Travels with my dog-a road trip report
Mar 22nd, 2004, 03:44 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Travels with my dog-a road trip report
With airfares so low and gasoline at record high prices, it may seem foolish to drive to Florida right now from NY. My husband and I made the trip last month so we could take our dog with us. I also rationalized that we could have our own car, a convertible. Thanks to all Fodorites who offered tips. Herewith a report on the good, the bad & the ugly. Hopefully it might help those with upcoming road trips.
The plan we had was, armed with AAA maps & guides, to drive as far as we wanted each day, then decide on the road where to stop. We set out from the eastern end of Long Island on the Sunday morning of President's weekend. Our rationale was that traffic would be light since everyone would already be wherever they were going. WRONG! And 10 AM is too late to start. Sometimes the most obvious info still escapes me (the later you leave, the less daylight you have, duh). I figured 8 hours would be enough driving time, but it's not with pit stops, eating stops, gas stops etc. We seemed to average only 50 mph (driving 70-80 mph).
Suggestion #1 on a car trip, leave VERY early each day. After day 1, we left by 6:30am at the latest.
Because of the late start and the heavy traffic, we only got as far as Washington, D.C. on day 1 before we were exhausted. I thought staying in Alexandria, Va. would be a good idea because it would be cheaper than Washington, I knew we could walk around to find a decent dinner (vs doing more driving) and I'd never seen it. Great. Except the only place we could find in Old Town that accepts dogs was the Holiday Inn Select for $179/night plus tax (plus an extra $10 for overnight parking!) OK, so we'll splurge tonight.
We went up to our room (this place is a regular hotel with interior corridors) to find it was a very small room with only 1 small window facing an interior courtyard. It was as far from the elevator as you could get & just down the hall from the indoor swimming pool. The room was stifflingly warm & the window didn't open (turning off the heat helped some.) So, next lesson, suggestion # 2, it doesn't pay to splurge on a hotel when you're with your dog. Many hotels set aside specific rooms for pets. Even if you pick a nice hotel, you're unlikely to get a great room anyway.
We fed and walked the dog, cleaned ourselves up and set out to find dinner. As we walked down the hall away from our room, both of us ready to comment on how good and quiet the dog was, he started barking. I was reminded of Scarlett's similar experience on her recent trip. It was clear we couldn't leave him in the room alone. Luckily there was a nice French cafe/bakery across the street that provided us with very good take out. Shrimp and spinach crepes, caesar salad and a bottle of white wine. YES! The heartburn that ensued that night was a mere detail.
The mention of French food has reminded me of suggestion #3. If you're taking a long car trip, don't leave home without books on tape (or CD). We had gotten this advice from friends and also from Fodorites here. What I hadn't realized was how many great books there are available on tape. Being something of a francophile I got Peter Mayle's Chasing Cezanne which, while not great literature, was a lot of fun. It takes place in the south of France where we've been many times. It even has a scene in La Colombe D'Or where we went on honeymoon. It is read by Ken Howard who was pretty good at doing various voices. I also got Paris to the Moon which I've always wanted to read but never had. Unfortunately the author does the reading himself and my husband found Gopnick's voice quite irritating so I never got to the end. My husband is a fan of Dick Francis (mystery books set around horse racing in England) so we got one of his books, Twice Shy. It was very entertaining, long and involving and read by a terrific English actor. This book was something like 6 hours long. It really makes time fly. It was lots of fun to be driving down a highway in the US & be transported to the south of France, England and Paris. I think a good story set in the south would have been fun too.
The morning of day 2 as I walked the dog, I met several really nice people who live in Alexandria walking their dogs. (Alexandria is a VERY dog-friendly place). I also discovered most "free breakfasts with room" don't start til 6:30am. (I had also found out by then that the thermal cup I bought for coffee for the trip leaks.) So suggestion #4, forget about free breakfasts when picking a hotel. They usually don't start early enough, they're often terrible, it's too early to eat a big meal and you'll want to stop later anyway.
Thanks to my Fodors friends for recommending the Waffle Houses. We ate breakfast at 2 different ones. They can look very dodgey but the waffles are terrific (scrambled eggs less so). We also had 2 breakfasts at Shoney's. I hate buffets but these were worthwhile. One was outstanding, the other just plain good.
