Week 2 of our trip

Well, we have been on the road for almost 2 weeks. We've been in a couple more State parks, including Salt Fork in Ohio. I am impressed with at least this park in Ohio since they don't close down their offices at 5 pm so that you can't get a camping spot if you are traveling across country. It's hard to plan to make reservations when you aren't sure where you'll be. In Ohio, if the park office is closed, you can still go in and find a spot to camp and then pay in the morning. What a breath of fresh air that policy is! I also loved their hiking trails - very easy to follow since they color-code the trees for each trail.

We've already experienced a camper van break-down that ended up with us meeting some great, new people in Pittsburgh. The front tire started smoking and we were right in front of Monro Muffler and Break Service. They were busy but he could see that I was pretty upset so he squeezed us in. The wheel bearings went out of the front wheel and they ended up replaces them on both front wheels. Seymour and I sat in the office for a couple hours and made friends with a woman who was waiting for her son, who worked there. She fell in love with Seymour and ended up taking us to a hotel since the van wouldn't be done until the next day.

Now, this is where a small dog comes in handy. When we got to the hotel there was a sign that said "Absolutely No Pets". Luckily, I had the purse/carrier that I stuffed Seymour in and we checked in and got to our room without a hitch. I did need to put him in the carrier and take him a block or so from the hotel to walk him, but he was quiet all night. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. The next morning, I found that there was a bus I could take to get back - again no pets allowed. Again Seymour rode quietly in his carrier and we made it back. Since we were pretty much stranded that whole day, I used his carrier to walk around the mall and even to go into a fast food restaurant to get a take out. I still am of the opinion that if they are in a carrier, I don't see why they can't go in buildings.

I do always have my pet "poop bags" hooked to the end of Seymour's leash so if they don't have any available when I walk him, I have my own. I think it is good to show that pet owners are responsible folks.

Although this doesn't pertain to Seymour, I have more travel tips. The most expensive part of this trip is the gas so I tried to save in other ways. I always took a cup in to get a coffee refill - much cheaper than getting a coffee in their cups. I also had a couple soda cups from some fast food stops and saved them. You can often get a soda refill or what I did was get a cup of ice. It was free in 2 places and 25 cents in another. Those savings add up!

I have been using my Broadband2go service throughout this trip. Twice it did not work. I think it is a Sprint service and I am finding it is spotty in many places - especially the State parks. Overall, I'm glad I have it and will continue to use it. I am hoping that the $20 level I paid for will last until I get home. Downloading pictures eats up the Mb so I am cautious about that. I will add pictures when I get home.

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.

Louisiana to Mississippi with Seymour

After leaving New Orleans, I drove to Jackson, MS to see the Capitol. It was getting late so I had called ahead for reservations at a State Park just outside of the Jackson city limits. It was really difficult to find, even with a GPS so it's always good to ask "Can I just put the address into my GPS and find the park?" Their response was "no" and they gave me a little better directions.

The park was on 500 acres and our spot was right near the restroom and next to the lake - really pretty. I walked Seymour around the camping area but noticed when I got the trails they had signs that said "No dogs allowed". That was a little disappointing. I think it would be easy to put a little pet litter station up with plastic bags and a sign to tell pet owners to pick up after their pets. The only other thing I didn't like about the park was that the bathrooms had no soap at the sinks. Unfortunately by the time to see that, it's too late.

The next day was a work day so the streets were busy and I couldn't find parking. I drove past the Capitol and down a few recommended streets and then headed out. I was planning to go to Vicksburg since it was close to Louisiana and started me on my way home - and had a Casino that had an RV park.

On the way I saw signs for Natchez Trace parkway, which I heard was a beautiful road. Just as I started down the parkway an inviting sign said "Clinton Olde Towne" and "Clinton Welcome Center" so I changed my mind and headed to the Welcome Center. The grounds were pretty and there was a nice walking place for pets. Seymour appreciated getting out and smelling some new smells. He couldn't come in the Welcome Center with me but the couple working there were so enthusiastic about the town that I decided to check it out. The main street is part of the Main Street Revitalization Project and it was really nice - brick paved roads, cute shops, and a beautiful college campus called Mississippi College. I was told that this was starting to be an artist's community (my favorite) so I walked Seymour around until I saw a place called Wyatt Waters Gallery. I went in with Seymour and the artist was there - painting - and his wife an another man were there. They all made a great fuss over Seymour. We ended up talking for at least 45 minutes. This was an unexpected adventure - and again Seymour broke the ice.

