Many people think that travel must be a costly endeavor. It doesn't have to be. A couple of years ago, I completed a 22 day road trip to many amazing national parks for just over $600! The cost for last year's 27 night journey from Chicago to the Pacific Coast amounted to just under $1,000. If I factor the revenues from the sales of my photos from these trips into the equation, these trips were free of cost.

The cost of my last 23 day Desert Southwest Road Trip was a bit higher. Rather than camping every night, I stayed in hotels for four of the nights. I also incurred higher entertainment costs than in previous trips. The cost of the trip was just under $1,200, excluding food. With food, it came to just under $1,500. Here is a breakdown of the costs by category:

Lodging ($561)

Most of the time, I camped (Prius camping) in private or national park campgrounds. I stayed at a Hampton Inn in Denver for a night and another Hampton Inn for two nights in Phoenix. I also stayed at the Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Gas and Tolls ($378)

My new Prius achieves great gas mileage. This trip covered 5,155 miles. The Prius averaged 56.0 mpg over the entire trip.

Entertainment ($199)

Entertainment consists mostly of park and tour fees. Nearly $140 was allocated to tours of the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. I toured the Missouri State Penitentiary with a former warden of the facility. Entrance fees to several parks are included in this total: Natural Bridges National Monument, Chaco Canyon Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, and Mesa Verde National Park along with the related tours of the ruins. I also visited the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri.

Ice ($22)

Most mornings, I purchased a bag of ice for the cooler in my car.

TOTAL ($1,160)

In addition, the cost of food throughout the trip was $327.

How do I know these costs so precisely? I simply enter each expense on my phone as it is incurred using an application called "Travel Budget". I do it more out or curiosity than anything else.

While many people think it costs thousands of dollars to take a 23 day trip to so many amazing locations, the fact is that it can be done for a very low cost. Keep in mind that there would have been a cost to stay home as well (gas, entertainment, utilities, etc.)!

If past history is any indication, it won't be long before sales of the photographs from this Desert Southwest Road Trip eliminate the cost of the trip entirely.