Road Trip!
In phase 1, we will travel from East to West. Here's the general route: Rutherfordton NC (sheepie camping trip) Nashville TN St. Louis MO Omaha NE Rapid City SD Wyoming Boise ID Reno NV San Francisco, CA Phase 2 -- Return Trip (a little roundabout in the SW because there's so much I want to see) Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Phoenix / Tucson AZ Utah Santa Fe, NM Denver, CO That's as far as I've gotten. I'd love your input! |
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| I didn't see Nova Scotia on that list... |
| Val! Sounds like quite the trip! Can't help you on the attractions, but here's a bit of forewarning.
Pay special attention to the lodgings you book. There are many that accept pets, but: The pet friendly rooms are also the smoking rooms so fill up fast. Many have hidden "pet fees" that are non-refundable. These can range from $10 to $175 per nite, per dog. Most have weight restrictions on the dogs of up to 30 pounds. Some state the dogs have to be in crates when in the room. Different cities with the same chain can have different rules. We tried for 4 hours to book a room for the Michigan picnic, and found all these things within a 2 hours radius, both on the canadian side and the american side. Also, one hotel was listed at pet friendly on their website, but we found that they had changed thier policy to "no pets" but hadn't updated thier site. The agencies like petfriendly.com and hotels.com do not have the details of restrictions and such. You need to call the actual hotel to confirm. Good luck! |
Dudster wrote: I didn't see Nova Scotia on that list...
That's for next year! 
The impetus for this trip is a friend's wedding in SF in October. |
| Good advice Nicole. I have been calling all the places to confirm the pet policies and restrictions. Petfriendly.com is actually very up to date, in my experience. All the hotels I've called have confirmed what's on the petfriendly website. So far, I've managed to line up many places with no weight restrictions and only nominal fees -- but I am not finished planning yet. I've gotten everything lined up through Rapid City but I need to figure out how much time I will spend in Wyoming. . . |
| Wow! That sounds like it will be an incredible trip.
Are you looking mostly to do and see things with the sheepies or are you ever wanting to leave them behind? I'm just trying to think of things to do in San Diego, but it's not the most dog friendly city out there (not unfriendly, but for a place that is so outdoors -oriented, you'd think it'd be friendlier). I know there's a dog beach in Coronado and Del Mar (there's one in Ocean Beach, but it's dirty, I'd never want to take my dog there). |
Mostly I'd like to find stuff to do with the dogs -- parks, lakes, hikes/walks, etc. I was definitely thinking a dog beach in San Diego would be fun. Sounds like I should avoid Ocean Beach. . . I was told there was some place that offers doggie surfing lessons  |
| Wow, that's a long trip. How long do you plan to be gone? |
| I don't see Chicago on your list!!! Chicago is a really dog-friendly town and so are many of the outlying suburbs. There are so many parks and a dog beach in the city (may be closed in Oct though). And of course...many forum members! |
| I LOVE Wyoming!!!
I did a 3-week camping trip in Wyoming a while back. I'll have to think about what the really cool stuff is - aside from Yellowstone, of course. |
Stacy wrote: I don't see Chicago on your list!!!
I know. . . 
I am sad about that but I've been to Chicago a number of times, including during one disastrous year of highschool and as an adult and it just didn't make sense from an overall route perspective. |
| Wow, Valerie!! This sounds like an incredible trip!!
I would love to visit Wyoming, too. The only places I've been on your list are Nashville, St. Louis and Denver. I'll think about it and see if I can come up with something fun. How exciting!! |
| Whilst in Rapid City SD, ya gotta go to see Mt Rushmore, of course! After leaving LA and/or San Diego, Or on the way there, ya gotta go to Death Valley. It's fairly close to Las Vegas, which is fairly close to LA But you'll need a few days just in the park, and this might not be the best time of year heat-wise.
Just in case you need it, here's a map of Death Valley http://www.nps.gov/carto/PDF/DEVAmap1.pdf |
Valerie wrote: Stacy wrote: I don't see Chicago on your list!!! I know. . . I am sad about that but I've been to Chicago a number of times, including during one disastrous year of highschool and as an adult and it just didn't make sense from an overall route perspective. I believe it! A former coworker and a current friend of mine grew up near the same neighborhood where you lived. She was a total grunge and bandie outcast but somehow made it through unscathed. |
| Death Valley??? Why? |
| You should go to Joshua Tree National Park... |
barney1 wrote: You should go to Joshua Tree National Park...
Thanks! That's perfect! Right on my route. . . |
| Val, there are 2 dog parks right by my house. So, of course Panda and Maggie can play!! There also is one that is between my house and Sues house....and last but not least...there is my fenced in backyard with lots of grass...and chairs, wine and food for the uprights! |
Valerie wrote: Death Valley??? Why? It is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, and you can get right into it (drive) and walk in it and hike in it...
Some pics of our trip to Death Valley |
| Didn't see Louisiana anywhere on that route either. Bummer! The only thing I think we could offer you down here is tours of all the Katrina Damage still undone. |
| There's a great campground by Mt. Rushmore and a great restaurant that had the best omelettes ever.