One thing I should mention for those who haven't made the trip, I-95, the road you take pretty much all the way after getting off the NJ Tpke, doesn't have any restaurants right on the road. They have rest areas where you can pull in, use the restrooms, have a picnic, and buy drinks & snacks from machines. But for a restaurant, you have to get off I-95. Before each exit there are signs that say what lodging is at that exit, then a separate sign for gas and a separate sign for restaurants. Unfortunately they don't say HOW FAR these places are from the exit. So I saw a sign for Waffle House, told DH that my Fodors friends said it's good and we got off the road to find it was MILES away. What we finally realized was, as you get out at the exit (you've already committed) there's a sign that tells you which way to turn for the various places & it also tells you how far they are. If it sounds too far, you can usually just make a couple of left turns & get back on the road.
One of the few exceptions to the "no restaurants on the road" is a place called South of the Border at the border of North & South Carolina. It had been mentioned here but I ahd no idea what it was. It's kind of a tex-Mex mini town that you can see from I-95. We decided to stop (on our way home) just for the experience but arrived at 8:30am hoping for breakfast. Most places were closed at that hour & the one open place looked awful so we left. I'd say you can skip this place!
At the end of day 2 we were in Savannah and I was over the moon. I've always wanted to see Savannah. But as you'd guess, downtown Savannah is not right off 95. So we had the debate to stay "nice" downtown or cheap & cheerful on the road. There was a charming sounding Inn downtown that accepted dogs (East Bay Inn) according to our guide, but after the previous night's experience where the dog barked every time someone opened their door, and knowing we couldn't leave him in the room alone in case he barked, we opted for the La Quinta just off the highway (exit 94) & dinner downtown. Our room at the La Quinta was double the size of the one we'd had the night before at HI Select & it was only about $60 plus tax. It had 2 queen beds.. We drove about 20 minutes to get downtown for dinner (took the dog with us & left him in the car where he was fine.) We had a decent meal at the Savannah Bistro. In a bizarre, small world isn't it turn, we sat next to a couple who live in my old home town & went to the same high school I did. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the Savannah I wanted to see with the beautiful squares & the old homes, but we'll be back!
The worst part of the drive in either direction was the morning leaving Savannah. We didn't sleep much and decided to just get up & go at about 5:30am. It was pouring rain and the road is under heavy construction with lots of lane changes at that point. With rain, construction, darkness & lots of trucks it was not fun.
It took 2 1/2 days to reach southeast Fla. I had "oh wow" thoughts reading the signs for all the places we studied about in school -Fredicksburg, Sumter, Richmond. I'll even embarrass myself by admitting I never thought about what or from where "Sea Island cotton" (very expensive men's shirt fabric) came. On passing signs for Sea Island, Ga. I wondered...is it from there?
On the return trip we made our first stop in Santee, SC, the home of an outlet mall & 16 golf courses. I asked the woman at the front desk of the motel what the best restaurant was. She suggested a place called Coasters just down the road. We arrived to a bustling, big place and were told there were no tables for 2 right now. We said we'd wait at the bar where we realized we could eat at the bar-so we did. After a while, my husband realized the place was entirely filled with MEN-no women except me (and the 2 bartenders). No wonder there were no tables for 2. It was all large groups of men on golf outings. As a joke, DH asked the female bartender if it was a gay place. "No," she answered with a straight face. "They're not gay. They're golfers." I was so embarrassed
but it was humorous.
Our last night landed us in Baltimore, by far the worst experience, not because of Baltimore, but because of the choices we made. By then nerves were tight, tempers short and we both just wanted to be home. I wanted to try staying downtown at the harbor but we couldn't find any places in our book that took dogs & were reasonably priced. Then I thought I remembered that Towson was an upscale suburb with a nice mall. I found a Holiday Inn there that takes dogs. DH grudgingly agreed despite the fact that Towson was miles west of 95 on the Beltway. Somehow he also thought we were going to a Comfort Inn rather than a HI & we wound up in this dreadful place with an awful smell. They were in the process of renovating and it was a combination paint/new carpet smell I think. Once again you can't open the windows. It was not a total loss though. We did have a decent seafood dinner at a place in a nearby strip mall recommended by the front desk.
I should also mention we had a pleasant picnic lunch in Darien, Ga. (pop. 1,800) between Savannah and Jacksonville. We froze some sandwiches the night before we left in each direction. They will keep in a cold pack for about 2 days at this time of year. Anyway, I remembered that GoTravel had said route 17 is beautiful (although not necessarily at that spot) so I suggested we take a little detour at one point. We wound up in Darien which has a bunch of antique stores, a visitors center, some picnic tables on the river, a gas station & convenience store. It felt a bit like Mayberry to me despite my not seeing the police station. Wish we had done more of this kind of stop.
While the trip was far from trouble free, I'm so glad we did it. It was an eye opening experience that made me realize how much of this country I haven't seen. I wish we could have spent some more time exploring.