We finally left and I drove down Natchez Trace parkway for about 25 miles and then went on to a Good Sam's RV part associated with a Casino in Vicksburg. This was the most I paid for a spot - $22.50 but it did include a free breakfast buffet at the Casino the next morning. Also, the Casino had a bus come to the park and the nearby hotel to pick people up. The park also had a great place to walk Seymour so again he was happy.

We stayed one more might at the $10 RV slot at the Isle of Capri on the way home. This time they gave me a key to the health club so I could take a shower, exercise and use the sauna. (No one told me about that the first time). For some reason, this last night was extra noise and I could not sleep with the train and the loud cars in the parking lot. It was a bargain and there were nice places to walk Seymour but I think I would have rather been in a State Park.

So, overall I think my trip was better because of Seymour. I might have missed a few things due to the "no dogs allowed" rules but what I found instead were wonderful people, beautiful parks and amazing scenery. I can't wait to do it again.

Traveling to New Orleans - First Part of Trip

My trip started one day late due to me losing my only set of camper keys and having to get another made. I had everything on my list packed, but didn't include "get keys". With the way things have worked out so far, leaving a day later was probably a good thing.

Seymour is a good traveler and does make me stop often to take walks, which is healthy for both of us. He had his travel crate but only spent about 1/2 the time in it. The rest of the time he was on my lap - and I know that isn't safe. In fact, I understand that in Canada - and probably some States - it is illegal.

The first night we camped at the Isle of Capri Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They actually had about 8 spots with electric hook-ups right in the parking lot. If you look carefully at the picture below you will see the line of campers in the parking lot. I was lucky that there was one available. It cost $10 but if you joined their club, you got $20 in gambling money. There was no problem walking Seymour around the grounds and the Casino is a Riverboat so we were steps from the Lake.



I hooked up the camper, turned on the A/C and let Seymour relax while I "lost" my $20 and a little more at the slots. It was actually very relaxing and I didn't hear any noises during the night. There is a train nearby but again I only heard it before bed. Seymour has taken to burrowing under the blankets and sleeping with part of his body touching me - and I"m not complaining!

Back to the Casino -the rest rooms were inside the front door so it was not a very far walk form the camper. Luckily I do have a potty that I sometimes use. There was no place to take a shower so it was a wipe down morning. But I would go back.

The next day we drove to Baton Rouge and I walked Seymour all around the Capitol grounds with no problem. In fact I know that more people talked to me because of him than when I was traveling alone.

When it started getting late, I used my GPS to search for State Parks nearby and ended up at Tickfaw State Park in (or around) Springfield, LA. It was a beautiful place with so many trees that you felt like you were alone. The rest room was clean and the showers were hot. There were get walking places for Seymour. He had to be on a 6 ft leash at all times but other than that, there were no restrictions. Thanks for my walks with Seymour, I met some really nice people and even planned to meet at a State Park near New Orleans the next afternoon so we could go sightseeing together - with Seymour of course.



So far, traveling with Seymour resulted in no real inconveniences.

Cross Country Car Travel Comes to An End

I took Seymour on two more cross-country trips in the car and found the same issues both times:
1. Some hotels made me pay extra for having a pet.
2. None of the hotel rooms were as good as the ones I stayed in when I didn't have a pet.
3. People in hotels usually aren't friendly toward people with dogs.
4. When I stopped at highway rest areas, I didn't have a place to sit and eat lunch because the area that allowed pets most often didn't have picnic tables.(although I found positive changes in that during my trip this past summer)
5. I had to really plan on where I was going to stop in the evening because otherwise I couldn't find a hotel that allowed pets.

Because of these problems, I decided to try taking Seymour on trips in a camper van. I bought a VW Eurovan because I was too nervous to drive anything bigger. It has plenty of room and included a sink, stove, frig, a porta-potty, and a pop-up so that I could have picked up a couple more people along the road who needed a place to stay (or a person with a pet who didn't get lucky when looking for a hotel)

The gas mileage was pretty good, at about 19 mpg and I could park in a regular parking space when I toured. If I needed to - and I did once - I could park in a parking space and camp for the night without plugging in.

It cost me less than 1/2 the price of a hotel room to stay in a camp ground. I knew how clean my bed sheets were and could easily stumble the few steps from my bed to my porta-potty during the night without walking into a door. I also loved waking up and looking out the window to see nature and not a parking lot.

When we stopped at a rest area, I could eat in the camper and then take Seymour for a walk in the small "pet areas". Many more people talked to me in the camp grounds than in the hotels. I decided that the camper van was the way to go.

I took weekend camping trips for about 6 months and then took my first cross country trip in the camper this summer. Mostly it went well -- more details to come.

