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: Return to Cape Cod

Before the summer ends, I figured it might be a good idea to return to Cape Cod. I hadn't been there since I sold my beach cottage last September, and a visit was long overdue.

The first thing I did was stop in Stoughton to pick up a print of Nauset Lighthouse that I had found by sheer happenstance while dropping off some old tapes to a local musician who played on those recordings many moons ago. Well, somehow the painter and I got our signals crossed, and the print was not waiting for me to pick up at the cafe where it was supposed to be. In hindsight, I should have purchased the one that was on their wall, and told them to just take the replacement when it arrived, since I don't live anywhere nearby. As it turned out, the artist was actually in Eastham, where I was going, but the print was sitting on his fireplace mantel at his home! Oh well. Wasn't meant to be. We will figure out a way for me to get the print.  In the meantime, here's a picture of it that I snapped with my phone while at the cafe. See the reflected light in the background? That is NOT part of the painting.... it's a wall sconce in the hallway of the cafe. Freaky, right? This view of Nauset Lighthouse was my view from my back yard for 12 years (see photo of Charlie below!). It is no coincidence that this painting was hanging in the little cafe where I met the musician to drop off the tapes! No coincidence at all.

Photo from my back yard a couple years ago!

This should have been a signal to me as to how the rest of the day was going to be, because everything that could go wrong, did.

For starters, it rained all day. Not heavy rain, but certainly not a beach day. Nevertheless, I have always felt that Cape Cod is beautiful no matter what the weather, and that includes winter. Off-season (before Memorial Day, or after Labor Day) is the best time to visit the Cape. I lucked out that the crowds were non-existent on this day.

I was thinking that maybe I wanted to own property again on Cape Cod, and so I combined my trip with a looksie at a mobile home in an RV park in the town of Dennis. I am somewhat unfamiliar with Dennis, other than just passing through on beautiful Route 6A (if you ever get a chance to drive Route 6A from Bourne to Provincetown, I highly recommend the trip -- it is gorgeous). The RV park is in a more-or-less industrial section of Dennis. I kept driving up and down Great Western Ave which is an industrial area, and I couldn't seem to find the beaches of Dennis. I visited the mobile home. It was really cute! I strongly considered buying it at the amazing price of just $10,000!! But, after much, much consideration, I realized that Dennis is not my cup of tea, and that my dogs would not do well in the RV park because the sites are very close together, and there are a lot of people and children riding bicycles. My dogs and bikes do NOT get along, unfortunately. My dogs are super reactive, and we need wide-open spaces with a secure fence, like we had in Eastham, and like we have at home. So, nope, this RV park lifestyle, while appealing for some reasons, isn't a good fit for me right now. Not to mention that the trailer needed a lot of work. The toilet needed to be replaced immediately, the floors and walls needed updating, and the outside was a big mess that needed major cleaning up. With my fibromyalgia and arthritis, I cannot take on such a project, physically. Also, one of the main reasons I sold the Eastham cottage was because of the "money-pit" aspect, and all the upkeep and the distance. I'm not ready to take on a "project" right now, and especially a long-distance one. It hasn't even been a year yet.

Pictures of the trailer I looked at. Cute, but unsuitable for a lady with crazy, large dogs.

After seeing the mobile home and talking at length with the manager (I really was serious, but in the end decided not to buy), I tried, desperately, to find the beaches in Dennis. What in the world? They were impossible to find! When I finally did, I realized one side is the bay, and the other is Nantucket Sound, and neither is my kind of beach. I'm kinda a beach "snob" -- meaning that I like long, long, long walks on wide open beaches, such as Nauset Light Beach, or Salisbury Beach, Gloucester and Duxbury that I visited earlier this summer. When I pulled into the parking lot in Dennis and the attendant asked me for twenty dollars, I just knew in my heart that I wanted to spend my twenty dollars, and my afternoon, in Eastham instead. I politely thanked him and asked if I could just turn around. I then made a bee-line for Eastham!

The wide-open space of Nauset Light Beach/Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. 

Arriving at the parking lot of Nauset Light Beach (ahhhh! my favorite place on Earth), it was the first time ever that I had to pay to park. Since it was a cold and rainy day, there was plenty of room (in August!). I paid my $20 and decided to mention to the attendant that I used to own the house across the street. He, in shock, asked me why I sold it, and I told him I couldn't afford the mortgage and upkeep anymore. I parked my car, and packed up the things I needed to carry with me, and made the familiar trek to the beach. I certainly felt like I was home.