I did a hot air balloon rider over Mt. Rushmore and it was seriously cool! Just being in Wyoming lowered my blood pressure and made me feel at peace. |
BatonRougeSheepies wrote: Didn't see Louisiana anywhere on that route either. Bummer! The only thing I think we could offer you down here is tours of all the Katrina Damage still undone.
Actually, I haven't decided where I'm going after Santa Fe. . .  |
floofdog wrote: There's a great campground by Mt. Rushmore and a great restaurant that had the best omelettes ever.
I did a hot air balloon rider over Mt. Rushmore and it was seriously cool! Just being in Wyoming lowered my blood pressure and made me feel at peace. Cool! Do remember anything more about the retaurant? Feel free to join us if you want. . . |
It sounds like a fantastic trip.... I hope you take tons and tons of pics!  |
Willowsprite wrote: It sounds like a fantastic trip.... I hope you take tons and tons of pics!
You know I will! I promise you will all be so sick of my trip! |
| I doubt it!
I can't remember the name of that restaurant, all I remember is that it was on a "main" road and another road ended right in front of it. I'll do some digging in my Wyoming trip box. I probably kept something. Or maybe I can find the diary I kept! It was at the beginning of the trip so i probably wrote more than "great day, totally exhausted". The place was packed, so I'm sure it's a local hangout. |
| I hope you plan on stopping in Palm Springs to see us!
You are very welcome to stay here with the girls. We'd love to have you. We are off Rte 10 on the way to Phoenix. |
Pepsi's Mommy wrote: I hope you plan on stopping in Palm Springs to see us!
You are very welcome to stay here with the girls. We'd love to have you. We are off Rte 10 on the way to Phoenix. Really?? We would LOVE that! I would especially love to see Rags and Maggie together. |
| Yes Really! Come stay with us!
We have great comfy full size and queen size air mattresses and a big backyard for Maggie & Rags to run like mad woman together, of course with Pepsi not very far behind. Then I could show you around the area. |
| Excellent! I'm pm you with more details tomorrow.
Chum would prefer to watch from a safe distance.
I'm so excited! |
| Tell Chum that we have a beautiful shady spot with views reserved for her under the lemon tree. |
BatonRougeSheepies wrote: Didn't see Louisiana anywhere on that route either. Bummer! The only thing I think we could offer you down here is tours of all the Katrina Damage still undone.
Yeah, same for MS...even this far north. Hard to believe that was one year ago today. |
| Val,
When we go to Wyoming next summer we're staying at Signal Mountain Lodge in Grand Teton Natl Park near Jackson. Dogs are allowed, there is a fee. Here's the link: http://foreverlodging.com/lodging.cfm?PropertyKey=69 Friends of mine stayed there a few years ago and loved it. Next summer we have 10 people and 5 dogs meeting up there. |
| That place is stunning! I just called and they have space available exactly when I need it! The only downside is that dogs are not permitted on trails. They can only go on paved roads and one dirt road. What are you guys planning to do with your dogs up there? |
| Dogs aren't allowed on the trails in the National Parks because of the bears and other wild critters, which sounds like a good reason to me! My friend was up there with her Lab and Retriever and they spent most of the time playing around the lakeside and did hike on some of the trails that were close to civilization. I need to do some more research to see if there are trails in local parks (as opposed to National parks) that we can take the dogs on. |
Bailey's Mom wrote: Dogs aren't allowed on the trails in the National Parks because of the bears and other wild critters, which sounds like a good reason to me! My friend was up there with her Lab and Retriever and they spent most of the time playing around the lakeside and did hike on some of the trails that were close to civilization. I need to do some more research to see if there are trails in local parks (as opposed to National parks) that we can take the dogs on.
I agree! I don't want my dogs eaten by critters! That's why I wondered what they could do for fun while I am there enjoying the view! |
| Val, I found a series of articles that is perfect for us! DogFriendly.com ran a series called the Great American Dog Friendly Road Trip beginning in their Nov/Dec 2004 newsletter. Part two (Jan 2005) and Part three (Feb 2005) are all about Jackson WY and the surrounding area including places you can hike with your dogs:
http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/newsl ... an05.shtml http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/newsl ... html#part3 If you go to the main dogfriendly.com page and scroll down you'll see all of the past newsletters listed on the right and you can read the whole series starting with Jan 2005. |
| I've read those already!!
It was very inspirational. But there goes my book idea. I'm trying to decide how many days to spend at Grand Teton. I could spend as many as 5 and still arrive in SF in plenty of time. I wonder whether after 10 days of driving whether 5 days of rest would be a welcome rest or whether 5 days alone in a giant park would make me nutty. ? |
| Don't schedule things so closely if possible... allow for problems and delays and "tired of driving" days that may come up along the way.
It makes for much more relaxed travel! I know reservations can be hard to come by and it's kind of scary at first to travel without them. But if there is someplace you MUST stay, then allow a day or two of time before you get there. Keep or make a list of places along the route where you could stay, and take your cell phone and call'em up a few hours before you're there. It's easier, perhaps, doing this in a motorhome. |
| That's good advice. So maybe I will allow the couple extra days open buffer between the start and Wyoming. I like having reservations lined up for the first few days because the stops are mostly in cities but I guess as I head West, it seems like there are plenty of pet-friendly motels. . .
Ok. That helps. But how many days for Reno? Is it worth more than a quick overnight? |
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