Recently I’ve been thinking about why I haven’t had time to take any trips. Then I realized I didn’t have time to take a big trip because I’m never home! Whether I’m at work downtown, the tennis courts at the park, the trails at Pine Mountain, or at my dad’s farm, I’m always somewhere. I take the places I live and the little trips I take for granted all the time!
A few weekends ago I took another trip to visit my brother and his little family in Canonsburg, PA for my nieces’ birthdays. We didn’t really leave his house since we were trying to get as much quality time as possible. Why did I not count this as an adventure? Hubs was with me and we even got my dad to take us out to West Virginia to pick up a car we bought on eBay. (Yeah, we’re those people who buy cars off eBay and then drive them 12 hours…). The fall foliage was gorgeous! What a treat for the afternoon! My mom and I went up to Canonsburg in July to babysit. We went to the park and on the way we walked past deer, a big buck no less!, a fox, and a rabbit. Why am I not considering these as big trips? I did have to go through the TSA security after all. Plus spending time with a two year old and a one year old is always an adventure.
Earlier this month I went to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a tennis tournament. I got to swim in the Gulf in November. I had the jellyfish sting and sand in my britches to prove it. In May I was in Macon, GA for another tournament. Why do I exclude these from my other big travels? I also went to LaGrange, GA for yet another tournament. That’s a little under an hour from where I live, but still! I went antiquing during rain delays between match times; that makes it an official vacation!
It all made me think about how lucky and blessed I am to have the freedom to take this mini-trips across my state and region. I get to experience local restaurants, brews, and views. What more of a blessing could I ask for than that?
“Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.” 1 Corinthians 16:5-7
Mount Saint Helensskipped to have more time in the Redwoods
Crater Lake National Park skipped because roads closed and bad weather predicted
Day 9: Portland & Redwood National park
AT&T Park skipped because did not get there in time for Bark in the Park
Day 11: Sequoia National Park
Death Valley National Park skipped because too hot for dogs
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area skipped because too hot for dogs
Day 12: Grand Canyon National Park
Zion National Park skipped because did not drive through Utah
Bryce Canyon National Park skipped because did not drive through Utah
Arches National Park skipped because did not drive through Utah
Day 13: Denver
Day 14: HOME!
Day 8: Ladysmith, BC to Seattle, WA
Holland Creek Trail
The second week of our trip we started a little weak from the night before. We amazingly got our tired selves out of bed and went for a hike. We drove to a nice trail called Holland Creek. There was a sweet little waterfall and a vista on top of a hill where you could see the bay. Here we encountered these strange black slugs and large, old trees. The scenery was romantic and wild. We passed some nice people and Hubs spotted a "treasure" from a treasure hunt the day before. It was a crocheted dishcloth made by someone from Alberta. We thoroughly enjoyed hiking on Vancouver Island. You could let your dog off leash at the park we went to, but we opted not to do that. We, nor our furbabies, knew the area or local wildlife or what other dogs might be out there. Better safe than sorry! After the hike we said goodbye to Jason and took BC Ferries from Duke Point to Tsawwassen. While waiting for the ferry we got some coffee. I was surprised to see an advertisement on the cafe's counter for Cuban coffee. They also had books about the Pig Wars over the U.S. and Canada's border dispute. We crossed back in to the U.S. past the Peace Arch. The border control was not as friendly as the control going into Canada. We drove for Seattle and had dinner at the Traveler on Leary Way with an old sorority sister of mine and her boyfriend. It was a neat little place; we got to eat with the dogs inside the restaurant! After dinner we drove around for a place to stay and eventually convinced the KOA employee to let us have a parking spot. This was our first night sleeping in the van. It was rough and uncomfortable for us. The dogs seemed to claim their spots and push us off the side.
Day 9: Seattle, WA to Crescent City, CA
Everything inside the van STUNK at this point. Between our dogs, dirty clothes, us being in there for hours, and all the fur floating around we reeked. All four of us were also exhausted. We had some really long days and not getting very good sleep. I was ready to take a vacation from my vacation!
