My fiancé and I went on a 7-day road trip through 2 national parks. It cost us $1,000 each — here's how we spent our budget.

Kelsey NeubauerApr 1, 2023, 17:45 IST

The author, left, and her fiancé on their road trip.Kelsey Neubauer & Ken Brill

My fiancé and I went on a road trip from Washington, DC, to Asheville, North Carolina.

In one week, we explored Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park.

My fiancé and I are Manhattanites who love adventure and the outdoors. It's on our bucket list to visit all 63 US national parks in our lifetime.

The author, right, and her fiancé Ken on their last hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

For seven days, we decided to budget a little over $1,000 each for all expenses.

On day six of the the trip, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.Ken Brill and Kelsey Neubauer

On the first day, we spent $62 each on train tickets from New York to Washington, DC, to pick up our rental car.

Views of Gunpowder River in Joppatowne, Maryland, on the Amtrak ride from New York to Washington, DC.Kelsey Neubauer

We had dinner in DC for around $50 each at the historic tavern where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie Kennedy.

Reading the menu at Martin's Tavern in Washington, DC.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

Our car-rental pickup was the next morning, so we spent $170 total for an Airbnb in Georgetown.

The dark-gray building with the red door was the Airbnb in Georgetown.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

Our Mitsubishi Outlander cost $343 to rent for seven days, and it became our home base for the trip.

The author's fiancé driving our car along Skyline Drive in ShenandoahKelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

We stocked up on $120 of food for camping days in both national parks.

Supplies included coffee and trail mix as snacks for the road trip.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

En route to Shenandoah National Park, we stocked up on $120 of food to hold us over on our camping days.

Ken outside the cabin at Shenandoah National Park.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

The cabin had a dining area, kitchenette, wood-burning stove, and two queen-sized bunk beds.

Ken drinking a cup of coffee in front of the cabin.Kelsey Neubauer

The first morning in Shenandoah, we hiked out of the woods and drove to the visitor center where we spent $15 each on a small lunch.

Eating a pre-hurricane meal at Big Meadows Lodge.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

Most of our time in Shenandoah was spent in and around the cabin, as the weather was too bad for hiking.

The author near the cabin in Shenandoah National Park.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

On the fourth day of our trip, we packed up camp and paid $5 each for showers at communal campground restrooms.

The view for most of our drive out of Shenandoah National Park was foggy.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

We stopped for gas before driving south in Virginia. In total, we paid about $200 for gas on the trip.

The view from the car along Blue Ridge Parkway.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

Our second Airbnb, a cabin in Galax, Virginia, cost $140 for the night. We spent an extra $10 to do laundry and $30 on dinner.

A view from the porch of the tiny Airbnb cabin in Galax, Virginia.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

The next day we drove through more of Virginia, and then through all of North Carolina, spending $50 at a Whole Foods in Asheville, before heading to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

The next day we drove through more of Virginia, and then through all of North Carolina, spending $50 at a Whole Foods in Asheville, before heading to the Great Smoky Mountains.

We made it to the Great Smoky Mountains and spent $25 on an entry pass for the car.

The entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

It cost $50 total for two nights at a campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

On a hike near our campground.Ken Brill

After leaving the Great Smoky Mountains, we drove east back to Asheville and stayed at a boutique hotel with free breakfast for $100.

At the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, our last stop on the parkway.Ken Brill

For a night on the town, we spent around $120 total to enjoy North Carolina-style BBQ and some craft beers.

Inside Luella's BBQ in Asheville, North Carolina.Kelsey Neubauer and Ken Brill

For the final leg of our journey home, we flew from Asheville to Newark for $159 per person.

On the plane ride home to New York from Asheville.Ken Brill and Kelsey Neubauer

We were both impressed we only spent $2,000 for an incredible, week-long vacation.

Mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway.Kelsey Neubauer

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My fiancé and I went on a 7-day road trip through 2 national parks. It cost us $1,000 each &mdash; here's how we spent our budget.

My fiancé and I are Manhattanites who love adventure and the outdoors. It's on our bucket list to visit all 63 US national parks in our lifetime.

For seven days, we decided to budget a little over $1,000 each for all expenses.

On the first day, we spent $62 each on train tickets from New York to Washington, DC, to pick up our rental car.

We had dinner in DC for around $50 each at the historic tavern where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie Kennedy.

Our car-rental pickup was the next morning, so we spent $170 total for an Airbnb in Georgetown.

Our Mitsubishi Outlander cost $343 to rent for seven days, and it became our home base for the trip.

We stocked up on $120 of food for camping days in both national parks.

En route to Shenandoah National Park, we stocked up on $120 of food to hold us over on our camping days.

The cabin had a dining area, kitchenette, wood-burning stove, and two queen-sized bunk beds.

The first morning in Shenandoah, we hiked out of the woods and drove to the visitor center where we spent $15 each on a small lunch.

Most of our time in Shenandoah was spent in and around the cabin, as the weather was too bad for hiking.

On the fourth day of our trip, we packed up camp and paid $5 each for showers at communal campground restrooms.

We stopped for gas before driving south in Virginia. In total, we paid about $200 for gas on the trip.

Our second Airbnb, a cabin in Galax, Virginia, cost $140 for the night. We spent an extra $10 to do laundry and $30 on dinner.

The next day we drove through more of Virginia, and then through all of North Carolina, spending $50 at a Whole Foods in Asheville, before heading to the Great Smoky Mountains.

We made it to the Great Smoky Mountains and spent $25 on an entry pass for the car.

It cost $50 total for two nights at a campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

After leaving the Great Smoky Mountains, we drove east back to Asheville and stayed at a boutique hotel with free breakfast for $100.

For a night on the town, we spent around $120 total to enjoy North Carolina-style BBQ and some craft beers.

For the final leg of our journey home, we flew from Asheville to Newark for $159 per person.

We were both impressed we only spent $2,000 for an incredible, week-long vacation.

My fiancé and I went on a 7-day road trip through 2 national parks. It cost us $1,000 each — here's how we spent our budget.