The plan we had was, armed with AAA maps & guides, to drive as far as we wanted each day, then decide on the road where to stop. We set out from the eastern end of Long Island on the Sunday morning of President's weekend. Our rationale was that traffic would be light since everyone would already be wherever they were going. WRONG! And 10 AM is too late to start. Sometimes the most obvious info still escapes me (the later you leave, the less daylight you have, duh). I figured 8 hours would be enough driving time, but it's not with pit stops, eating stops, gas stops etc. We seemed to average only 50 mph (driving 70-80 mph).
Suggestion #1 on a car trip, leave VERY early each day. After day 1, we left by 6:30am at the latest.
Because of the late start and the heavy traffic, we only got as far as Washington, D.C. on day 1 before we were exhausted. I thought staying in Alexandria, Va. would be a good idea because it would be cheaper than Washington, I knew we could walk around to find a decent dinner (vs doing more driving) and I'd never seen it. Great. Except the only place we could find in Old Town that accepts dogs was the Holiday Inn Select for $179/night plus tax (plus an extra $10 for overnight parking!) OK, so we'll splurge tonight.
We went up to our room (this place is a regular hotel with interior corridors) to find it was a very small room with only 1 small window facing an interior courtyard. It was as far from the elevator as you could get & just down the hall from the indoor swimming pool. The room was stifflingly warm & the window didn't open (turning off the heat helped some.) So, next lesson, suggestion # 2, it doesn't pay to splurge on a hotel when you're with your dog. Many hotels set aside specific rooms for pets. Even if you pick a nice hotel, you're unlikely to get a great room anyway.
We fed and walked the dog, cleaned ourselves up and set out to find dinner. As we walked down the hall away from our room, both of us ready to comment on how good and quiet the dog was, he started barking. I was reminded of Scarlett's similar experience on her recent trip. It was clear we couldn't leave him in the room alone. Luckily there was a nice French cafe/bakery across the street that provided us with very good take out. Shrimp and spinach crepes, caesar salad and a bottle of white wine. YES! The heartburn that ensued that night was a mere detail.
The mention of French food has reminded me of suggestion #3. If you're taking a long car trip, don't leave home without books on tape (or CD). We had gotten this advice from friends and also from Fodorites here. What I hadn't realized was how many great books there are available on tape. Being something of a francophile I got Peter Mayle's Chasing Cezanne which, while not great literature, was a lot of fun. It takes place in the south of France where we've been many times. It even has a scene in La Colombe D'Or where we went on honeymoon. It is read by Ken Howard who was pretty good at doing various voices. I also got Paris to the Moon which I've always wanted to read but never had. Unfortunately the author does the reading himself and my husband found Gopnick's voice quite irritating so I never got to the end. My husband is a fan of Dick Francis (mystery books set around horse racing in England) so we got one of his books, Twice Shy. It was very entertaining, long and involving and read by a terrific English actor. This book was something like 6 hours long. It really makes time fly. It was lots of fun to be driving down a highway in the US & be transported to the south of France, England and Paris. I think a good story set in the south would have been fun too.
The morning of day 2 as I walked the dog, I met several really nice people who live in Alexandria walking their dogs. (Alexandria is a VERY dog-friendly place). I also discovered most "free breakfasts with room" don't start til 6:30am. (I had also found out by then that the thermal cup I bought for coffee for the trip leaks.) So suggestion #4, forget about free breakfasts when picking a hotel. They usually don't start early enough, they're often terrible, it's too early to eat a big meal and you'll want to stop later anyway.
Thanks to my Fodors friends for recommending the Waffle Houses. We ate breakfast at 2 different ones. They can look very dodgey but the waffles are terrific (scrambled eggs less so). We also had 2 breakfasts at Shoney's. I hate buffets but these were worthwhile. One was outstanding, the other just plain good.
One thing I should mention for those who haven't made the trip, I-95, the road you take pretty much all the way after getting off the NJ Tpke, doesn't have any restaurants right on the road. They have rest areas where you can pull in, use the restrooms, have a picnic, and buy drinks & snacks from machines. But for a restaurant, you have to get off I-95. Before each exit there are signs that say what lodging is at that exit, then a separate sign for gas and a separate sign for restaurants. Unfortunately they don't say HOW FAR these places are from the exit. So I saw a sign for Waffle House, told DH that my Fodors friends said it's good and we got off the road to find it was MILES away. What we finally realized was, as you get out at the exit (you've already committed) there's a sign that tells you which way to turn for the various places & it also tells you how far they are. If it sounds too far, you can usually just make a couple of left turns & get back on the road.