Snail in Eastham at my old cottage (photo taken a few years ago)

Being on the beach itself was fabulous, even though it was cold and overcast and drizzly. I needed to wear my long-sleeved sun shirt but no hat! I forced myself to swim, even though it was incredibly cold. But afterwards, washing off in the not-private ladies' shower/changing room; and using the toilets that did not flush properly and were (to put it bluntly) gross, really bummed me out. I used to be the "elite" cottage owner. I felt as though I were slumming.

To top it all off: no seals! I always used to say that the seals were my past dogs, reincarnated, and I always imagined they were "walking" with me on the beach. I spent the whole afternoon there, and didn't see one seal! Since I've been gone, they left, too, evidently.

A seal, saying goodbye to me in 2016.

About 10 days before my trip, I had seen on the news that a whale had beached itself on "my" beach. I did not realize that the whale was just left there to deteriorate (and feed the wildlife), so I was a little surprised when I saw the carcass on the beach! ("What's that smell?!" Ewwww). I did take a few photos of the remains. The birds and sea creatures certainly will be well fed, and the sea will take back its whale. It made me harken back to about 30 years ago when Timba found a whale carcass on the beach in Truro... you should have seen me trying to get her to stop rolling in it! Ah, dogs. Glad (for that reason) I didn't have Charlie or Cooper with me on this day. I stopped and said a prayer to the sea gods, on behalf of the whale.

Charlie, chillin' out on the porch at the Eastham cottage. Memories! 

Get 20% off travel accessories & crates with code TRAVEL20 at Cherrybrook.com! Sale ends 8/31.

Of course, I had to go look at "my" house since I was right there across the road. The new owners have it listed for rent online (not pet-friendly!), and I saw photos of the inside on the rental website. They did a nice job (other than taking out the fireplace and taking down the fence!). It's not something I could have afforded to do (renovations) and it's nice that someone took it over and are keeping it maintained. They even added heat and air-conditioning. From the outside, I could see how they had replaced some windows, had enclosed the modern outdoor shower, and a few other things. I miss the place, but not much. Not enough to own it again, that's for sure!

Someone was trying to tell me something, all day that day, and it made me realize I'm not ready to return to Cape Cod permanently, yet. But I still love it, and will always make it a point to visit at least once or twice each year. I'll just make sure I have better plans when it comes to bathrooms and parking!

Want to know more about Cape Cod? 

After living there for 12 years, I know a lot. 

Ask me some questions in the comments! 

Road Trip Travelogue: Salisbury, Massachusetts Salisbury Beach

This summer has become an unplanned "one beach per week" road trip extravaganza for me. One perk of no longer owning a vacation home is that you don't "have to" go there. You can go to other places.

A few weeks ago, I went to Duxbury Beach. Fabulous, lots of parking, a little pricey at $20 for the day, but there are bathrooms, showers, a decent walkable beach with too many rocks, and a snack bar. I even was able to swim (well, ok, "dip")... the water was a tad chilly.

Despite the rocky terrain, this isn't Rockport.... it's Duxbury Beach.

Then, I spent a whole week in Rockport. You can read about that here. 

Rockport at Sunrise

On Thursday, I had an appointment in New Hampshire, and realized I would be just 30 miles from the more-northerly beaches (more northerly than Rockport, that is). But, surprisingly the water was much, much warmer. It was a toss-up between Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, or Salisbury Beach in Mass. The two being literally within walking distance of each other. I opted for Salisbury because a) I spent a lot of time there when I was a kid; and b) there is a "state park" where you can park for the day for just $14 if your car has a Massachusetts license plate ($16/day if out-of-state).

I deliberately arrived at 2:30 to avoid the crowds. At a pit stop to pick up supplies and some Aleve (headache!) at Rite-Aid, I got talking with the clerk, and she suggested I wouldn't be able to get a parking space at that time of day. But I knew better and hedged my bets. To prove me right, the parking lots were basically empty. Score! I had the entire bath house to myself, and there were plenty of prime places to plunk my umbrella into the ground and set up my towel and cooler for the afternoon.

At Salisbury, the beach is almost identical to my favorite beach in the world, The Cape Cod National Seashore. The dunes are much smaller, but the walkability is great. It is vast, flat, and especially at low tide, the waves are large but gentle... and the water is significantly warmer than in Rockport. That perplexed me for a while, until I realized that Rockport's Front Beach is really a "cove", thus the open ocean does not affect the water temp like it does on the outer beaches. The outer beaches, which are exposed to the expanse of ocean water, warm up because the water acts like a big radiator. Your science lesson for the day! (Hey, I might even be wrong, so go ahead and tell me --  I won't be offended.)