Kentucky

When traveling with Seymour, I developed a love-hate relationship with Kentucky. The "Welcome Center" when you first cross the border had more "No Pets" signs than I've ever seen in one location. I was thinking that if they had 1/2 as many signs they could have built a really nice pet park on the grounds. After grumbling that Seymour only had the space between the parking lot and the freeway to walk - the most unsafe place around, I got back in the car and continued on. A little further I saw a big sign that said "Hell is Real" and I was tempted to add - and I'm driving through it. I stopped at a flea market and put Seymour in his pet carrier/purse but when I went to the door, there was a big sign that said -yep - "No Pets". Come on, folks, this is a flea market - old stuff!

So, we continued on and I started mellowing - the scenery was the prettiest I've seen so far. Beautiful hills and shades of green - I guess because no pets are allowed on it.



I did take a detour to see Lincoln's birthplace - the log cabin is inside of the building above. The grounds were beautiful and there were trails and cabins everywhere. It was free to get in and I didn't see any "No Pets Allowed" signs. I walked Seymour all over the park and no one stopped us to tell us to leave, so I was starting to like Kentucky a little more.

First Real Trip

I took my first car trip with Seymour a couple years ago. We drove from Texas to Pennsylvania. The first thing I did was google "travel with pet" and found a number of sites that had good information. For example, I found a list of hotels that allowed pets but I didn't know if they charged extra if you had a pet. I talked to friends who were experienced at traveling with their pets and most told me that they just didn't tell the hotel they had a pet. How I wish I could do that, but my guilt's cause me to blurt out the truth before I'm even asked. Sometimes I wonder if hotels go with the "don't ask, don't tell" rule, but I guess I'll never find out.



So, I packed Seymour's essentials (remember, this was my first trip) so clothes were pretty important. I did have most of the other items I've mentioned before - food, bowls, and a stuffed animal that was one of his favorites.



Seymour wasn't as excited as I'd hoped but then he had never been on an adventure with me before.

So, armed with my GPS, my hotel list, my travel necessities, and my travel companion, we headed northeast. Our first night we stayed in Texarkana. There were a number of chain hotels in that town that allowed dogs. We found that LaQuinta allowed dogs and didn't charge extra, so we stayed there. The only thing that was kind of yucky was that I think we were given a pretty old and worn-out room. Surely if the rest of the hotel rooms looked like ours, they wouldn't get much business. But I was tired so we unpacked and checked out the parking lot - well Seymour checked out the parking lot. He was starting to like this travel thing - the new smells were making him fondly remember his old stray- days.

I put him in his dog carrier and we went to the convenient store near the hotel for some snacks. Seymour did his "I need to pop my head out to see what's going on" trick and the young man working the cash register never said a word. So, I'm not sure if dogs were allowed there or if the cashier decided to avoid the issue. We ended up going there 2 more times before we left the next day because it was so nice bringing Seymour in - free of charge.

We were starting to get the hang of traveling together

American Dog Owners Association - An aside

Because I'm more and more interested in how pets are treated in the USA and hopeful that we can take our pets more places, I joined the American Dog Owners Association. Their website is www.adoa.org. It's free to join, but of course you can make a donation. It gives information on laws that are about to be passed or have been passed related to dogs in each state. I'm probably personally lucky because I have a small dog (or as I call him, my little boy), so most of the laws relate to either large dogs or different so-called "dangerous" dogs.

To me, it seems that we pass laws based on one incident instead of looking at the whole picture. For example, because that one guy tried to set his shoe on fire on an airplane, we all have to take our shoes off when going through security. (And I'm trying not to think about the gross floor we are all barefootin' it on to get our shoes back).

But when one type of dog, like a pit bull, attacks someone - instead of looking at how the owner treated the dog, laws are passed related to pit bulls. Anyone who travels with a dog needs to know the laws in the States they are traveling to or through.

Pet Travel Bag

The next thing I knew I needed was a travel bag for Seymour to hide - I mean - ride in. This is a "don't ask, don't tell" necessity. Some places are very pet-friendly and some are neutral; many are anti-pet and I hope to make a dent in that group.

It is well known that pets can improve our health and the health of those who come in contact with them. Think about therapy dogs, nursing homes that have resident dogs or cats and just the calmness that comes over us when petting or resting with our own animals. It's a great natural remedy for what ails us.

When I was in Europe I was struck by how pet-friendly it was. I took a picture of a dog in a meat market (not in the case) in Italy, dogs in a hair salon in France and dogs in the department stores in England. All were happily attached to their humans. I wish that Seymour could experience that freedom here.