One of the few exceptions to the "no restaurants on the road" is a place called South of the Border at the border of North & South Carolina. It had been mentioned here but I ahd no idea what it was. It's kind of a tex-Mex mini town that you can see from I-95. We decided to stop (on our way home) just for the experience but arrived at 8:30am hoping for breakfast. Most places were closed at that hour & the one open place looked awful so we left. I'd say you can skip this place!
At the end of day 2 we were in Savannah and I was over the moon. I've always wanted to see Savannah. But as you'd guess, downtown Savannah is not right off 95. So we had the debate to stay "nice" downtown or cheap & cheerful on the road. There was a charming sounding Inn downtown that accepted dogs (East Bay Inn) according to our guide, but after the previous night's experience where the dog barked every time someone opened their door, and knowing we couldn't leave him in the room alone in case he barked, we opted for the La Quinta just off the highway (exit 94) & dinner downtown. Our room at the La Quinta was double the size of the one we'd had the night before at HI Select & it was only about $60 plus tax. It had 2 queen beds.. We drove about 20 minutes to get downtown for dinner (took the dog with us & left him in the car where he was fine.) We had a decent meal at the Savannah Bistro. In a bizarre, small world isn't it turn, we sat next to a couple who live in my old home town & went to the same high school I did. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the Savannah I wanted to see with the beautiful squares & the old homes, but we'll be back!
The worst part of the drive in either direction was the morning leaving Savannah. We didn't sleep much and decided to just get up & go at about 5:30am. It was pouring rain and the road is under heavy construction with lots of lane changes at that point. With rain, construction, darkness & lots of trucks it was not fun.
It took 2 1/2 days to reach southeast Fla. I had "oh wow" thoughts reading the signs for all the places we studied about in school -Fredicksburg, Sumter, Richmond. I'll even embarrass myself by admitting I never thought about what or from where "Sea Island cotton" (very expensive men's shirt fabric) came. On passing signs for Sea Island, Ga. I wondered...is it from there?
On the return trip we made our first stop in Santee, SC, the home of an outlet mall & 16 golf courses. I asked the woman at the front desk of the motel what the best restaurant was. She suggested a place called Coasters just down the road. We arrived to a bustling, big place and were told there were no tables for 2 right now. We said we'd wait at the bar where we realized we could eat at the bar-so we did. After a while, my husband realized the place was entirely filled with MEN-no women except me (and the 2 bartenders). No wonder there were no tables for 2. It was all large groups of men on golf outings. As a joke, DH asked the female bartender if it was a gay place. "No," she answered with a straight face. "They're not gay. They're golfers." I was so embarrassed
but it was humorous.Our last night landed us in Baltimore, by far the worst experience, not because of Baltimore, but because of the choices we made. By then nerves were tight, tempers short and we both just wanted to be home. I wanted to try staying downtown at the harbor but we couldn't find any places in our book that took dogs & were reasonably priced. Then I thought I remembered that Towson was an upscale suburb with a nice mall. I found a Holiday Inn there that takes dogs. DH grudgingly agreed despite the fact that Towson was miles west of 95 on the Beltway. Somehow he also thought we were going to a Comfort Inn rather than a HI & we wound up in this dreadful place with an awful smell. They were in the process of renovating and it was a combination paint/new carpet smell I think. Once again you can't open the windows. It was not a total loss though. We did have a decent seafood dinner at a place in a nearby strip mall recommended by the front desk.
I should also mention we had a pleasant picnic lunch in Darien, Ga. (pop. 1,800) between Savannah and Jacksonville. We froze some sandwiches the night before we left in each direction. They will keep in a cold pack for about 2 days at this time of year. Anyway, I remembered that GoTravel had said route 17 is beautiful (although not necessarily at that spot) so I suggested we take a little detour at one point. We wound up in Darien which has a bunch of antique stores, a visitors center, some picnic tables on the river, a gas station & convenience store. It felt a bit like Mayberry to me despite my not seeing the police station. Wish we had done more of this kind of stop.
While the trip was far from trouble free, I'm so glad we did it. It was an eye opening experience that made me realize how much of this country I haven't seen. I wish we could have spent some more time exploring.
Mar 22nd, 2004, 05:34 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh Honey, next time write/call me and I will give you explicit and detailed instructions on where to stay and who treats you best 
I am glad that you got away, the weather being so dreadful in NY this winter. Didn't you love the way the scenery changed from dreary grey to soft and green?
Waffle House:
I see them everywhere, and there are plenty of them in Jacksonville..but I have never been tempted to eat in one until yesterday. Our son is visiting from Japan, he used to be in a band, they traveled all over the US and when he saw the sign for Waffle House, he moaned and sighed with happiness.."Waffle House makes the best breakfasts! day and night!"..so I guess we will have to give it a test too!