Salisbury has several bath houses, and several parking lots. You can park hundreds of cars there on any given day. Each parking lot has its own bath house and its own shower area -- one for men, one for women. It's very well organized. I thought there was a snack bar, but I tend to avoid the crowded areas of the beach (I call it "The Clump") and so I never went over that way to investigate further. Check online before you go -- I brought a small cooler of food with me and was very happy. A check of the beach's website does not indicate whether or not there's a snack bar, so be prepared and bring your own food just in case.

I walked for miles on this beach. I almost walked all the way to Hampton, NH, which IS possible, but I didn't feel like continuing, so I turned around and walked back to my towel. I carried my valuables with me in a plastic drawstring backpack that I got at a pet charity festival. The thing comes in really handy at the beach, and I highly recommend one for this purpose. You put your phone, keys, camera, money and a bottle of water in the backpack, throw it on your back, and you can got for a long walk without worrying about your valuables. You need to get creative when you travel alone. Nobody to watch your stuff, you know!

The beautiful Salisbury Beach in August. You can walk for miles, and swim safely.

I also swam, really swam, for the first time all summer. The water was beautiful. Unusually warm; and the waves, although high, were gentle. I can get a little freaked out by the ocean sometimes, as I've had some not-so-fun experiences with undertow and being slammed by large waves. So, it was a real treat to have some fun actually swimming in cold north Atlantic waters for a change.  Not like two weeks ago in Rockport... brrrr! I had to wear a long-sleeved sunscreen shirt in order to swim!!

The only thing I didn't like about my return to Salisbury was that the beach is not dog-friendly. "No dogs allowed" flashed in orange neon lights on a DPW message sign at the entrance to the park. Along with "Road construction beginning August 7th", or whatever. In other words, dogs are SO not allowed here, and they want you to know that while you are still on the main road, before you've paid your fourteen dollars.  Boo.

When I got up to the houses on Salisbury Beach proper, though, (this is a private beach area but you can still walk on it as long as you are just passing through) there was one guy and his dog playing with a ball on the beach. The ball rolled right into my path, and I was able to kick it back to the dog. The guy laughed. I laughed. The dog wagged its tail and grabbed the ball. I got my fix!

As usual, I like to take the back roads on my local journeys. Salisbury is just under two hours from my home by highway, three if you take the scenic option. A super-easy day trip and well worth it on a weekday at just $14! I think it may cost up to $20 on weekends, but again, check before you go so you are not surprised. I started my trip in Salem, NH because I had an appointment there, so I took Route 110 "the scenic route" to the beach. It was lovely. On the way home, I made an error and decided I couldn't resist the temptation of real fried clams from a drive-in clam bar. This landed me squarely in work traffic (after I ate the clams, in my car, at a cemetery -- hey, I never said I was normal! Widows learn to embrace cemeteries. They are peaceful places, and a nice quiet place to eat without anyone gawking at you. Dead people don't gawk, or tawk!). In my attempt to avoid the work traffic, I stupidly jumped onto Route 495 south, which was moving, as compared to 495 northbound which was a "parking lot" (or as we say here in Mass. "pahkin' lawt"). Unfortunately, further down onto 495 south, traffic was at a standstill. As soon as I could, I took the first exit and found my way back home utilizing highway-avoidance techniques. However, that added an hour to the trip.

I arrived home at almost 8 pm. Not exactly what I had planned. But it was such a beautiful day, I couldn't complain.

Next up: my return to Eastham. It's been almost a year. I can hardly believe it, time went by so fast. Stay tuned for my next Road Trip Travelogue report from ol' Cape Cod!

What adventures have your road trips taken you on? Tell me all about it!

Morning dog walk

Senior dogs are the BEST!  This morning, Hobie took me to a place we have never been before.  We have been coming here 10 years, and this morning I just let him lead me where he wanted to go.  I mean, he may never come here again... I have to indulge what he wants.  So many years I dragged him home in a hurry because I had so much to do!  I think about that now, and realize "How silly."  Here are some pictures of our ride to the beach, and today's walk.  Keep it simple.

Road trip!!

 

Our cottage on the super-safe road.  Road was washed away by erosion many years ago.

"Mo-om! There are some great smells around here!"

 

Morning stroll!