Final Comments on This Trip

First, as you can see, for Seymour traveling is hard work! Seriously, he really seemed to like it and didn't mind the driving part. He reminded me when it was time to stop and walk him. I hear about people who have pets that get car sick - I'm really glad Seymour isn't one of them.

As I've said before, traveling with a pet is much more enjoyable to me than traveling totally alone. I would not have walked as much or talked to as many people by myself. There are downsides, such as not being able to do the NASA tour and not being able to go into restaurants. I mostly did take-out meals and ate in a park or at a camp ground.

While driving through each State, I wondered which allowed the use of cell phones. I know it's best to use a hands-free phone but I haven't quite figured out how to set that up yet. I will research and put the info on this site so others can print it and have it when traveling.

A few more tips:

1. When camping, don't forget to look for the Corp of Engineers parks. I have a book that lists them and I noticed that some of the State maps include them in their list of State and National Parks. I want to get a National Park book because I have a Park Pass that allows me to pay 1/2 price for camping. That pass also gives the same discount at the Corp of Engineers parks. So far, the only State I have found that gives a discount with the National Park Pass is Louisiana. I hear that there are more - I just haven't found them yet.

2. I was told that Motel 6 will give a 10% discount to pet owners now. I don't know how long this will last, but if you are driving, this may be a good deal. I would be curious to know what the rooms look like that they give you. The last time I took Seymour into a Motel 6, my room was pretty awful. I hope they have upgraded.

3. Don't be afraid to ask at shops if you can bring in your pet. I've only been turned down a few times. Mostly, I just carry him and try to be unobtrusive. I am sure that one complaint by one customer could curtail their open pet policies.

4. Although I'm told that many Walmarts allow campers to park overnight in their parking lots, I never needed to do that. I also checked each Rest Area I stopped in and only found one that allowed trucks to park for 8 hours, no mention of campers. I may have just not been at the right Rest Areas yet.

I expect that our next few trips may be to various Texas Parks but I am already planning my next one - possibly to the west coast.

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.

Staying Overnight at a State Rest Stop

While driving across country in a car or a camper van, you may find yourself lost (OK, I found myself lost) and not close to a hotel or campground. This almost happened to me. I did finally find a campground that was the worst I'd ever been in. I wasn't even real comfortable walking Seymour. I would have felt more comfortable staying at a truck stop or rest stop.

So, I started watching the signs in the rest stops along the highways and found that some allow you to stay overnight and some don't. I did a little more research through "google" and found a longer list of rest stop information. The website I dug through was www.rvadvice.com. Below are many of the States with rest stop details. Some say "as posted" so it will depend on which place you stop if overnights are allowed.

I do have to say that I met a woman who said she stayed at about 10 rest stops in different States while traveling in her car a few months ago and she was never asked to leave. So, if you are in a State that says they don't allow overnights and you see other cars there, I would probably join them if I was tired enough - with my doors locked, of course. And with a handy can of wasp spray that can substitute for pepper spray. This is important to me since I have to leave my car periodically to walk Seymour.

Arkansas - allow overnight parking
Texas - as posted
Louisiana - as posted
Georgia - No overnights
California - as posted
New Mexico - as posted
Nebraska - No overnights
Tennessee - allowed in rest areas
Pennsylvania - No overnights
North Carolina - as posted
Oklahoma - allowed in rest areas
Ohio - No overnights
Wisconsin - No overnights
Florida - No overnights
Colorado - No overnights
Mississippi - No overnights
Nevada - as posted
Arizona - permitted unless posted otherwise
Iowa - as posted
Michigan - as posted
New York - as posted

I'd love to know if anyone has stayed overnight at a rest stop in a State that says "No overnights". I plan to keep this list with me in my van on my next long distance trip.