8K+ miles Road Trip. 2019 Model S Senior Couple National Parks Bucket list Trip week 1 of 8.

[KonaGold]

Aloha All,

Reporting on our 1st week of 8 week road trip covering 22 States and 8k+ miles.
Using Superchargers or Destination chargers whenever possible.
Feel free to ask any questions.


We are in our 2019 Model S with 100k miles. Supercharging free for the life of the Model S.
My driving habits.
Heavy on the pedal and like to pass slow vehicles to maintain time to cover distance in travelling.
but can add range if needed and will cruise 55mph to the next charger.

Day 1 started with 92% charge.
San Diego 7pm to El Centro 9pm added 15% charge (ate at Olive Garden nearby at closing)
El Centro Supercharger 1015pm to Quartzsite Supercharger 1am. 1hr charge time. (nearby is Terrible's good bathrooms and snacks/souveniers)
Quartzsite 2am to Prescott 4am (I don't recommend the drive at night. lots of dips with blind shadows and the mountain switchbacks).

stayed at Hilton Garden Inn and used the Springhill Suites Tesla charger 2 separate times. parked and plugged in free.

Day 3 started with 98% charge.
Prescott 11am to Costco to Jerome Az 4pm (Lunch) to Sedona 7pm charged to 90% (incredible sun set light display) then to Page, AZ 1130pm

Day 5 used Page Supercharger to 92%
9am Page to Kanab (lunch) to Zion 2pm stayed at Cliffrose Curio for 3 nights with 2 Tesla Chargers (ice vehicles will park at Tesla spaces. recommend asking front desk to set cones to reserve your charging. Cords are long enough for other side parking).

Day 8 started with 99% charge

Cliffrose Curio 545am to Orderville (best coffee pastry in the southern Utah) to Bryce Canyon including up to Rainbow Point at 9k+ elevation. to Richfield Supercharger (app said arrive at 2% casually cruised down the mountain without hitting the brakes and cruised 60mph for the 1st 40 miles. Then resumed normal Heavy foot driving. Arrived at Richfield with 9%. Charged to 75% then to Lehi, Utah by Salt lake with 24%

Today will head to Jackson Wy and Yellowstone for a week.

Mahalo to all

Kona

 

[theocguy]

Can’t wait to read the rest of the weeks. Be safe and have fun.

 

[JimS]

Are you playing it by ear, or did you carefully plan and make reservations at all these National Parks?

How 'bout some pictures?

Mahalo and Aloha!

 

[bradtem]

It is saddening that the drive through southern Utah to Bryce, Escalante, Canyonlands, Arches etc. is off the supercharger network. It's one of the best in the USA. You can pull it of with overnight charging stays, barely.

 

[KonaGold]

Aloha!
Carefully planned since early February.
However, any local knowledge we will adjust the trip. Example swapping Montezuma's Castle for Jerome Az...
Currently in Jackson Hole, Wy for Grand Tetons til early Sat. Heading to Yellowstone early 4am. Route is attached. A couple of pics from the Tetons.

 

[bradtem]

It's quite a detour, but you are missing the Beartooth, and the staggered pools of the North gate. I hear they have lost their colour in modern times, though. Beartooth would be fun in a Tesla if you went early morning when it was empty and you could do it fast. No need to adjust your carb, either!

 

[KonaGold]

Aloha

bradtem, concur with the no carb (passing slower vehicles are a breeze when travelling, especially up hill. On downhills the ice cars catch up but waste their brakes hard when slowing down on steep grade curves. while the Tesla gains energy (gained 5% going down Rainbow Pt above Bryce Canyon). Leaving Yellowstone, I was going north through Mammoth springs to Big Timber to Billings, however just found out Canyon Lodge & Cabins has EV chargers, I'll fill up then via Mammoth Springs head out to Lamar Valley then to Billings MT (just over 200 miles).
Pic of Slot Canyon Page AZ

 

[phishphan]

It is saddening that the drive through southern Utah to Bryce, Escalante, Canyonlands, Arches etc. is off the supercharger network. It's one of the best in the USA. You can pull it of with overnight charging stays, barely.

Yes, it is. We’re heading down there in July for four days and have to rely on destination charging. Luckily our hotel for two nights has level 2 charging and the cabin for 2 nights has a Tesla wall charger.

 

[bradtem]

Yes, it is. We’re heading down there in July for four days and have to rely on destination charging. Luckily our hotel for two nights has level 2 charging and the cabin for 2 nights has a Tesla wall charger.

When I evaluate if my electric car has required me to accept any compromises, this is a special class. While I know that most rural areas won't have fast charging for a while, and few have it now, there are a variety of roads that are the "special drives" that it is sad to miss out on (or to have to drive with some compromise of hotel choice and schedule as you will.)

Now, some chargers are put in to sell electricity, though not very many as it's not really a business. But those chargers won't show up on the great routes because traffic will be modest -- it's close to zero EVs today. However, originally the SC network was built so people buying Teslas could know that they could do road trips in them. I see merit in having lightly used fast chargers on the great routes if you're just trying to promote EVs, or the businesses along the routes want to promote more trips on them. How to pay for them is the challenge. For now Tesla seems more inclined to beef up chargers in cities and interstates that fix the blank spots on the map.

 

[Tinkerin]

Has anyone travelled the Beartooth Highway this year? It is hard to tell if the recent closures of the North and Northeast entrances of Yellowstone due to the June flooding are the only ones - Apple Maps suggests that one of the closures may re-open late July. But there are three - hard to tell whether one of them is longer term.

If it is open I really would like to drive it from West Yellowstone (destination charged to 100%) which ABRP shows plenty of battery to make Billings SC. Even if US 212 is not open - ABRP shows Sheridan is achievable directly east through Cody, or the no-anxiety route north with all the superchargers direct to I90. Ultimately need to be in Deadwood, SD that evening. Won’t be there until the end of August - here’s hoping road crews can make some headway before then.

I haven’t been to Yellowstone since I was very young - looking forward to exploring the park over several days before trying Beartooth. West Yellowstone looks well equipped to make it possible with a M3LR