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!