I want to see Savannah also, sans Pup..but I imagine you and your husband, driving along I95 with the top down and the pups ears flapping in the breeze .. a lovely sight I am sure ((&))
I am glad that you got away, the weather being so dreadful in NY this winter. Didn't you love the way the scenery changed from dreary grey to soft and green?
Waffle House:
I see them everywhere, and there are plenty of them in Jacksonville..but I have never been tempted to eat in one until yesterday. Our son is visiting from Japan, he used to be in a band, they traveled all over the US and when he saw the sign for Waffle House, he moaned and sighed with happiness.."Waffle House makes the best breakfasts! day and night!"..so I guess we will have to give it a test too!
I want to see Savannah also, sans Pup..but I imagine you and your husband, driving along I95 with the top down and the pups ears flapping in the breeze .. a lovely sight I am sure ((&))
Mar 23rd, 2004, 03:11 AM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I wish we'd been driving down 95 with the top down. No such luck but it was nice tooting around south Fla. with the top down. Good to "hear your voice" Scarlett. Miss your posts. We're getting ready for a trip to England later this week.
Mar 23rd, 2004, 06:27 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If only they would allow Pups into England a little easier! Imagine driving around the countryside then ~
I would like to be in England next week, this is such a beautiful time of year with the flowers and everything budding.
I asked for a trip for my birthday but happy to say, my son came to visit instead..so we will have to work on England in August (Cornwall?)
Have a lovely time, mclaurie~
I would like to be in England next week, this is such a beautiful time of year with the flowers and everything budding.
I asked for a trip for my birthday but happy to say, my son came to visit instead..so we will have to work on England in August (Cornwall?)
Have a lovely time, mclaurie~
Mar 23rd, 2004, 06:34 AM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for some of the info.
Just decided to relocate from So Jersey to Tampa. I will need to get back to Jersey at least once a year for a month at a time. I will be driving from Tampa back to Jersey with my Black Lab. Wondering how he will handle the road trip from Jersey to Tampa. Wondering if "doogy downers" will help.
I am leaving next month for a 2 month vacation to Germany. Planning to be there with my dog. I wonder how he'll handle 2 months overseas.
Anyway, I'll be interested to read any more posts from people that travel alot with their dogs. This is something new for me.
Just decided to relocate from So Jersey to Tampa. I will need to get back to Jersey at least once a year for a month at a time. I will be driving from Tampa back to Jersey with my Black Lab. Wondering how he will handle the road trip from Jersey to Tampa. Wondering if "doogy downers" will help.
I am leaving next month for a 2 month vacation to Germany. Planning to be there with my dog. I wonder how he'll handle 2 months overseas.
Anyway, I'll be interested to read any more posts from people that travel alot with their dogs. This is something new for me.
Mar 23rd, 2004, 06:46 AM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Winnepeg, it turned out to be quite easy for us and Pup is a standard poodle so we were dealing with a lot of dog.
Try doing a search on travels with dogs, I cannot remember the names of the threads but they were in December/January of this year..there was so much good information from people about how to find hotels etc.
I do know that pups need a routine, even when on the road, so try to stop the same times each day-feed the same food and we took along water so he would not have stomach probs while driving ... he made the trip like a champ!
He is sort of protective, so everytime someone would walk past the hotel room, he would growl, so we could not leave him alone, he would bark. (big bark)
Except for that, it was quite easy.
Good luck! My cousin took his little cat to Germany with him
Try doing a search on travels with dogs, I cannot remember the names of the threads but they were in December/January of this year..there was so much good information from people about how to find hotels etc.
I do know that pups need a routine, even when on the road, so try to stop the same times each day-feed the same food and we took along water so he would not have stomach probs while driving ... he made the trip like a champ!
He is sort of protective, so everytime someone would walk past the hotel room, he would growl, so we could not leave him alone, he would bark. (big bark)
Except for that, it was quite easy.
Good luck! My cousin took his little cat to Germany with him
Mar 23rd, 2004, 09:18 AM
#7
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
McLaurie ~
I am so glad you posted this! We've been trying to think of a vacation for over 6 months now, and the one thing we always come back to is the fact that we'd hate to leave our pups behind! We've ruled out a cruise and an AI in the carribbean.
So, we decided to research a road trip w/ them. Not sure which way we're going. We're in Michigan, metro detroit area, and I was thinking about heading east through ohio, pa, and into virginia. Hubby is thinking west, towards the dakotas and the Hitting Nat'l parks, etc.
It sounds like AAA has good info as far as hotels that are dog friendly? Can you have 2 dogs stay in your room? What kind of extra charges can we expect to incur?