Radio Room
We drove straight from the KOA outside of Seattle to Portland, OR. On the way we stopped for doggie toothbrushes, Febreeze, and a heavy duty lint brush. That helped a ton. In Portland we took a couple of hours to walk around. We had brunch at a place called the Radio Room. It was super delicious, dog friendly, and had no wait! Hubs and I also had our eyes out for Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. Unfortunately, we did not see them.
Hubs and I decided to skip Mt. Rainer, Mt. St. Helens, and Crater Lake. Crater Lake was due to bad weather conditions. All the roads around it were still closed and snow and rain were predicted for that afternoon. Once we got to Crescent City we camped out in the van again at a KOA. This time we used an air mattress. That and the repugnant odors under control we slept a little better.
Day 10: Crescent City, CA to Petaluma, CA
This, by far, was the coolest day for Hubs and me. We got to spend the day among the Redwoods! We got the proper permit and hiked the Tall Trees Trail and Tall Trees Grove. The tallest tree in the world is off this trail. The tree itself isn't marked and the park only allows 50 people a day to hike the trail. Hubs and I suppose it's so too many people aren't walking off looking for the tallest tree. Being in this forest made me feel so small but so alive. It really makes you think about how much Earth has changed and what our role is in this place. As I mentioned earlier, we hiked sans chiens on these trails. I wish we could have taken them because they would have loved it! But, I understand not taking dogs on the trails. We heard some elk trumpeting off in the distance.
Later we heard a low growl. Do elk growl? Dogs can lead predators toward you and their scent can mess with wild animals’ migrations and other habits. There’s more about it on the National Park Services’ website. Each park has different rules and regulations, so make sure you research the park you want to visit beforehand. After that four mile hike we went to find the corkscrew tree and Big Tree. We didn't find those, but we found some other interesting sights! We then drove through the Avenue of the Giants. Hubs thought it was an audio tour, perhaps on an AM radio station. Once we got there and I grabbed a pamphlet we realized it was an auto tour. Ha! I read aloud the pamphlet to provide the audio. The visitor center was cool, too. They had a section of redwood with a timeline on the rings. They also had planted a sequoia, redwood, and a third species all around the same time to see how similar and different they are and how they grow. We eventually camped out the KOA.
timeline on a redwood
Day 11: Crescent City, CA to Tehachapi, CA
view up the mountains
Hubs and I decided to skip Utah completely. It was too hot. We toyed with the idea of going to the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, but it would be too hot there, and again, no dogs allowed. So we continued south along highway 180. We stopped at a local fruit stand and got some delicious apples and oranges. We should have gotten the peaches, but being from Georgia I was a little afraid I'd like the CA peaches better! It was the perfect snack to get us to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The sequoias were gorgeous, but it wasn't the same awe inspiring effect the redwoods had. Hubs and I went to see General Sherman Tree. Again, since we are from GA I rolled my eyes and made some failed fire jokes to Hubs. The tree itself was so massive. I thought I had seen some large oak trees and I've seen some amazingly enormous trees in the Amazon, but this tree was pretty massive. Could you imagine a forest full of those? We didn't go to Kings Canyon since we planned to get to the Grand Canyon the next day. I have a feeling a lot of tourists do this, but I wish we had had the time to at least go peak at it! After our winding descent we grabbed some pizza and stayed at a hotel in Tehachapi. Apparently this hotel had a weight limit to 50 lbs for both dogs. Since I booked online (and didn't see that detail) and they already ran my credit card, they looked the other way for us. Hubs went back and looked again online and said he didn't see that little tidbit posted anywhere. Oh well!
couldn't get something this massive in one picture!
