A Southern Dog Returns to His Roots #travelwithdogs

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Hello readers, from hot, sunny South Carolina where Charlie Brown and I have just arrived after a two-day road trip. I'm sorry I have not written in a long time, but since the last time I wrote a blog post, I decided to buy a home in South Carolina, with the intention of eventually moving here. It has been a very hectic process, with lots of traveling back and forth, and complicated technicalities. That kept me from blogging, but I have been posting on Facebook and Instagram, so I hope you've been following along over there! 

Charlie in the Subaru

We left Cooper, Petey, Cali, Tux and Newman in Massachusetts with our trusted pet sitter, extraordinaire, Matt -- along with a few extra people as backup!

The drive through New York City, NJ, PA, MD and VA was pretty uneventful. We had done a drive that long together before, and I wanted to get past those cities during Day One, so we were not stuck in Friday traffic in any of those locations.

From last year's road trip to PA!

Well, unfortunately, our Motel 6 that I had booked ahead of time was not exactly ideal for a woman traveling alone with a dog. First of all, I wanted to get there before dark, and that did not happen. When I finally found the motel (it was not easy to find) it was in a pretty sketchy area all under construction. I had called the day before and specifically asked if the parking lot was lit up, was it safe for a woman traveling alone, and will there be a good area for me to walk my dog? The clerk told me "yes" to all three questions, but that was far from accurate once I got there on the scene and saw for myself.

We arrived to a completely DARK parking lot. Not one light on, and not even a sign to indicate where the entrance to the motel was. In fact, the entrance almost looked like a rehab hospital or something! There were at least half a dozen uniformed security guards (later I found out they were police), and I was totally confused. Since there was nobody else around, in a car, I chose to park in one of the SEVENTEEN handicapped-designated spots, just for the five minutes it would take to check-in to the motel. I left Charlie in the car, and no sooner did I click the lock on my key fob, when some guy who was loitering in the parking lot said, "Hey! [are]You handicapped????!" To which I replied, "No, but it's dark, and I'm just running in for a minute." He said, "You can't park there. That's handicapped."  AYKMRN? As if there are 16 other handicapped drivers lining up to get a space at Deserted Motel Dump? Honestly. I would NEVER take a handicapped space under normal circumstances. These were anything but.

I get into the motel lobby and a woman asks if she can help me. "Yes, I have a reservation. And boy am I glad to see THESE guys!" (and I point to an officer, standing right next to me). I told her there are no lights on outside, it's pitch black, and some guy just yelled at me about parking in handicapped parking. She said, "Oh him. He lives here. Just ignore him."  Oh, great. I am at a motel that people live at. Sigh.

She then proceeds to tell an associate to turn on the outside lights, while explaining to me that they had a power failure during the afternoon, and the police are on site making sure all the rooms, elevators and hallway are safe. I think she could see that this made me more than uncomfortable, because she quickly checked me in, and then walked outside with me. She helped me walk Charlie, then I re-parked my car in what turned out to be a shaded spot (I noticed the next morning), and then helped me unload our luggage. Two police officers rode up to the room in the elevator with me, and after that, I didn't leave my room until daylight. I figured, if Charlie needed to relieve himself, I'd let him do it in the room and I'd clean it up the best I could. Our room was really nice, though. And I was happy for that. Motel 6 is pet-friendly, no weight or breed restrictions, no extra fee for pets, and only $69 a night! I guess I can't complain. Once we walked around in the morning, it seemed safe "enough". Charlie even barked ferociously at a dude who was in the parking lot, so he's good protection. I whispered, "Good dog!" once the guy was out of earshot (after apologizing, on the face of it, but secretly yelling "wooo-hooooo!" in my head). 

This room is ok, Mom!

Charlie, in the Motel 6 room

 


One thing is for sure, we will not be staying there on the way back to Mass.!! If it were not for that lady, who told me she had 20 years in law enforcement under her belt, I would have high-tailed it out of there and slept in my car that night, or found another pet-friendly hotel!

The next day, from Virginia to SC was pretty boring. It's just one, long road (I-95) with not much happening. I had split the trip into equal portions by number of hours. 7 1/2 hours each day, give or take, including stops for gas, food, and rest.