I will do a search for the threads in Dec/Jan that Scarlett mentions as well!
I am so glad you posted this! We've been trying to think of a vacation for over 6 months now, and the one thing we always come back to is the fact that we'd hate to leave our pups behind! We've ruled out a cruise and an AI in the carribbean.
So, we decided to research a road trip w/ them. Not sure which way we're going. We're in Michigan, metro detroit area, and I was thinking about heading east through ohio, pa, and into virginia. Hubby is thinking west, towards the dakotas and the Hitting Nat'l parks, etc.
It sounds like AAA has good info as far as hotels that are dog friendly? Can you have 2 dogs stay in your room? What kind of extra charges can we expect to incur?
I will do a search for the threads in Dec/Jan that Scarlett mentions as well!
Mar 23rd, 2004, 05:46 PM
#8
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Maybe because I am not a dog person, but it seems to me you sacrificed a lot of satisfaction just to vacation with the dog. You couldn't stay at hotels you wanted, you couldn't eat at restaurants you wanted, and you couldn't see Savannah because of the dog. Was it worth it? Do you think the dog even noticed or cared?
Mar 23rd, 2004, 06:21 PM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sometimes it is not a sacrifice but a neccessity to take the pet along or stay home. We had to take our pet as we were moving to a new home.
There are all manner of hotels that take pets, some that are very very expensive. They also cater to pets in these hotels, feeding them and walking them and pampering them for you. So I think travel with pets these days is not such a drag and the pets seem to appreciate the care, rather than being left in a kennel somewhere waiting for your return.
I Googled Traveling with Pets and got lists and lists of places, we mapped out our trip, figuring how far we could go in a day, then finding hotels that are pet friendly.
The average fee was $25-$75 for a large dog and a lot of hotels did not charge for little pipsqueak type dogs.
La Quinta HOtels Do Not Charge any fees for dogs, the one we stayed in upon arrival in Jacksonville was brand new, had a fridge, microwave and huge bath and the desk guys would come up to the room and stand outside and listen to see if Pup was unhappy.
Apparently, he was ok in that hotel, we were able to eat out without his tagging along.
I remember going camping as a kid and my grandfather taking along his German Shepherd, so this is not something new, people have always wanted to bring along their pets.
But then, just like children, I guess you have to have your own before you can really understand ~
There are all manner of hotels that take pets, some that are very very expensive. They also cater to pets in these hotels, feeding them and walking them and pampering them for you. So I think travel with pets these days is not such a drag and the pets seem to appreciate the care, rather than being left in a kennel somewhere waiting for your return.
I Googled Traveling with Pets and got lists and lists of places, we mapped out our trip, figuring how far we could go in a day, then finding hotels that are pet friendly.
The average fee was $25-$75 for a large dog and a lot of hotels did not charge for little pipsqueak type dogs.
La Quinta HOtels Do Not Charge any fees for dogs, the one we stayed in upon arrival in Jacksonville was brand new, had a fridge, microwave and huge bath and the desk guys would come up to the room and stand outside and listen to see if Pup was unhappy.
Apparently, he was ok in that hotel, we were able to eat out without his tagging along.
I remember going camping as a kid and my grandfather taking along his German Shepherd, so this is not something new, people have always wanted to bring along their pets.
But then, just like children, I guess you have to have your own before you can really understand ~
Mar 25th, 2004, 06:27 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A quick few answers/comments while I'm packing (yes I wish I could take him to the UK). I think what Scarlett did-deciding ahead of time where to stay-is a better idea than what we did. The info in the AAA book is fine as far as it goes (it says whether the place allows pets) but as she pointed out-some places only allow small dogs and others charge a non-refundable fee. We only paid an extra fee in 1 place & it was not too bad-$25 I think. I would not have stayed someplace that charged more. I think 2 large dogs may be a problem but you should check it out. There are a number of websites (mentioned in those threads Scarlett refers to)that have much more info than AAA. If you can't find the threads do a google search for traveling with dogs.
And YES, it was well worth taking him along. I didn't spend any time discussing our stay in Fla. but he was well worth the "trouble." I had a better time knowing where he was
And YES, it was well worth taking him along. I didn't spend any time discussing our stay in Fla. but he was well worth the "trouble." I had a better time knowing where he was
Mar 25th, 2004, 06:37 AM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A quick few answers/comments while I'm packing (yes I wish I could take him to the UK). I think what Scarlett did-deciding ahead of time where to stay-is a better idea than what we did. The info in the AAA book is fine as far as it goes (it says whether the place allows pets) but as she pointed out-some places only allow small dogs and others charge a non-refundable fee. We only paid an extra fee in 1 place & it was not too bad-$25 I think. I would not have stayed someplace that charged more. I think 2 large dogs may be more of a challenge, but you should check it out. There are a number of websites (mentioned in those threads Scarlett refers to)that have much more info than AAA. If you can't find the threads do a google search for traveling with dogs.