Day 12: Tehachapi, CA to Williams, AZ
After, once again, going back and forth between route options and what we could and could not do with the precious pups, we planned to go to the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The South Rim Trail is very dog friendly (yay!) and the trail is paved and mostly shaded (yay again!). We went straight to a KOA, even hopping on Route 66 for a bit, and set up camp. Once the afternoon grew later and temperatures began to drop from Hell to Oven, we loaded up with plenty of water and drove to the Grand Canyon. We hiked from Bright Angel to Hopi Point. We got to Hopi Point in time to watch the sunset. It was like a dream! Fodor's said to do this and it was so right. We hiked back in the dusk and got to our van by dark. The views along the trail are jaw-dropping. We passed elk and even the dogs stopped to look and not go into chase mode. We got back to camp and passed out.
Day 13: Williams, AZ to Denver, CO
This was a long, hot day. Poor pups- I don't know how they are managing so well! Hubs and I were excited to see my aunt and uncle in Denver, but all four of us were ready to be home, take a long shower, bathe the dogs, and sleep in our own beds. At the point we had traveled over 6,000 miles in 13 days. That is a lot of car time. We drove straight to Denver without any major stops.
Day 14: Denver, CO to HOME!
Hubs and I met up with my aunt and uncle and ate brunch at Stella’s on 16th. Everywhere we went the food got better and the dogs behaved better. An employee suggested the French toast and that did not disappoint! The cappuccino was yummy and so was the frittata. We went to my aunt and uncle's condo for a minute to pick up some family heirlooms. The dogs walk right past their two cats and liked the view from the balcony. After we said our good-byes we climbed into the car for our last long haul. Hubs and I drove through the night switching at each empty tank. Hubs let me drive for once! Our husky was fine, but our little lab could not sleep while we were driving. He would try and then we'd hit a pothole or something and he's be straight up.
Once we got home in the morning, about 23 hours later, our lab ran around our yard and then into the house and on the sofa. Our husky wouldn't get out of the van for a few minutes. She sat there like, "What? Is it over? Do I know this place?" Needless to say we all crashed.
sunrise on the way home
The trip was long and a lot, but it was so great! Hubs and I are talking about a possible trip up the east coast. Now that we know what the van needs to make the trip easier and more comfortable we are ready to make the modifications and hit the road again!
Two week road trip with the dogs is officially checked off my to-do list! We make a few changes to the itinerary, but managed to see 21 states and go to Canada in 14 days.
So what was two weeks in a Ford Transit Connect with your hubs and two large dogs? Actually it was awesome! The dogs were great and Hubs, of course, was awesome. Mainly because he insisted on doing all the driving! By the time we reached Seattle on day 9, we invested in a lint brush, Febreeze, and a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste. After that, things went even smoother. By the end of the trip the pups were much better behaved in the car and outside of it. They were calmer passing other dogs in new places and were relaxed at restaurants.
I made a list of our original planned stops. I had first planned with the idea we would be travelling for 18 days versus 14. I still managed to over plan for the 4 extra days! The edits are where we actually went or why we changed our plans. I also noted what day we arrived at each place. The days I skipped were days we spent in the car and driving.
Day 2: Ozark National Forest
Day 3: Badlands National Park & Devil’s Tower
Mount Rushmore National Memorial skipped because not dog friendly enough
Wind Cave National Park skipped because not dog friendly enough
Day 5: Glacier National Park
Yellowstone National Park skipped because not dog friendly enough
Grand Teton National Park skipped because not dog friendly enough
Day 6: North Cascades National Park
Day 7: Vancouver Island
Mount Rainier National Parkskipped to go to Canada
Day 1: Home to Jonesboro, AR
We were off in good spirits! We made 2 stops in local parks until we got to Lake Frierson Sate Park. We set up our tent and hit the hay. It was so hot and humid it was miserable trying to sleep. While we slept my little lab got off his dog bed and cuddled with me. In the morning I realized it wasn't because he loved me that deeply. It had been raining and the tent was leaking! We thought we had it better than in Arizona since we had tent poles. However, the tent we were currently sleeping in was old and the rain had collected and dripped inside all night. Everything was soaked. Yay... We stuck all the wet things in the car box and got out of there as if we could drive away from the damp.
