Two Weeks In On Our Trip

A short update on other things we've learned on this trip.

1. I think that people in camp grounds are more open to talk to others - even a single traveler like me. And because many of them have their own animals, it's an instant conversation starter. It's very comfortable.

2. Day's Inn - I saw 2 that had RV parks attached to the motels. The parks are basically parking spaces and I expect that they have at least electric. I don't know how much they are but it's nice to know that there are some like that in case you have no other place to stay. The last Day's Inn I saw was outside of Brinkley Arkansas.

3. I really hate when the State Park's Office closes at 5 pm and there is no way to reach anyone to see if there is an available camping spot. Some have those cutsie numbers like 1-800-call-camps but they don't also give you the numbers that go with the letters. I tried calling one of those numbers twice - and both times got a totally different company. I'm thinking they didn't change their sign when they changed their number.

4. I found two more things I should have packed for Seymour. He ended up getting a tick on his nose and I didn't have tweezers or clear nail polish. I finally mixed body lotion and hand sanitizer and found some small needle-nosed pliers that worked. I have a first aid kit but will add those things for our next trip.

5. Seymour loves the smells at the various rest stops so we did stop more than I normally do. It was good for me to get out and walk a little and obviously it made the trip more fun for Seymour. Plus most of the rest areas have wonderful grass that we don't have in Texas. It took Seymour a few days to realize that he wouldn't get burrs in his feet before he began prancing and rolling in the grass. I hope is isn't too disillusioned when we get home :)

6. I tried taking him to more stores and two didn't know their store policy on pets so they let me in but said I would have to leave if anyone said anything - no one did. The stores were JC Penny and Big Lots. I really appreciate the ability to bring him in, even if they have stipulations like you have to carry him or don't put him in the shopping cart. At least he's in out of the van.

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.

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!

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

Seymour is my Mood RIng

Remember mood rings? I still have mine but I don't really need it now that I have Seymour. I didn't realize how intuitive he is with me until today. We were both kind of moping around the house, neither very active. He - and I - reluctantly went for a walk in our neighborhood. Seymour actually stopped after walking about 5 minutes and wanted to go back home - as did I. If Seymour was a mood ring, he would have been closing in on black.

I decided to take him with me to run some errands and one of the things we do is go to the grocery store. Because Seymour has to stay in the car, his treat is going for a walk around town when I come out. We both perked up because we were finally in a different environment and enjoyed the sights - and smells - of the small town. If he was a mood ring, he would have been the color blue/green - very content - and so was I.

When we couldn't get ourselves to walk 5 minutes in our neighborhood, we ended up walking over 30 minutes in town. It made me realize how much we both like to travel - to see new things - walk new places - and smell - well at least Seymour likes the smells of new grounds. We will be planning another trip soon.

And More Pet-Friendly Stores

Today I had to get tires for my truck and had over an hour to wander around to various stores - with Seymour. I felt like I hit the jackpot because no one turned me away when I asked if I could bring Seymour in. Some were friendlier than others but no one said "no". I have to say that when I go into these stores, I always feel that I need to purchase something - just so they know that people with pets aren't just "lookers" (and I don't mean that "beauty-wise"). The additional stores In San Marco, Texas I checked out were:

Marshalls - when I asked if I could bring Seymour into the store if I carried him, they said "you can put him in a cart". Very nice. So I bought some sweat pants - my wardrobe basic for this winter.

Bed, Bath and Beyond - the woman behind the counter say "OK" somewhat reluctantly but before I had been in the store for 2 minutes, 2 sales people came up to me and fawned over Seymour. Maybe they liked his blue turtleneck. Socks and a lap tray went home with me!

Ross - Again, no problem bringing him in - and I got a pair of sweat capris - preparing for my spring wardrobe!

Blanco Bank (in Wimberley Texas) - and I think most banks allow dogs. Many have doggie treats ready to give out, also. Unfortunately Seymour is very picky about his treats. He only eats real meat treats but he at least sniffs what he is given and I quickly pocket it and say he'll eat it later. And maybe, some day he will!

What does Seymour get out of these trips? Lots of attention, gentle petting and sometimes even offers of dog biscuits. Life is good -