And YES, it was well worth taking him along. I didn't spend any time discussing our stay in Fla. but he was well worth the "trouble." I had a better time having him along, but most importantly he provided great company & a great diversion for my Mother who we were were visiting. She is not at all well & having the dog around gave her something & someone else to focus on.
If I were just taking a sightseeing road trip, I'm not sure I'd bring him along. Staying in a different place every night would be too unsettling for him I think. But if you're going
to stay in a park or beach area for a while, I think it's terrific. That said, do some ersearch ebcause some Nat'l parks don't allow dogs.
Yes, do bring water in the car for the dog.
And YES, it was well worth taking him along. I didn't spend any time discussing our stay in Fla. but he was well worth the "trouble." I had a better time having him along, but most importantly he provided great company & a great diversion for my Mother who we were were visiting. She is not at all well & having the dog around gave her something & someone else to focus on.
If I were just taking a sightseeing road trip, I'm not sure I'd bring him along. Staying in a different place every night would be too unsettling for him I think. But if you're going
to stay in a park or beach area for a while, I think it's terrific. That said, do some ersearch ebcause some Nat'l parks don't allow dogs.
Yes, do bring water in the car for the dog.
Mar 25th, 2004, 06:51 AM
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,491
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the post! I spent years tailoring our trips to the fact of having an un-boardable dog -- whom we loved and liked having along anyway -- and it brought back some memories, many fond, some painful. We got very used to eating on-the-road meals at places that provided shaded picnic areas, rather than leave Noble Hound in the car in the heat.
Two other comments: it seems to me you sacrificed more to staying uncommitted to a time schedule (so you never had any reservations already in place) than you did to having a dog with you. I learned that I really had to give up some flexibility in favor of having assured bookings in pet-friendly hotels that I had researched ahead of time.
But second comment: I HOWLED at your terse assessment of South of the Border! A lot of us coulda told ya! A notorious "just forget it" location in that corridor.
Two other comments: it seems to me you sacrificed more to staying uncommitted to a time schedule (so you never had any reservations already in place) than you did to having a dog with you. I learned that I really had to give up some flexibility in favor of having assured bookings in pet-friendly hotels that I had researched ahead of time.
But second comment: I HOWLED at your terse assessment of South of the Border! A lot of us coulda told ya! A notorious "just forget it" location in that corridor.
Mar 25th, 2004, 10:26 AM
#14
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mclaurie
what a delightful post! When we travel to visit family, we usually take our dog; I've gotten used to eating in the car as my husband is too nervous that someone will steal his "little boy" if we leave the dog in the car. (we did last time, and dog, although highly anxious about us being gone, did fine. Husband couldn't have a relaxing dinner, though--kept making sure he could see the dog out the restaurant window) LaQuinta's are very nice places to stay and don't seem to have different rooms for dogs; I know they're not always available, however. Does anyone ever eat at IHOP--excellent omelets.
what a delightful post! When we travel to visit family, we usually take our dog; I've gotten used to eating in the car as my husband is too nervous that someone will steal his "little boy" if we leave the dog in the car. (we did last time, and dog, although highly anxious about us being gone, did fine. Husband couldn't have a relaxing dinner, though--kept making sure he could see the dog out the restaurant window) LaQuinta's are very nice places to stay and don't seem to have different rooms for dogs; I know they're not always available, however. Does anyone ever eat at IHOP--excellent omelets.
Mar 25th, 2004, 11:40 AM
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Another packing break. Soccr, you're absolutely right about what we sacrificed for flexibility. I didn't think we'd be able to judge our stops(& if we had, we'd have been wrong! But I'd know better next time.) Friends of ours do this all the time (with 2 big dogs, come to think of it) & claim they don't reserve ahead. I'm glad I made you howl (not usually one of my strong suits, but I'm working on it!) I thought it was a piece of Americana that shouldn't be missed 
On that note, I didn't mention the Ava Gardner museum in N Carolina. I'd read about it somewhere so wasn't shocked when I saw the sign. My DH refused to stop 
#39;(
MzPossum, YES, we stayed at 1 La Quinta (Fodorites had recommended them before we left ) Like your DH, I also worried about "pooch-napping," but my husband pointed out the dog would get very aggressive if someone strange came near the car. Did I mention we had to be very careful at toll booths? The first toll taker we encountered almost lost a hand. She called him Coojo!
