About Us
Welcome!👋 We’re Jonathan and Kelly, the founders of Road Trip Locals. In 2019, we started traveling with our pup, Lincoln, and quickly found out we all love the road. Soon, we packed up our things, moved across the country (to be MFFLs 🏀 - #mavsfansforlife - when we’re not on the road), and committed to adventuring half the year.
With Lincoln in tow, road trips are the most realistic form of travel for us, and because we both work full-time, we tend to stay in one place for more than a few days. We didn’t know it yet, but this is how the Road Trip Local was born. (<— Click that link to read more of our story!)
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
In 2019, we spent: one week in Virginia Beach, VA • one week in Raleigh, NC • one week in Asheville, NC
In 2020, we spent: one week in Houston, TX • 10 days in Dallas, TX • one night in Scranton, PA (any Office fans here?!) • two weeks near Winsor, CT • one month in Charlotte, NC • two months in Virginia Beach, VA • two months in Bryson City, NC • one week at a Llama Ranch and Rescue outside of Houston, TX • one week in New Orleans • plus we took a 6-week road trip through New Mexico!
In 2021, we settled into two distinct “seasons” for our lives: a basketball season and a travel season. During our 2021 travel season, we took a 3.5-month road trip through Colorado and Utah, spending: one week in Trinidad, CO • two weeks in Durango, CO • 10 days in Carbondale, CO • a long weekend in Denver, CO • one month in Winter Park, CO • one week in Moab, UT • one week in Salt Lake City, UT • one month in Kanab, UT
In 2022, we spent the All-Star break during basketball season with one week in Napa Valley, CA, and one week in Yosemite. For our 2022 travel season, we took a 5-month road trip through Ontario and New England, spending: two weeks in Ohio • one week in Ocean City, MD • three weeks in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (between Toronto and Niagara Falls) • two weeks in VT • a long weekend camping at Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park • three weeks near Lake Placid, NY • one month in Campton, NH • three weeks in Ellsworth, ME, near Acadia NP • three weeks in Attleboro, MA (spending Halloween night in Salem!)
In 2023, we spent All-Star break in Yellowstone’s winter wonderland. (Then, we went back to Yellowstone for a long weekend in mid-May to visit Yellowstone in all four seasons in one calendar year!) We kicked off our 2023 Travel Season with a three-week Great Alaskan Road Trip to visit Alaska’s 8 national parks. Then we took a 2.5-month Rocky Mountain Road Trip, spending: one week in Denver, CO • five days in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks • three weeks in Calgary, Canada • 10 days roadtripping the Icefields Parkway • one night in Waterton Lakes National Park • one week near Glacier National Park • three weeks in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks • one week in Grand Junction, CO • & one day at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico (during the 2023 solar eclipse!)
For 2024, we bought Lincoln’s Lodge, which sits one mile from the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park! We visited in January, February, April, May, and July. After a quick winter road trip to Big Bend National Park, we spent our 2024 Summer Travel Season with four weeks in Gardiner, MT, including a 10-day road trip to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. We’re planning a Winter Travel Season to spend five weeks exploring the Southeast.
Our Road Trips
About Road Trip Locals (RTLs)
We help you plan bucket list road trips for life’s most fun celebrations!
We believe road trips are the best way to see and experience a new destination. After falling in love with so many incredible places across the US and Canada, we created Road Trip Locals to help you experience their magic, too.
✨ birthdays | anniversaries | graduations | retirements | honeymoons | babymoons | milestones | new beginnings | holiday traditions | family vacations | weekend getaways | “just because” trips ✨
Through our Customizable Travel Guides, Yellowstone Lodging, and Travel Blog, we’re on a mission to help you celebrate any and all seasons with an unforgettable road trip!
Featured in:
April 1, 2023 | Forbes | Do I Need Travel Insurance For My Summer Road Trip?
July 12, 2023 | Voyage Utah | Community Highlights: Meet Jonathan and Kelly Welch of Road Trip Locals
July 19, 2024 | We were featured in a Redfin article! Check it out here: Roaming for Relocation: Plan your road trip to find your new home
Start With One of Our Favorite Trips
Wicked Good: 10-Day New England Summer Road Trip
The Great Alaskan Road Trip: Kenai Fjords (7-Part Travelogue)
2021 Travel Season: 3.5 Month Road Trip in Colorado & Utah
Your Guide to Visiting Yellowstone NP in the Winter
Peaks, Pints, and Fireflies: 7-Day NC Road Trip
A Foodie Road Trip Near Stowe, Vermont
10 Jaw-Dropping Things to See Near Kanab, Utah
Dogs are limited in Yellowstone, but there are still ways to enjoy the park with your best furry friend. From scenic drives to nearby pet-friendly hikes, this guide covers the best things to do with dogs in and around Yellowstone!