Saturday, March 27, 2010

Day 5 of our Trip

We have traveled through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and are now outside of Savannah, Georgia. The things I have used the most with Seymour are his leash (obviously)and a bungee cord. It has been so helpful to hook him to a tree or something when I'm setting up camp or just want to sit outside.

We have found that all State parks so far have allowed pets that are on a 6 ft. leash. The park I'm in now Skidaway Island State Park is very pet friendly. They also have pet stations with plastic bags and disposals for pet "poop". I like that they consider your pet and expect a clean environment.

All of the State rest stops have had pet areas that are clean and not too far from the buildings. It's a pet peeve of mine when they put the pet area near the highway or in the back weeds. I wish they would allow pets in buildings if they are in carriers.

I tried to take a tour of a NASA Rocket Testing facility jut across the boarder in Miss. from LA. I guess I understand why they wouldn't allow pets - even in a carrier unless they are a service dog, but I still feel that the USA has a long way to go before we are as pet-friendly as Europe.

Almost everyone has been friendly except in Auburn, Alabama. I'm not sure why, but only one person grudgingly said hi as we were walking. I'm used to Texas where you say hi to most everyone. My van door broke in the parking lot of Walmart there and I was trying to fix it for about 30 minutes and no one came by to ask if I needed help. That was strange to me.

But, I have found that having Seymour with me is much more beneficial than it is a deterrent. Most people seem to be pet lovers and when they see Seymour, I often get a better camping site - or a camping site when they first tell me that they are full. Always remember to mention your cute pet. I always say, "I'm traveling across country with my dog. It's just me and my dog." They sometimes breaks the ice.

We will be heading into Savannah today and then up the east coast. Hopefully, we'll find more pet-friendly people on our journey.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

One Day and Counting

Tomorrow morning we start on our first long trip - 2 weeks in a camper van. I have most of Seymour's things packed. we have:
1. Canned and dry dog food (his favorite kind) - and bowls.
2. Chicken tender strips (the only treat he will eat)
3. Purse/carrier - this is a "must" to be able to sometimes take him places he may not be allowed to go - in an emergency.
4. Picture of him
5. Immunization records
6. Small airplane-sized soft-sided carrier. He sleeps in that when he's not sleeping with me.
7. Clothes - sweaters, shirts,and Velcro vest (that often replaces his collar when we walk since he seems to scratch no matter which collar I try)
8. Blankets
9. His water bottle - can't leave home without it.

I made sure he had his heart worm treatment already so I don't have to worry about giving it to him on the road. I'm also going to give him a bath today and later do the preventative flea treatment. He had his nails clipped last week and although they grow quickly, he should be fine for another couple of weeks.

I just paid for 30 days on my Broadband2go. It was only $20 compared to a cost of $10 for 10 days. Hopefully the reception will be good and we can blog about our trip regularly.

I checked the weather for the next 10 days on www.weather.com for places we might visit like Savannah, GA, Baton Rouge, LA and Virginia Beach, VA. just so I had the appropriate clothes for both of us. Chihuahuas do get cold, but more importantly, they look cute in their little sweaters and tee shirts.

Anticipated leg one of our trip will be from home to Houston to Lake Charles, then on to Baton Rouge on Day Two and then I'm not sure. It doesn't matter to Seymour because there are good smells everywhere!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Next Trip With Seymour




We are finally getting ready to start our next trip and plan to leave Monday. It will be for about 2 weeks and we will again be heading east from Texas. This time I am going to try to use Virgin's "Broadband to Go" Internet service. I just activated my account and pay for 30 days of service for $20. That is supposed to be good for about 12 hours of web browsing or 25,000 emails without attachments. That should be plenty for me to write on my blog and answer emails. I'll let you know if the coverage is very good in places like State Parks.

Seymour, my chihuahua-mix is such a good traveler. When we go outside for a walk, he hesitates near the camper, just to see if we are going to get in it. He should be quite excited when it finally happens after a travel lull for the past 4 months. I have already gathered his vet records and am planning to print out a picture of him, just in case he gets lost - which I hope NEVER happens. I made sure his immunizations were up to date just in case I would need to board him. I also plan to get some individual pet washes, since last time Seymour rolled in anything stinky he could find.

I will put a more detailed list of what we are bringing to make Seymour comfortable before we leave. I then hope to write updates each day or so. I've had such good luck with shop owners allowing him in their stores in Austin and Wimberley, Texas that I hope it continues on our trip.

More to come