Raejean & Tessie’s photographic EV road trip

Red rocks, dinosaur prints, Sawtooth Mountains, High Sierra wilderness, and wildflowers

By Raejean Fellows: Past President, Electric Auto Association; Director, Plug In America

Little Redfish Lake, Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho - Photo by Raejean Fellows

“Tessie” is what I call my Tesla Model S 90-D, and since her birth in 2017, she has been a faithful companion. 

I owe quite a lot to Tessie. Not only has she kept me more than comfortable, she has entertained me with all sorts of options on her 17-inch screen. No matter what the highway traffic conditions, with her autosteer and advanced cruise control, it is a relaxing, safe journey with Tessie as my co-pilot. She has rescued me when inattentive drivers have attempted to merge into me, and when I have been inattentive to cars up ahead. She has agreed to countless Electric Auto Association (EAA) outreach displays, including an event in San Diego’s Balboa Park where she allowed dozens of potential electric vehicle (EV) buyers to hop into her. This when she was only a few weeks old!

I was privileged to work with Elaine Borseth in the very active San Diego EAA chapter, EV Association of San Diego, as well as on the Board of the EAA, and was well aware of her legacy of long road trips, both across the country, and more recently, along the Oregon Coast. Elaine was the one who inspired me to venture out on my own. I thought, what fun, why not? What was holding me back? 

As Tessie’s fourth birthday approached, I realized that a road trip was in order and that it was time to overcome my doubts. And with pandemic restrictions, we hadn’t celebrated her third birthday at all. This year, we would make up for all that. 

Raejean and Tessie’s road trip map

Planning makes a difference

Tessie had a definite take on how to proceed. “You’d better plan ahead,“ she said to me. “I don’t want to stay at just any old hotel.”

So, we settled on Marriotts. She also insisted on my planning all of our stops… on Roadtrippers. We would be traveling 2800 miles across five states in 19 days, and Tesie clearly did not want to go hungry. 

Naturally, I asked my EV road trip guru buddy, Elaine, for suggestions. She recommended a small, battery-powered, $8 lantern for ambient light, good for both inside and outside the car. Also on her list was an old-fashioned road atlas to use in case I traveled out of internet range. In the end, I didn’t need the atlas, but it made me feel much more secure to have it on hand.   

Pioneer Park, St. George, Utah - Photo by Raejean Fellows

What would it be like to drive all those miles solo?

I was still asking myself that question all the way up until the day of our departure. The answer was unexpected. Instead of feeling lonely, I was full of joy and adventure as I headed out each day. I found that I listened to the radio/music/news far less than I had thought I would. I was surprised to experience the sense of peace in the silence of the road and in traveling alone. I did not fear for my physical safety even once.

What were the most memorable parts of the trip? That’s very hard to say—just look at the photos. Stanley and Sun Valley, Idaho are definitely at the top of the list. Those Sawtooth Mountains with their stunning peaks, gorgeous rivers, and  cascading streams are unforgettable. As for chargers—Tessie’s favorite was in Hesperia, California. The juice there was so sweet and quick. My favorite was the new charger in Hines, Oregon, that connected the Supercharger dots for me. Thank you, Elon!

Snake River Gorge, Idaho. Photo by Raejean Fellows

Vivid memories…

Funny enough, it’s not Zion National Park where I wish to return (so overcrowded these days), but Snow Canyon State Park in Utah, and the Kayenta area nearby. I have photographs of these and so many other places,  and of course I was thrilled that my photography improved due to the Dan Ballard Photography workshop I took in Stanley.

The trip wouldn’t have been the same without visiting friends and family along the way. Of course, that was largely because it was so good to connect with folks I hadn’t seen in a long time, especially given the pandemic. But it was also because of the moments the visits provided, such as when I attended an impromptu concert with family members Bob and Marnie. Sitting in deck chairs in their next door neighbor’s driveway in Hideout, Utah, we listened while the band—guitars, sax, and drums—played lively foot-tapping tunes—blues, rock, Grateful Dead—in the fresh mountain air (7,000 feet). 

Tessie hopes that our trip will help EV drivers understand that they need not worry about finding charging juice no matter how far away from home they travel. Electricity is clean, plentiful, available wherever you need it, and becoming easier to gulp down quickly. In fact, Tessie was a little worried she’d put on a few pounds during our vacation. 

Bottom line message: the remote areas of our country are so beautiful and completely accessible by EV. Don’t forget about the state parks. Be sure you take your camera for the memories.  

And any woman eager to take a solo EV adventure should do it. Just make a plan and hit the road.

For a more detailed account of Raejean and Tessie’s EV Roadtrip, see Raejean’s blog.

Zion National Park, Utah - Photo by Raejean Fellows