We found some really pretty service areas in North Carolina, and they have great walking trails for dogs, including poop-bag stations and paths. Very safe, and easy to deal with.

I arrived at the house just as it was getting dark Friday night. My GPS took me through some corn fields which added a good hour to the trip. Really, Siri?! Won't make that mistake again. Honestly, I don't know what she was thinking [wink]. If it had not been broad daylight, I would have been flipping out driving through those areas. It was quite beautiful, and maybe it was one of those "meant to be" things, where you get to see the gorgeous countryside, even though it takes an extra hour. Just trying to see the silver lining in that cloud!

Yes, I am on the new couch.

We've been here almost a week.  It's taken Charlie almost this long to adjust to being an "only". I hadn't thought that he would get depressed, missing the two dogs and three cats that he usually fights with. But I guess that's "kids" for you!

Lemme in!

Not sure I like being an "only". I'll just stay really close by.

Well, all right, maybe it's not THAT bad. Don't have to share the couch.

Matt, my pet sitter, has been sending me texts, photos and videos of the other pets.  Last night we Skyped so I could see them in action! I miss them so much. In hindsight, and I was warned by a good friend, I realize leaving the rest of them at home was not good for either me or Charlie, emotionally. However, Matt takes really good care of them, and they LOVE him so much. He even told me that Cooper sleeps by the door, and Petey curls up with Matt, when they go to bed at night. Places, everybody! That's where they sleep when I'm home. Hey! Wait a minute! So, he's a stand-in, and it doesn't really matter to them WHO it is, as long as a human is there??? LOL!

Cooper and me, Skyping. I'm saying, "Coooop!"

Charlie and I have bonded, and it's been nice for us. However, it's been hard when I have to go out on errands, or to socialize. I feel badly leaving him alone in the house. I bought him two toys, and he runs around the house with them in his mouth. I'll look over and find him "cuddling" with a toy. Awwwww.

Thanks for the hedgehob, Mom!

It's ok, I'll just stare at this wall.

This one has TWO squeakers! 

The week has been insane with maintenance people coming to the house every five minutes, and lots of errands, shopping and appointments, trying to get the house set up. My plan is to move here permanently, eventually... but not immediately.

I know this will sound weird, but it feels like I lived here in a past life or something. I just immediately feel right at home, with a few exceptions. I know how to get to everything. Yes, I will admit it is laid out in such a way that it is easy... but it's something more than that. A feeling like I have been here before (well, I mean, I HAVE been here a few times... but you know what I mean! I think.)

Charlie, himself being from Tennessee originally, seems to not mind the heat and humidity. I feel like he's my southern dog who has returned to his roots, sort of. Tennessee isn't THAT far away.

Did you say Tennessee is not that far away?!

The sand is nice, but don't make me go in the water!
#itsahoundthing

This weekend, I have visitors coming, so that will be fun. We are just a five-minute drive to the beach. And the beach itself is very similar to our "old beach" on Cape Cod. So much so, that I sometimes look around and go, "Oh yeah.... I'm in South Carolina." Like, as if I forgot for a minute. It's so similar. I think I love that part most of all.

Until next time.....

THANKS FOR READING!!

Road Trip Travelogue: Rockport, Massachusetts

When I sold my vacation cottage on Cape Cod, it occurred to me that I would be able to go to other places. What a concept! If you own a vacation home, you pretty much have to go there on your vacation. Sure, you can go someplace else, but then your house is empty, or you're renting it out, or family and friends are using it. You feel bad not using this house that you're paying all sorts of money to own and maintain. It was a huge relief to sell the place, quite frankly. And, it enabled me to go other places, which is what I decided to do in 2017.

In the spring, I went to Myrtle Beach. It's now on my list of potential retirement places - if I can drag myself away from Massachusetts some day, that is!

To kick off the summer, I spent one day on another southeastern Massachusetts beach: Duxbury, just to see what it was like. It was quite lovely, easy to get to, and I intend to return regularly.

Duxbury Beach

But for my real vacation this year, I spent a week in Rockport, Massachusetts, on the north shore, by Gloucester.