Day 2: Jonesboro, AR to Omaha, NE
We stopped in Branson, MO at Table Rock Park. We went for a nice hike. The scenery and climate reminded us of home but somehow even prettier. We parked in the sun so as we walked some things, mostly the stinky dog bed, could dry out. A key thing for hiking in MO we forgot: wear bug spray. We packed a ton yet failed to put any on for this hike. If we stopped to take a picture we were covered in mosquitoes! We decided that night to stay in a hotel so we could take proper showers.
South Dakota
Day 3: Omaha, NE to Devil's Tower, WY
We decided to reroute and skip Wind Cave and Mount Rushmore. Taking the dogs to national parks isn’t always the best choice. Most parks only allow the furbabies at certain campsites and paved areas. They aren’t allowed on the trails which takes a lot of the fun out of going to the parks. In some parks we left them in the car while we walked around for less than 20 minutes.Only once in the Redwoods did we leave them for longer because it was really cool outside, shaded, and we got a permit to hike on a back trail. We did stop at a lot of national forests and state parks. They typically allowed leashed dogs on the trails. We still passed through the Badlands. We drove on the section of the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway that ran parallel with the highway (exit 131 to exit 110 off SD-40). The views were gorgeous! There were a lot of walks but it was so hot we didn't get out of the car too much. If we did it was only for up to 15 minutes and we left the car on with the AC running for the dogs. That night we camped at the KOA right outside Devil's Tower. We had a stunning view of it! Of course, the weather turned sour. Hubs put up the tailgate tent over our tent so we didn't wake up in a big puddle yet again. It worked! He's so awesome and smart.
driving through the plains
Day 4: Devil's Tower, WY to Bozeman, MT
Another decision to skip some parks. This time we skipped Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Frankly they were too far south and it would be another place where we'd have to leave the dogs in the van. Driving through the mountains in Wyoming we stopped in Big Horn National Forest. The road was curvy with stunning views. We reached a point where it was really foggy so we pulled off the play in the snow! Can you imagine snow in June? At home we don't get even get snow in the winter! Our husky LOVED it! She didn't know whether to eat it, dig in it, play in it, or roll around in it. So, naturally, she did all of those. Once we crossed into Montana I made Hubs turn off the Audible book we were listening to, Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer. As much as I love his writing, I don't plan on finishing it. We switched to listening to Paramore and Bastille. That night we got another hotel room in Bozeman.
Day 5: Bozeman, MT to Whitefish, MT
Lake McDonald
The main reason we went through Montana was to go to Glacier National Park. I knew the glaciers were receding, but Hubs and I were still expecting an Icelandic type experience. That was not what we experienced. We saw beautiful mountains, waterfalls, rivers, and the crystal clear waters of Lake McDonald. We drove along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, but the middle section was still closed due to snow. We ended up leaving the park and heading west to Whitefish State Park. We camped there in the tent and fortunately no rain!
Day 6: Whitefish, MT to Bellingham, WA
Northern Idaho was a nice stop! We went to a place called Mullan Road and made lunch. Then we took a little jaunt through the trees and read the markers about the history of Mullan Road. After that we drove past the Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph Dams. The drive through Northern Washington had apple and cherry orchards for miles and miles. We rode along the North Cascades Scenic Highway (HWY 20). The main highway was open but the side roads and trails were closed and still covered in feet of snow! This snow was hard packed and not quite as fun, but the dogs still ran like crazy with Hubs! Outside of the Cascades we hiked along a river an in the woods in Lolo National Forest. That was a really lovely hike. We ended up in a hotel again that night.
section of the PCT in North Cascades
Lolo National Forest
Grand Coulee Dam
Ferry to Vancouver Island
Day 7: Bellingham, WA to Ladysmith, BC
On day 6 we booked out hotel and an airbnb in Vancouver. Actually, it was on Vancouver Island! We considered cancelling and making a reservation somewhere in Vancouver. After weighing our options and prices, we decided why not go to Vancouver Island? After driving through customs (we had our passports and the dogs' rabies vaccines papers with us which is what you need to get into Canada), we stopped at Stanley Park in Vancouver. Parking cost a few dollars, but the park was well worth it! Our lab mix was afraid of the orange caution cones and ignored all the geese. He's so silly. We took BC Ferries to the island from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay in Nanaimo. Then we drove to Ladysmith where the airbnb was. We had planned to do some hiking that evening, but ended up drinking beer and watching the Blue Jays game on TV. Our host, Jason, said he normally would be in Seattle to watch the Jays but ended up staying home that night. Hubs and I officially decided we should not try to keep up when drinking with Canadians. You'd think we'd know after our Boston experience! Jason had a cat but it lived outside so the dogs didn't have a chance to terrorize it.