But, until that day comes, he could experience a little more liberty through the front mesh window of his travel bag. This bag has also been very helpful to me when I have no choice but to bring him with me. For example, most highway rest stops have an area where dogs can walk and do what they need to do, but they can't come with us into the restrooms. If the temperature is over 100 degrees, there is no way I am leaving him in the car for even 5 minutes, even with the windows cracked.

I can't see why he cannot accompany me into a stall if he is enclosed in his carrier. He's happy being with me and I'm happy to not have to do the 100 yard dash. I think there should at least be permission to allow a pet into certain places if they are in an enclosed carrier.

There are all kinds of pet travel bags. The one I found has a zippered opening in the side and on the top so Seymour can stick his head out and enjoy the breezes. There is plenty of room for him to lay down in it. The nice thing is that it has straps that can easily and comfortably be used as a shoulder bag. The only little problem is that when he wants to, Seymour can push up and basically unzip the top with his head. I have been "caught" on occasion when I was leisurely strolling through a shop and suddenly a dog head pops out of my purse!




Once I was tersely told "I have to ask you to leave". People around me who hadn't seen Seymour's head but heard that comment probably thought I'd been caught shoplifting. As I begin to write about our travels, I will be naming names of pet-friendly and not so friendly places. This place will definitely be named. I often pass it when I'm on the road, but will never go in again, even if Seymour isn't with me.

So, except for a few other basic necessities, this was all Seymour needed to be comfortable during our trips. I'll share the other necessities we bring next time.

Keeping Seymour Safe

After giving up on the doggie car seat, I looked around for other ways to keep Seymour safe. I found what I thought was a great idea. It's a portable travel crate that folds up to the size of the round window shades you put in your car. (I don't have a picture of it since I left it at a friend's house.)

There were a couple of problems with it from the start. First, once I unfolded it, I could never figure out how to get it back into that little circle shape. So that means I couldn't get it back into the cute little zippered case, which was one of the reasons I bought it in the first place - a nice compact case! It was also so unstable in the car that when I stopped the first time, Seymour rolled around in the crate like he was going down Niagara Falls in a barrel. Luckily he was in the back seat and didn't go very far. I still think that it is a good sleeping crate if we are going to visit friends or relatives for a night. As a car crate - we (both Seymour and I) decided to pass.

I then found a crate called Port-a-Crate. It has a good metal frame on a lightweight nylon-type fabric. Seymour immediately loved it and once he went in he didn't want to come out. It could be easily seat-belted in the back seat. As much as Seymour liked being in it, he liked more having the choice of when he came out of it. The crate has a zipper and can lock with just a clip.

The first time I tried it, I was in the house. I zipped him in and by the time I walked about 5 steps away, he had already unzipped it and was prancing happily by my side. I then decided to lock him in when he was riding in the car. It took a little longer than the unzipping but before I had gone very far, he had chewed his way through the mesh on the door and found his way to his favorite lumbar position behind my back. (I have to remember to have better posture when driving!)

Seymour is not normally a chewer - all of his stuffed animals look like new - but he's never had to find his way through a stuffed animal to freedom.

It was pretty easy to sew up the crate door (and you can see my handy-work in the picture above) so I still zip it when necessary - I just decided to give him the freedom of choice - no lock.

We were beginning to collect the doggie travel necessities that worked for us.

How It All Started

I'll admit it - I'm a born-again dog lover. I don't know why or what made me do it, but almost three years ago, I suddenly had the urge to adopt a dog. I hadn't owned a dog in over 20 years and I travel in my job but my fervor had no bounds - or sense - I wanted a dog.

Just before Christmas 2006 I found a sickly chihuahua in an animal shelter - and with some fear of realizing I was making a life time commitment, I picked him. He was so skinny that I immediately started saying to myself "feed me Seymour" and so Seymour was his name -o.

For the first month of our co-habitation, we both just looked at each other. Actually I looked at him and he ignored me. Here I was in a life time relationship and it didn't look like we had anything in common. Divorce was not an option. He didn't really like to eat much and wasn't thrilled with his new owner who was hell-bent to try to keep him quiet for 3 months while he went through heart worm treatment. Not a good start.

Finally my newly healthy dog was able to go on walks and to my delight, he wanted to take rides with me in the car. He was beginning to tolerate his new servant (me) and once he started looking me in the eyes and started to relax around me, we both knew we were in it for the long haul.

Our car rides turned into road trips which turned into lessons on how to travel with Seymour.

My goal for this blog is to share travel stories, travel tips, names of pet friendly places and not so friendly places and reviews of travel products we have used.

This blog will be updated at least once a week - usually on Sundays. All comments are welcome.