On that note, I didn't mention the Ava Gardner museum in N Carolina. I'd read about it somewhere so wasn't shocked when I saw the sign. My DH refused to stop #39;(MzPossum, YES, we stayed at 1 La Quinta (Fodorites had recommended them before we left
) Like your DH, I also worried about "pooch-napping," but my husband pointed out the dog would get very aggressive if someone strange came near the car. Did I mention we had to be very careful at toll booths? The first toll taker we encountered almost lost a hand. She called him Coojo!
Mar 25th, 2004, 11:43 AM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some hotel in NC, off I-95 wanted a $100 non-refundable fee for the dog, they called it a deposit but if it is non - refundable, it is a fee to me!
We called a long list of places from the internet, and asked lots of questions first..mclaurie was one of the first people to help me with my original planning ~ thanks again!
The place in Rocky Mt NC was clean and the room was on the second floor, but dogs are free to go anywhere in the hotel, same in the La Quinta.
Re: South of the Border.
Having grown up in NC, I remembered that little blot on the map and really wanted nothing to do with it..cheesier than words can say! When we were driving past, even Pup said No way am I going to take a pit stop there!
Restraints:
They sell them for too much in pet shops when you can just put a harness on your dog in the car and attach the seat belt to it. Pup used his seat belt and was quite happy.
We enjoyed a couple of great picnics on the way-stopping at small markets off the highway in tiny towns, buying stuff then sitting out at a picnic table beside the store. One place had an empty lot that dogs were free to use, full of wildflowers!
I imagine what it would be like , driving across the country, pup along for the ride. It could be wonderful.
We called a long list of places from the internet, and asked lots of questions first..mclaurie was one of the first people to help me with my original planning ~ thanks again!
The place in Rocky Mt NC was clean and the room was on the second floor, but dogs are free to go anywhere in the hotel, same in the La Quinta.
Re: South of the Border.
Having grown up in NC, I remembered that little blot on the map and really wanted nothing to do with it..cheesier than words can say! When we were driving past, even Pup said No way am I going to take a pit stop there!
Restraints:
They sell them for too much in pet shops when you can just put a harness on your dog in the car and attach the seat belt to it. Pup used his seat belt and was quite happy.
We enjoyed a couple of great picnics on the way-stopping at small markets off the highway in tiny towns, buying stuff then sitting out at a picnic table beside the store. One place had an empty lot that dogs were free to use, full of wildflowers!
I imagine what it would be like , driving across the country, pup along for the ride. It could be wonderful.
Mar 25th, 2004, 12:27 PM
#17
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just to throw my 2 cents in, the Starwood chain of hotels has announced that it now accepts dogs at nearly all of its properties (Westin, Sheraton, W, etc) - they even have Westin Heavenly dog beds and Sheraton Sweet Sleepers for dogs!
Mar 25th, 2004, 12:58 PM
#18
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm getting more & more excited the more I read these posts!! We spend half of our time worrying about our poor abandoned pooches when we travel without them. We knew we had a problem when on our anniversary trip, we were watching a beautiful sunset behind the Mackinaw Bridge and we turned to each other and said (almost in unison) "i miss the dogs". Pretty sad!! ;-)
What would you all recommend? A Southeast driving adventure, or a midwest driving adventure?
What would you all recommend? A Southeast driving adventure, or a midwest driving adventure?
Mar 25th, 2004, 04:57 PM
#19
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There is a book out called "Travelling With Your Dog". Lists accomdations that accept dogs, plus alot of other tidbits and stories. Another idea is, if you have a place you'll be stopping in for a few days and worry about sightseeing with the dog, see if there is a reliable kennel/ vet you can board the dog for the few days that you're there. When we travel to visit my parents, they have a "no-dog" house; we simply board Sam at his old vet's while we're in town. We can even "spring him" for an hour or so each day to take him for walks around the nearby lake. So, we get to travel with him and he's only boarded for 2-3 days instead of a week.
Mar 25th, 2004, 05:10 PM
#20
For those who don't understand, some of us don't have children to dote on but have animals that are the closest thing, to lavish affection. My dog, I love him dearly, he's old, arthritic, and has dog's Alzheimer's(canine cognitive syndrome) ( wish I could take him with me when we travel. So we can;t but we never go away more than once a year so as not to board him more than once.Yje love and entertainment he has given us in his healthy days, makes it not a sacrifice.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
AAFrequentFlyer
United States
73
Aug 6th, 2009 05:56 AM
kcapuani
United States
10
Aug 25th, 2006 05:40 AM
