Cross Country Road Trip: Days 8-14

Day 8: Seattle

Mount Saint Helens skipped 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!

Cross Country Road Trip: Days 1-7

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 Park skipped 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!