Fri May 15 – Wed May 27, 2026
San Diego Chicago
Charging an EV across the American West and back through Utah and Colorado. Out and home, on electrons alone.
- 4,435 miles
- 25 days
- 180 mi tow range
- 39 charge stops
Map loads with JavaScript. Each day page also lists every stop in text below.
13 days out, 12 days back. Round trip on electrons.
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Day 01 · Friday, May 15
San Diego → Gila Bend, AZ
Out of the marine layer, into the Sonoran
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Day 02 · Saturday, May 16
Gila Bend → Holbrook, AZ
Saguaros at dawn, ponderosa at dusk
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Day 03 · Sunday, May 17
Painted Desert + Breaking Bad House
Color-soaked badlands, then Heisenberg's stucco
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Day 04 · Monday, May 18
Albuquerque → Amarillo (Route 66)
Neon, spray paint, and a giant soda bottle's older cousin
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Day 05 · Tuesday, May 19
Amarillo → Oklahoma City → Tulsa
Big sky into red dirt, soda bottle skyline
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Day 06 · Wednesday, May 20
Tulsa rest day + Diana airport pickup
Recover, explore, hug
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Day 07 · Thursday, May 21
Tulsa → Branson, MO
Into the Ozarks with the wife
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Day 08 · Friday, May 22
Branson Day 1 — Silver Dollar City
1880s theme park is closer than you think
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Day 09 · Saturday, May 23
Branson Day 2 — Table Rock Lake
Boats, bass, and brisket
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Day 10 · Sunday, May 24
Branson Day 3 — Dogwood Canyon
Trails, waterfalls, dog-approved
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Day 11 · Monday, May 25
Branson Day 4 — Showboat night
Cheesy in the best way
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Day 12 · Tuesday, May 26
Branson → St. Louis area
Eastward, into the arch's shadow
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Day 13 · Wednesday, May 27
St. Louis → Fox Lake → Chicago
Family in the suburbs, city by sunset
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Day 14 · Thursday, May 28
Chicago → Iowa City, IA
Turn around. The Midwest, rolling backward.
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Day 15 · Friday, May 29
Iowa City → Omaha, NE
Across the cornfields, into the Big Muddy
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Day 16 · Saturday, May 30
Omaha → Ogallala, NE
Nebraska, the long way through
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Day 17 · Sunday, May 31
Ogallala → Denver, CO
The plains begin to lift. Mile High in our sights.
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Day 18 · Monday, Jun 1
Denver → Grand Junction, CO
Over the Rockies — Eisenhower Tunnel, Vail Pass, Glenwood Canyon
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Day 19 · Tuesday, Jun 2
Grand Junction → Moab, UT
Into the red rock — Arches by sunset
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Day 20 · Wednesday, Jun 3
Moab rest day — Canyonlands + Delicate Arch
Two parks, no towing
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Day 21 · Thursday, Jun 4
Moab → Torrey, UT (Capitol Reef)
Goblins and red cliffs on the way to the quietest national park
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Day 22 · Friday, Jun 5
Torrey → Bryce Canyon, UT (Scenic Byway 12)
One of the most beautiful drives in America
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Day 23 · Saturday, Jun 6
Bryce → Zion (Springdale), UT
Around the tunnel — the long way to Zion
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Day 24 · Sunday, Jun 7
Zion → Las Vegas, NV
Out of the rocks, into the neon
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Day 25 · Monday, Jun 8
Las Vegas → San Diego — Home
Closing the loop. 4,400 miles, on electrons alone.
Can an EV tow real weight across the country?
That is the question behind Wattreach. We are taking a Rivian R1T and a 6,000-pound Airstream International over 4,400 miles to see what EV towing feels like in the real world: the torque, the quiet miles, the charging stops, the campsites, and the moments worth pulling over for.
The Rivian R1T can do 420 miles on a charge without a trailer. Pull a 6,000-pound aluminum bullet behind it and you're closer to 180. The country is the same; the planning is not.
We are covering the good, the inconvenient, and the stunningly beautiful parts of EV towing: how the truck handles grades and wind, how we choose charge stops where the trailer fits, and what happens when a station asks us to get creative.
Every day on this trip is documented with the route, the charging plan, the campground, the field notes, and when we make them, the photographs.