My boys on Vancouver Island
Peace Arch - 49th Parallel
Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC
I'll post about the last week of the trip soon! I hope you've enjoyed reading about our first week on the open road! Check Instagram @sarahssojourn and/or #vantriptails2017 for more pictures!
This summer we are ended up not in Asia. I couldn't leave my fur babies for that long. Plus, Hubs' vacation time isn't as flexible as mine. We road tripped to California and back! We packed up our van, a Ford Transit Connect, and drive from Georgia northwest and then south along the Pacific Coast Highway and then the details are yet to be straightened out for out route home. We were on the road for two whole weeks. That's a lot of camping, hiking, and driving, I know. But, we live is a huge, gorgeous country. And I plan to enjoy it before the EPA completely disappears...
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Preparing for this trip was more effort than any other. You'd think traveling by car in your own country would be straightforward and simple. But no, we had to handle the vehicle maintenance, jigsaw puzzle packing, and route out the trip. (We ended up routing out each day the night before, but having a foundation plan helped!)
Vehicle Maintenance:
We got new tires to start. The Braves have a promotion when when they hit a home run in the 4th inning Kauffman Tires gives $144 off all four tires. Hubs, being the mechanical savvy fellow he is, also got a special carpeting which fits the grooves of the plastic flooring. He got a steering wheel cover, put in a GPS display and backup camera, changed the oil, put on seat covers, got new floor mats, put in a new arm rest, put in new shocks, added a roof rack and a cargo box. I, on the other hand, hung a dream catcher I made a few years ago and added some stickers to the cargo box. This was not my most helpful aspect when preparing for the trip.
Closing Up Shop:
My helpful hands came inside the house. Getting your house ready to sit for two weeks seems easy, but you have to imagine the sights and smells you could encounter when you cross the threshold after a fortnight. Obviously you should clean your house. I cannot stand coming home from a trip to a messy house. Before I leave I vacuum, change the sheets, do all the laundry (including folding and putting it away), clean the kitchen, and take out the trash and recycling, You'd be surprised how stinky a poorly rinsed out cup can get sitting in your sink. Same goes for a damp washcloth in the hamper or an old sauce jar in the recycling. And because I love our Earth, and Hubs loves saving money, we closed all the curtains, turned off everything, unplugged what we could, and even turned the AC off. Nothing like coming home to hot, stale house! Better than a sticky, messy one. We would have turned off our water but we asked my dad to come bu and check on/water the garden. We also had the post office hold our mail. We are fortunate enough to have family live nearby and do drive-by checks to look for packages, busted windows, burglars escaping, fire, etc.
The Fur Babies:
Surprisingly the dogs were the easiest part to pack for! Maybe it's because I did a lot more research on what to do for them than for the other aspects of the trip. First, there's the pet policies for all the stops we wanted to visit. National parks tend to have stricter policies than national forests or state parks. More on that in the next post. Secondly, there's what to pack for you dogs. There was a ton of information on this online (thanks Pinterest!). Basically it boils down to how to keep your dog safe, healthy, and happy. Then there's what to do for your dogs before you go. Medicines, grooming, exercising, vaccines, practicing riding in the car... And always make sure your pet has the proper ID on them and keep an extra copy of their paperwork in your vehicle. We also invested in reflective harnesses, cable, and tie out stakes for at the campsites.
Lessons Learned From The Road:
1. over-packing --> still and ALWAYS abide by the "every ounce counts" rule, even if not physically carrying all of your belongs. All the extra stuff I packed got to be really annoying. We were constantly having the dig for things, rearrange, and it took up too much space in the van.
