Tooling around Utah parks in a VW camper van

28/09/2008 18:10. (09-28) 04:00 PDT Moab , Utah -- The scene is part Kerouac, part Corona beer ad:

I'm in a warm and cactus-studded desert, slouched comfortably in a camp chair, savoring a paisley-tangerine sunset. To my left, shrimp the size of plantains are sizzling on a hibachi. To my right, beer is chilling in a slushy cooler. And behind me stands my home, my wheels and the linchpin of my retirement dreams: a Volkswagen pop-top camper.

A word on finances: Renting a camper van is not necessarily a way to save money. Ours cost $1,105 for the week, including linen rentals and mileage; that's $145 a day. Plus, we spent $15 to $25 a night on campgrounds. Add it up, and that's more or less what it would cost to stay in motels and rent a compact car. (If there are three or four of you, of course, the math... // San Francisco Chronicle