Two weeks traveling with two dogs!

This is our first big trip since Italy - except for a short trip to a Texas Casino! Seymour, Zooey and I are on our way to Pennsylvania to go to my dad's 90th birthday celebration. We are in a car instead of our camper because my daughter and her 2 children will be driving home with us. There is only room for 2 people and 2 dogs in my camper.

So, I am getting a chance to experience finding places to stay overnight with 2 dogs. But I'm getting ahead of story. We left Wimberley Texas yesterday morning after a stop at the local Diamond Shamrock for coffee and breakfast taco. When I went to pay, they said "it's already taken care of". Thanks, Mary! Nice start to a trip.

The dogs settled into their sleeping spots; Seymour in a small crate and Zooey in her bed. Our first stop was a new rest stop in Texas, near Salado. It had a playground, a storm shelter and nice restrooms. As an after thought, the put in 2 "Pet Area" signs in the weeds near the road. Seriously? Notice the trucks on the freeway behind Seymour?




Zooey could barely walk in the grass/weeds because they were too high for her. This was definitely not a plan for pets in this new rest area. All they needed to do was make a gravel walking path, put in some trash cans for pet waste and maybe add a fire hydrant for fun.


In comparison, we stopped at the Welcome Center when we entered Arkansas and they had a nice pet area, not near the highway. I could walk on the sidewalk while the dogs enjoyed the walk through the nicely trimmed grass. The trucks in the background are parked, not racing down the freeway. Thanks, Arkansas! Also, while we were walking at in the rest area, I was on my cell and a lady kept following me around. She finally tapped me and asked how old Seymour was. She has a puppy that looked like Seymour and wondered how big her puppy might grow. (Seymour is 8 years old and about 7-ish pounds). A little while later, while still on the cell, a truck pulled up beside me and when I looked, it was that woman again. This time she was with her husband and she rolled down the window and said in broken English, "How old to your dog get this size". Because her English wasn't strong, I didn't tell her that I didn't rescue Seymour until he was 2 1/2 and he is a mix so who knows how big a dog who looks like him will get - so I just said "about a year". Dog lovers find each other even if we don't speak the same language.



We then started looking for places to stay. I remembered that Motel 6 was pet friendly and heard that Holiday Inn was, also. We stopped at a Holiday Inn in Malvern and they didn't accept pets but told me that the Super 8 did or I could drive further to Bryant, AR and there was a Holiday Inn that allowed dogs. I decided to drive further since the trip is 1500 miles and I'm trying to do it in 3 days.

We arrived at the Holiday Inn and found that they did allow pets, for $25 extra for each pet, and a long contract to sign. I opted not to stay. They told me that the Super 8 allowed pets and even called them for me. Celeste, at Super 8, was very friendly. We paid $10 extra for each pet and they will check the room before we leave this morning. The dogs were great so I'm not worried. They actually both slept with me. I've never allowed Zooey to do that because she is so small I was afraid I'd roll over on her. We were all well this morning.

I was told that the Super 8 Motel's are all individually owned so they can set their own rules regarding pets. But I will add this chain to my places that possibly allow pets for a reasonable rate.

On to day 2 of our trip.



Posted using BlogPress from my iPad