2. over-planning --> this was the longest trip I've ever planned for. It ended up being so long and tiring that we had to cut out a lot of the original stops. Perhaps I over planned because I teach and over-planning is always better than under-planning... Lofty goals for the trip meant a lot of the stops I was hyped up about got cut short or frankly cut out. We had to focus on the must-sees. Plus having the dogs in tow and weather conditions hindered us from going to some places so that helped slim the list. Being flexible is a must.
Next post I'll be describing our trip and all the amazing things we saw and experienced of our gorgeous country. If you wanted a sneak peak at some pictures, check out #vantriptails2017 on Instagram.
With the new year comes new adventures, new pages to be written, and other new cliches to repeat. Unfortunately mine is a\off to slow start. It's not the cold or flu; I have a terrible case of cabin fever!
Lol, I love that movie. Anyway...
Do you get the blues like I do when you haven’t gone anywhere new in a while? I haven’t been somewhere since our trip to Phoenix last August. Well, I did go to Pittsburgh in January but I was only there for the weekend and hardly left my brother’s house. I am itching to go see some new sites! It’s hard to get out there and do stuff when Hubs and I work full time and play tennis on the weekends. Routine is nice and all, but it’s been nearly 6 months of what feels like solitary confinement! Too dramatic?
Here are 5 ways I try to remedy my cabin fever.
1. Go for a hike
Hubs and I hike a lot with our pups and we tend to go on the same trails and paths. We do like to mix it up and go to other parks or go on different routes through the park near our house. The dogs love the change of scenery (and smells), too! Even if we are on the same trail it feels new with the changing seasons and various wildlife. We’ve seen deer, owls, hawks, even a very large red-eared slider!
2. Try a New Restaurant
Just today and friend and I went to a restaurant that had recently been redone from a taqueria to a barbecue place. It was delicious! The sides of the restaurant were open and it was a gorgeous day. It reminded me of Quito. Plus, we got to eat mac & cheese, chopped pork, and bacon all on a sandwich bun. Yum! Plus it's fun to find the little places that serve true ethnic food.
3. Read a Book
I finally finished River of Doubt and the writing had me traveling down the Amazon tributary with Roosevelt and crew. I highly recommend it if you haven’t read it yet. Candice Millard truly knows how to make history and geography come alive. I’m starting Egil’s Saga now. It’s one of Iceland’s great viking sagas. I haven’t gotten very far into yet, but Hubs and I got to walk through Egil’s story in a museum in Borgarnes, Iceland. There were even monuments around the city marking where the events of the story happened. Hopefully that helps me while reading the saga. Getting caught up in a great story, or epic saga, is a great way to mentally escape. I also love the authors Philippa Gregory and Jon Krakauer; their writing takes me from the Tudor era to the top of Everest.
4. Camp in Your Backyard
Hubs and I have done this with the pups before. Of course the yard was soaked so we pitched our tent on the screened-in porch. The cement made me wish for the soft earth. Hearing all the night sounds and the wind wind through the trees is very relaxing to us. We only made it to about 6am before we headed into bed due to said cement. It was a nice way to experience the outdoors without having to worry about packing everything up or what to do if we forgot something, like say tent poles (see my "Arizona in August" post).
5. Delve into planning your next trip!
Our next travel plan doesn’t start until June, but the planning is already in motion! Plus, depending on the length of your trip and whether it’s international or not can make a difference in how much time you’ll need to prepare. For our next trip Hubs and I plan to take the pups with us. That means making sure vaccines are up to date, we have all the things we need to take with us, checking pet policies for our destinations, and more. If you follow me on Instagram (@sarahs.sojourn) then you’ll already know that Hubs and I are planning a road trip this June! Follow #vantriptails2017 to keep up with the trip planning.
I hope all of you are off to a wonderful start this year! No matter what your plans are stay safe, healthy, and remember that we all share this gorgeous earth so let’s be kind to it.