Gloucester is where the events of "The Perfect Storm" took place, and there also happens to be a restaurant there named Passports, which I have to eat at every time I go there (because I work at the other Passports -- the student tour company -- which is completely unrelated, although we get their email all the time!). Great food, by the way. I highly recommend, despite the name.

Rockport is a "dry town". That means that there are no liquor stores, no stores that sell beer or wine, and no bars. Some, only some, of the restaurants serve beer and wine, but no hard liquor.  Now, for me, this is perfectly fine since I've been clean and sober since 1988 (one day at a time!). But, this might not be your cup of tea (oooo, pun!) if you like to party at a bar, your hotel, cottage or the beach. Ok, most beaches don't allow alcoholic beverages anyway.

Rockport is, however, a dog-friendly town. Hooray! Sort of. Dogs are not allowed on the beach. And you better have a superbly well-behaved dog.  Of which, Charlie and Cooper are not. Sorry fellas.

Booooo, mom didn't take us on vacation!

I had initially booked my accommodations at Captain's Bounty on the Beach Motor Inn (yup! Motor Inn! lol!) in one of their pet-friendly designated rooms. As my trip dates approached, though, I decided to leave the hounds at home, and I'm really glad I did. The rooms are tiny. The hotel is very compact, and they would have barked at everyone walking past my room. The hotel is not high-security. In fact, it's low-security -- like a throwback to the 1950s. You close the slamming screen door with a hook and eye, then you lock your inside door, then you use a chain to lock it further. Just like my cottage on Cape Cod, but not exactly what I wanted at a hotel. There is a fridge, and a/c, but no safes, so when I left the room for longer than a few minutes, I locked my laptop and camera gear in my car. Not ideal, since the temps were soaring, but it was the safest option.

You can walk to the town with no problem. The views from every room (EVERY room faces the ocean) are incredible. That was worth the trip, just to get these great sunrise photos every morning.

Sunrise shots, from my balcony, on two different mornings. Beautiful!

When I first looked at the photos of Captain's Bounty's pet-friendly rooms on their website, it looked as though ever-so-tall Charlie could certainly jump over the balcony onto the beach. Once I got there, that was probably not the case, but he might have tried. Especially if he saw a seagull or a child running. Even the first-floor balcony (pet-friendly rooms are on the first floor only) is quite high off the ground -- more like a second-story. But if he had tried it, he might have been successful. That was reason number one for leaving the boys at home. Secondly, they could not be left in the room unattended. That would have meant no shopping or beach for me, since I'm single, and it wouldn't have been fair to ask any of my traveling companions, "Gee, can you stay behind with my dogs so's I can go out and have fun?" Strike three was that dogs are not allowed on the beach. You heard right: dog-friendly town; dogs not allowed on beach. Oh well.  The water is astonishingly colder than on Cape Cod, just an hour or two south, which surprised this hearty New Englander. I actually had to wear my long-sleeved sun-protector shirt to swim. Never had to do that on the Cape!  (By the way, Gloucester/Rockport is on the other Mass. Cape = Cape Ann.)

The fog rolled in fast, and I managed to get this great shot of Front Beach socked in.

The dog-friendly factor came into play in the little town which was quite lovely. Dogs were allowed everywhere, with some exceptions. A few restaurants wouldn't allow dogs indoors, but dogs were welcome most places, particularly places with outdoor seating such as Top Dog (ha ha). There is also a dog supply boutique and my guys are way too big to have even fit in that store.

One of my favorite things that kept happening was that I kept seeing this older gentleman in a green Toyota with a cute little dog everywhere. For some reason, they kept turning up every evening -- at the ice cream store, at the convenience store, at the pizza shop.  I decided the man's name was Mr. Bojangles. And every time I saw him, I would point out to my friend who was with me... "Look! There's Mr. Bojangles again!" We kept seeing him! I wonder if he's a tourist attraction.

So, if you have a super well-behaved, small dog, and a partner or companion so you can switch off on dog duties, you'll be all set in Rockport -- even in the height of summer.  The town is so small, that once you walk through you've basically seen it all. Therefore, in my opinion, a whole week is a little too long to spend in Rockport. Watch your step at most shops -- the buildings are ancient, and the steps to get in and out are all different sizes, materials and shapes. Be mindful of the hot pavement on doggie paws, too.

