Road Trip: Dog is My Copilot

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.” – Douglas Adams

Sometimes you just have to drop it all and hit the road, and what better company than your fluffy monster?  

A few months ago I had major “life challenge” fatigue, worn out from navigating change, finding direction in relentlessly tumultuous seas, and all that crap we seem to do a lot of these days.  All my family chickens were scattered far and wide on various adventures. The brooding meanies were whispering to me, so instead of succumbing I spontaneously hopped in the car and split for a weeklong road trip with my wee beastie, with lots of time to meander, contemplate and disconnect.  

The change of inner scenery was majorly rejuvenating, not to mention the breathtaking vistas, epic waterfalls, snow-serrated mountains, ominous lava pits, desert sand dunes, majestic red rock cliffs, glassy mountain lakes, pet friendly ghost towns and excellent mom and pup time.  

I also periodically turned off my books on tape, my playlists, and my bossy nav bot and just enjoyed gazing at the views and listening to the contented snuffle of my napping girl. When do we ever get to be so quiet anymore?   It’s like I have a little space in my pocket now that I can tune into when it gets loud outside again.  My brand of bliss.

Here are a few lessons I learned from taking my energetic 10-month old Aussie critter on the road:

Happy camper:

• If your pup hasn’t road tripped before, the lack of routine and familiar surroundings might be a little stressful for them.  Make sure your dog is going to enjoy the trip as much as you do, and obviously don’t take them if they get carsick or have major car anxiety etc.  Long road trips are for dogs that like to be in the car with you! Extra love and attention and treats and walkies and snuggles help give them confidence along the way.  Bring familiar items – stuffies, dog beds, favorite toys and things that smell like home.  
• While you’re at it maybe bring some of these items for yourself as well?  

Doggie access:

• My personal agenda for this trip was “Scenery” so we managed to hit several National Parks/preserves/conservation areas/forests along the way.  Depending on the designation, these areas aren’t always super pet accessible, and National Parks only allow leashed pets on paved areas, but there are still MANY great things to enjoy.  Just do your homework (see below)!! If you must peel off though, some National Parks and hotels offer petsitting services  so your buddy can have some fun while you hit the trails without them.

Water water water:

• Pack several bottles of fresh clean water every morning and twice as much as you think you need each day both for yourself and your animal.  If you are driving through hot territory fill your bottles with ice in the morning.  Bring a water dish or a travel water bottle for your doggie.

Puppy Go Bag:

• You can use any bag you have but I am trying out this cute doggie travel bag I found on Amazon. Here are a few packing checklist items: food dish, food, treats, puzzle toys, 6-foot leash, harness if you use one, thin portable dog bed, pet wipes, brush, shampoo, detangle spray, tick remover key, medication, towels, poop bags, large ziplock bags.

Safety first: 

• You wear your seatbelt right? Well your pup deserves the same level of safety. Many people crate their pets in the car to keep them from bouncing around or getting hurt in an accident.  Otherwise, consider a safe restraining system for your sweetie to keep them secure. 

Stick together:

• Definitely for sure absolutely you’re not going to get separated from your precious bestie, but JUST JUST in case, make sure you can track them using an attachable Airtag or other gps tracker, and of course microchip your dog and make sure their rabies and other vaccines are up to date. Remember they are far from home in unfamiliar territory so keep them on a leash and keep them close.

PLANNING

You can and should definitely use time on the road to be a little spontaneous, but traveling with a pet also necessitates some thoughtful planning. Here are some fantastic apps and websites I used to maximize comfort for our mobile exploration.

Sweet Dreams:

• BringFido – Great resource for finding pet friendly hotels, campgrounds and restaurants
• Airbnb – There are actually a fair number of pet friendly homes and hotels available through this service. We had great glamping success on this trip!

The Great Outdoors:

• National Park Service – If you plan to see more than one or two National Parks within a year, it is definitely worth it to get a park pass, which you can order online before you go. Download the app as well to plan your park visits and find pet policies on trails and roads.
• AllTrails – Invaluable app with a huge database of detailed trail maps, searchable by location, distance and dog friendliness. The app is free, but an upgraded subscription ($35/year) allows you to download maps so you can refer to them when you’re out of cell range.
• PawParks – This dog park locator app is a treasure when your dog gets the zoomies on a long stretch of road!! 🙂
• Merlin – Created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this birdsong identifier app is basically Shazam for birds. So fun even if you’re not a bird nerd.
• iNaturalist – Become a citizen scientist! Record and identify wildlife you encounter on your walkabout, while helping scientists gather data from the field.

The Journey is the Destination:

• Atlas Obscura – One of my favorite resources for offbeat and unusual things to discover anywhere you roam.  Search the map for over 11,000 quirky interesting places to check out in the USA alone.
• Flyover Country – The National Science Foundation created this cool app for offline geomaps of water and landscape features, museums, dinosaurs and archaeological digs, field trip guides, and fun facts about cloud and landscape formations.
• Roadside America – Awesome state-by-state maps of kooky roadside oddities, landmarks and tourist attractions.

“Discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust