Our first weeks on the road
.. and we are off!!
The Kids (as I refer Kaya and Rhona) were as excited to get going as we were. While we were packing they were in the Van with us.. just incase we were leaving now now!!?
This year we are traveling with two cars again. Ian will be driving the Van and I will be driving with Truck. Now when Kaya has slowed down a little bit she is traveling in the Van as it keeps cooler and she has more room to move while changing beds, he he! Rhona is coming with me in the Truck as we can travel a bit faster and we can stop more for pee breaks and little running. The a/c does not work in the Truck too well ether which does not bother Rhona and Me.
The Kids have always been comfy to travel in the car as the car always takes them to fun places.. not just to the Vet. We have not used crates or harnesses with them in the car as we really train them to lie down or sit when in the car. There is not wondering around or playing… they have their beds in the car and that’s it! This rule has really helped and made this traveling easy for us all.
Probably forgot to mention that Ian pulls his A-Class Catamaran with the Van as well..
Our Van is 24ft long and there is not much space inside to “dance” around. So The Kids have their beds and they are well used. Also they need to have their safe/own spot what ever happens around them they need to be a safe and happy.
After leaving San Diego our first stop was at Colorado River close to Lake Havasu. I like choosing camping spots close to water as if the weather gets hot The Kids have somewhere to burn energy without getting heat exhausted.
Remember that the air is very dry in these “hot”and high altitude places. I have 100% cotton blanket to put over their beds to prevent static and helps to keep the bed cleaner long as well ;)
Buckskin State Park on Colorado River
From Colorado River we headed towards Zion for 2 night pit stop (we did Zion last year… article about it all in “ Stories from the journey”). As Zion is National Park it is has very limited access for dogs. We do have a little secret “water spot” inside the park though… Along the only trail you can bring The Kids is Pa’ rus Trail that runs along little stream… nice little hide out off leash possibility there… just do not get busted!!!
We have learned over the year that about 4-5h total drive time a day is good for us. Then at least 2 nights in the new destination. This sounds maybe a lot but we do need to cover miles to get to places.. and having a full day in every stop gives us all time to chill/exercise/sleep to be fully refreshed for the next “drive day”!
The Kids sleep 90% of the drive days so the pit stop days are important to keep things fun and balanced for all of us. To do this kind of traveling one needs to lean to slow down and smell the roses. Building too hectic schedule is not good for us or the dogs… when we all get over tired the fun is not present anymore!! he he
Zion to Moab drive a great for dogs… we took the Interstate 15 and then 70 east. The 70 is beautiful and great rest stops for The Kids.
Moab is fantastic for dogs, we stayed in KOA Holiday RV park and they had great “off leash” area in the back of the property. They did not advertise it as ‘off leash” but The Kids loved it for zoomies early in the morning also there were a lot of dogs in the RV park, perfect!
All the running/hiking we did with Rhona in Moab was off leash, just beautiful! Remember to bring lots of water for both of you and as it is desert.. it gets hot during the day!!!!!!!
There are few dusty dog parks in town of Moab but you really do not need them as Moab is super dog friendly. Do get at least electric hook up for your rig.. it gets hot there!!
Hidden Valley Trail, Moab
Morning Glory Arch Trail. Very popular trail for dogs, plenty water to swim in and drink…
This time in Moab we visited the Canyonlands National Park. As it is National Park dogs are really not welcome but Canyonlands is very much a “drive through” Park anyways the Kids got to see some of the sights but strictly no access to trails
Canyonlands National Park, UT
We had 6 days in Moab and enjoyed every minute of it all. The town is very dog friendly and lot of restaurants and Brew Pubs welcome dogs as well.
We are off to our next bit towards St. Louis. Going to stop in Riffle Falls State Park (we love State Parks as they love dogs!!!!), Cherry Creek State Park Denver, Kanopolis State Park Kansas, Lake Ozarks State Park…. pics and stories coming shortly!!!