Sunrise with fog

True to form, for this road trip I avoided highways and drove the country roads of Massachusetts from where I live to the north shore. It added nearly an hour to the trip, making it nearly three hours in each direction, but it was beautiful, and less stressful. Route 128 north of Boston? No thanks! I also learned of some towns I'd never been to before. In case you don't know, my favorite hobby is taking a long drive on the back roads of New England.

It's beautiful here. The Massachusetts coast (either north, or south) is gorgeous -- it's one of my favorite places in the world, and I've been to a lot of places. I mean, hey, that's why I live here! If you ever have a chance, check out the Massachusetts coastline... it won't disappoint. You can bring your dog to many areas in Mass., just be sure to do your homework and ask first. Some towns have restrictions during the summer months.

Where did you go on your summer vacation? Tell me about it in the comments!

Traveling Dog Lady Reports from BlogPaws 2017

When I first booked my ticket for BlogPaws 2017 in Myrtle Beach, the plan was to bring both dogs on a road trip to Myrtle Beach. I booked my ticket the day the Myrtle Beach location was announced for two reasons: 1) there's a discount if you book right away after the announcement; and 2) I have family that lives in Myrtle Beach. It just so happens that my human brother lives in the Myrtle Beach area; and my dogs' canine brother (Copper, not to be confused with COOPER), also lives in Myrtle Beach. The original plan was a reunion with both the human bro, and the canine bro. By the way, the canine bro does NOT own my human bro! It's just a funky coincidence that they both happen to live in Myrtle Beach.... but as I all too well know... There are NO coincidences!

My view of the ocean from the Sheraton ha ha.

Since I had made that booking 11 months before the conference, life got in the way. The very day I was supposed to start driving the 14-hour trip, happened to be the exact same day that the new owners were taking possession of a piece of real estate I had been dealing with as part of my late boyfriend's estate (by the way, I use the term boyfriend and husband interchangeably to describe Gil, the man I was with for 30 years -- it's just one guy. We really weren't married, but that's a whole other story.)  Anyhoo! I figured it would not be smart to leave on a trip the very same day that the closing was happening. I could have done it, since the lawyers were in charge, but I didn't feel comfortable. Alas, I changed my plans, convinced my friends to watch the dogs and cats, and booked an airline ticket. Yuck. Even though I have been working in the travel industry for 32 years, I hate flying. Hate it. Did I mention how much I hate flying? Oh. Yeah. I'd choose a road trip any day. This meant I had to leave my dogs at home.

My trusty stuffed travel companion, Stuffy Douglas, who has been on basically every trip with me because my dogs aren't exactly well-behaved, made the journey with me. Along the way, I "adopted" three more stuffed animals!

Stuffy Douglas (center) surrounded by the new stuffed pets

It was lonesome in the hotel without my hounds, but I'll tell ya, after observing everyone else with their pets, I realized that my boys are too rough around the edges to be trusted at such an event. For instance, when I ate dinner with the rat blogger, I kept envisioning Charlie with me. Charles is obsessed with squirrels, chipmunks, mice, moles. He would have attacked that rat, I just know it. Charlie is huge, so... well, just let your imagination figure it out. Not a good idea. Glad I didn't bring him. Another reason they wouldn't have done well is because I made a vow to myself to go to the beach each day. Not realizing that getting to the beach was a three-block walk, and required crossing two humongous boulevards, and it's already HOT in South Carolina in May.  It turns out I wouldn't have been able to bring Charlie to the beach in the afternoons. Bringing Cooper on such a walk would be absolutely out of the question. Finally, I had lunch plans with my family on Friday, and while BlogPaws had built-in pet sitting accommodations, I just didn't feel right about doing that. Again, because my dogs are country bumpkins who don't spend a lot of time in social situations -- never mind the city.

My boys are rescue dogs. Most, but not all, of the other dogs at BlogPaws are purebreds. Not that that matters, but my guys are obnoxious, and I know it.  In the end, while I missed having the experience of traveling with them, I'm glad I left them at home.

What a fabulous time I had meeting everyone I had known online for nearly 10 years! Some I'd met earlier in the year at the Dog Writers Association luncheon in New York during Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

With Carol Bryant of Fidose of Reality!  Say, Carol, we have great taste in jewelry!

