Traveling with Kids and Dogs

 

 

 

My boys, pups and me at Cadillac Ranch

 

We've just returned from a three week road trip that we took from our home in Southern California to my childhood home in Mayfield, Kentucky. My husband and I drove in our happy blueberry pearl minivan along with our two sons and our two smooth collies.

 

We love our Town and Country van! The seats fold down with the push of a button, it has two video screens (with wireless headphones for the kids so we can hear our music). The kids can even plug in their Xbox and play games on long trips. And it gets pretty good gas mileage.

 

I expected it to be a bit of a pain driving for four days with the boys and dogs but it was surprisingly easy. I prepared with lots of their favorite tv shows on DVD, books on tape, a new card game, and a travel journal bin complete with watercolors, stamps, colored pencils and more. My husband and I ended up writing in it more than the kids!

 

If you are traveling with dogs, I recommend La Quinta Inns. They take all sizes of dogs and don't charge you anything extra. At each of the six we stayed in during our trip, we met lots of friendly folks traveling with their dogs. That made it very relaxing for us.

 

 

Us playing at a dog park in Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

I did a lot of research before we headed out on our 2,000+ mile start to Kentucky. I found some great websites with info about traveling with pets. One that proved especially helpful was Pets Welcome. They have a wonderful resource that shows you off-leash dog parks along your journey. Every town in which we stayed luckily had a dog park nearby. So each morning before we hit the road again, we would drive to the dog park and let the pups and the people run around for a while. Driving all day is tough on everyone so this was an excellent way to stretch and play. I highly recommend finding dog parks if you are traveling with your dogs.

 

The beautiful terrain of Sedona, Arizona

 

We loved traveling cross-country with our boys. This country is so vast and varied. You can't see much of it from an airplane. So it was a pleasure, even at 75 miles an hour, (that's the speed limit for most of the roads we traveled on) to see this beautiful country up close and personal.

 

Flowers in Arizona

 

 

Oklahoma City Memorial

 

 

Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas

 

 

Ft. Smith, Arkansas

 

 

Somewhere out there

 

 

We were always surrounded by kids and dogs in Kentucky. And it was Awesome!

 

Now we are back home, washing clothes and attempting to get back to a routine again. Soon school begins so there's much preparing for that. Summer is my favorite time of year. I plan to get as much fun as I possibly can from the next week. I hope your summer has been beautiful, too!

Comments

[Bethany Geurin]

Did you cross the Missouri River in Arkansas, Philip said that looks like the bridge in Caruthersville Mo. He says that it. You crossed by where he was working. Somewhere out there is Caruthersville Mo.

[Kelly Snelling]

I do believe that is exactly the bridge! That Philip is so clever.:)

[Betty]

Great post , I so enjoyed reading it, but it made me miss you all over again !!! :-(

[Judi D.]

What a wonderful experience - and a great memory for your boys.

[Marion]

Good to see you back, and I really like your photos - taking a look at them is a bit like being able to travel a bit at the other end of the world myself ...

[Maija Lepore]

What a wonderful family experience!! I know it will make the perfect photo book!!

[morrissey]

beautiful photos, nicely done! i have driven coast-to-coast, or coast to nashville 5 times... it always amazes me how varied and beautiful our country is... i have pics of matthew at cadillac ranch at 5 years old! xo.m.

[Mary Vensel White]

Looks so fun. What wonderful memories for your boys! Good tips about the dogs too although I imagine mine would want to ride in my lap the whole way.