlife was magical. I watched countless full moons rise over incredible landscapes, spent extended time in national parks most people only dream of visiting, and met amazing people from all walks of life. All because of vanlife.
Some of the places I was lucky enough to call “home” for weeks at a time include Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, and Mount Rainier national parks. Of course, it wasn’t always glamorous. Finding places to shower was a constant battle, as well as finding safe places to park overnight and sleep.
Back in 2015, Google didn’t have the answers. Blogs were mostly personal “dear diary” entries, not practical resources. That’s how I got the idea to create a website with real answers to real road trip questions.
The very first article I published was Where to Park Overnight and Sleep on a Road Trip, followed by 7 Places You Can Shower on a Road Trip. Both have since been read by millions of people!
When I started, it wasn’t about making money — it was about helping others avoid the same mistakes and headaches we went through. Over time, my tips expanded into itineraries and destination guides. By 2018, this passion project had grown into a full-time career. And the rest is history!
From the beginning…
As a kid, I was obsessed with animals, so it’s no surprise my first career was as a zookeeper. It was awesome, but not exactly lucrative, so after a few years I launched my own business running educational reptile shows for schools and birthday parties.
Looking back, that’s probably where my love of road trips began. I often had to travel long distances for events and festivals, and I always took the chance to explore whichever new place I ended up in.
The reptile business was a big success, but after eight years I decided to pursue a formal education in wildlife conservation. I earned a degree in Environmental Science with a double major in Natural Resource Management and Fisheries Management — a path that opened incredible opportunities not just in conservation, but in travel too.
One of the most memorable experiences was working on an orangutan population study in the jungles of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Other projects took me to Nevada tracking desert tortoises, to Seattle monitoring orcas one winter, and all over eastern Washington working on salmon conservation.
My favorite role, though, was serving as a salmon observer aboard commercial fishing boats off Washington’s coast.
Between these jobs and moves, I’ve lived in some amazing places along the West Coast — Mammoth Lakes and Malibu in California, Seaside and Portland in Oregon, and Bellingham and the Tri-Cities in Washington.
Since transitioning into full-time travel writing, I’ve been fortunate to join the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA), and the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). This blog even received a bronze award for Best Travel Blog from NATJA — proof that the journey from zookeeper to road tripper has been worth every detour 🚙💨
Why You Can Trust This Website
Travel planning is overwhelming these days. With so much information online, it’s hard to know what’s accurate, up-to-date, or even written by someone who’s actually been there. That’s where we come in. Here’s what sets America From The Road apart:
- Written by real humans, not machines. Every article is researched, written, and photographed by us. We believe first-hand experience and authenticity matter when it comes to travel advice.
- Slow travel, deep dives. We don’t just “pass through” destinations. We often spend a week or more exploring a place, hiking trails, driving backroads, and yes, “researching” local restaurants — so we can share well-rounded, honest recommendations.
- Respect for your time. We know not everyone has unlimited vacation days. That’s why we highlight the places truly worth visiting, helping you make the most of your valuable time off.
- Comprehensive road trip itineraries. From iconic routes like Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway to under-the-radar drives in Southern Idaho and South Dakota’s Black Hills, our itineraries include distances, suggested travel times, must-see stops, and insider tips.
- Balanced inspiration. We’ll guide you through the can’t-miss highlights of cities like Los Angeles and New York while also putting underrated destinations like Oklahoma City and Milwaukee on your radar.
Our goal is simple, to be your trusted resource for planning unforgettable U.S. road trips and adventures ✌️