The thrill of the weekend, for me, was meeting Kenn Bell and Remi of The Dog Files. I admit I was a little star struck, but somehow managed to introduce myself, congratulate them on winning a BlogPaws award, and say a few nonsensical words. I've been a huge fan ever since forever -- especially because Kenn's dogs, Max and Remi, resembled my dog, the late, great, Hector Huge. I like to think maybe Max and Hector are together, somewhere in doggie heaven.

I was also honored to be a part of the surprise baby shower for Maggie Marton of BlogPaws and the Oh My Dog! blog. We connected at Dog Writers Association in February as well, and of course our mutual love of dogs named Cooper, made us fast friends. I was so pleased to be included in the planning and execution of such a fun late-night bash. Congrats to Maggie and John on the expansion of their family!

Squeeeeeee! Diaper cake!!

It was not possible for me to attend all of the workshops I wanted to -- I had hoped to partake in all of them! I managed to weed out the ones that were most important. Had to squeeze in time with the fam besides; and I didn't get to meet Charlie and Cooper's brother, Copper, either. The workshops I did attend were informative, educational, fun, and it was great getting to know all the other folks in the workshop. Except for stepping on that poor beagle when he was asleep -- Kathy the Klutz strikes again! I STILL feel bad about it, weeks later! Poor little guy. :(  I felt badly that I had to duck out of the Friday afternoon festivities, and am grateful that most of it was either videotaped, or people took excellent notes, and I was able to catch up.

My workshop set-up! Stuffy Douglas in full residence. Charlie on the screensaver. Hobie on the pen!

I am not an artsy-craftsy person, but I attended Red Roof Inn's sip 'n' paint (I didn't paint, I just used a coloring book off to the side!); and I made an honor flag in memory of Hobie and Hector.

I did make it to the beach every day, and realized it is the same beach as the one I went to for many years on Cape Cod, just hundreds of miles south LOL! Myrtle Beach is "on my list" of potential places to relocate to (read = retire) in a few years, so it was good for me to explore and get to know my way around. I really liked it a lot. We had one great pack walk with several "newbies" (first-time attendees of BlogPaws); and I took another great beach walk with Susan Nation of Talent Hounds. Unbeknownst to me until later that night, she was up for an award!! And of course, she won!!

During the Cat Writers Association awards dinner and banquet, I won third runner up for a free ticket to CWA's 2018 conference (location, dates, etc. to be announced). I was so shocked to hear that I had actually won something, sort of!

A fortuitous meeting was that of Ellen Zucker, astrologer extraordinaire. We were at the same table during the first night's dinner, and really struck up a great conversation. As luck would have it, on the return trip, we were on the same flight out of Myrtle Beach! We had breakfast together and a lovely long chat at the airport while waiting for boarding time. I hope to remain in contact with Ellen, she is a delightful human being!

After I got back home from Myrtle Beach, I rearranged some duties in my day job, so I can manage my company's blog and social media in addition to my regular duties as treasurer and secretary of the business. It's great that I can apply some of what I learned at BlogPaws to my 9-5er as well! I also got my certificate of completion for module two of my dog behaviorist education -- if I ever finish it'll be a miracle. And, I am also about to start working on a book (or series) about a military dog named Silver who served in Japan during WWII.

One of the coolest things that happened was that we all got to see a sneak preview of the movie, "Megan Leavey". Of course, I started crying about 10 seconds in to the trailer, and each time I see the trailer on TV now, I start crying again. Powerful stuff! I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

All of us made sure to sign the petition for the #PAWSAct, and boy was I ever proud to put that little pin in the middle of Massachusetts on Bayer's map. After I signed the petition, I got a personal email from Senator Elizabeth Warren. Like, for real, she even told me about her dog! As a victim of teenage dating violence  a lifetime ago, when I was a teenager) this legislation is particularly important to me. Want to know more about the PAWSAct? Check it out, here. 

My #PAWSact pin right smack in the middle of Massachusetts! 

Next year, BlogPaws is going to be in Kansas City. I'm not sure if I'll be able to go, although it is during my birthday week.  It's an interesting thought to do something different for my b-day. So, perhaps I'll see you at BlogPaws in 2018!

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