What a Trip - 1811 miles behind us!

Our long road trip is finally behind us and thank goodness for that!  It was long.  It was tiring.   It’s now over and Buck has been rescued.  Here’s the trip in a nutshell.

Tuesday morning rolled around and we were up by 2 AM.  It’s amazing how you don’t sleep very well when you know you have to get up early.  Flights worked perfectly.  Our first leg took us to Charlotte, NC and then on to Knoxville.  The good thing about the stop in Charlotte is that we got to split a brisket sandwich by Brookwood Farms in the airport.   The brisket was delicious.

We didn’t rent a car in Knoxville on the day of arrival.  Justin was due in later that evening so we didn’t figure we didn’t need one until the next day.  He and Buck were arriving from Norfolk.  It was a new experience traveling and requiring a hotel that was “Dog Friendly”.    We learned that the travel isn’t quite the same as doing it in an RV.  We also learned that being “Dog Friendly” doesn’t really mean friendly without non-refundable pet fees!  

The Towne Suites in Knoxville had posted online the non-refundable pet deposit was $100.  I didn’t find that piece until after we had arrived and checked in.  It was after that I discovered “Welcome Pets” online.  This website gives deposit information and dog friendly places to stay.

Lots of color in Charlotte     

It was nice seeing Justin even if it was for just a short time.  Wednesday morning he took us back to airport to pick up our rental car.  The price of rental cars varied by hundreds of dollars because of the one-way drop off we needed to do.  Originally we planned four days on the road and that’s what we booked.  We lucked out in that we were offered a free upgrade to a Caravan. A Caravan meant lots more room for Buck on the trip.  Next stop was Walmart for several sets of cheap sheets.  We covered everything ---- floor and seats with the mat we received from the Browns and the sheets from Walmart.  Then, we were off heading west.  Justin was off heading east.

Time for Justin to say  “Goodbye”

We passed by Crossville ….. summer home of the Hyders .

Our first night was in West Memphis, AR.  What a zoo traffic and construction was in Memphis.  This was a rather short day at only 402 miles but since we started late, it was long enough.  Buck was a perfect rider. We stopped often at the rest areas that were open.  We were amazed at all of those that were closed.  Maybe it was the season.

Thursday we were on the road very early.  It wasn’t planned but with very noisy neighbors, Terry didn’t sleep much and was ready to go way before the sun was up.  It was a long day as we put about  725 miles of I40 behind us. There was more construction and even more rest areas were closed.  Amarillo, Texas was our stop for the night at another “Pet Friendly” hotel.    We were way ahead of schedule and were hoping at this point there was only one more long day to go.

Friday was the day of mountains and more mountains.  We hit the 7500’ elevation mark a couple times.  Most of the going up had been gradual since Amarillo.  Instead of going into Flagstaff, we left I40 at Holbrook, Arizona.   We now understand why others advise against that route in an RV especially going north.  What a route that was!!  Dropping down to 1200’ in elevation from 7500’ required numerous downhill grades.

The terrain changed often but I didn’t take many pictures through the bug marked windshield 

We finished the trip just after the sun had gone down.  We were certainly glad to get back and we were exhausted after another long day.  This one was 684 miles of driving.  We had been driving three days and had finally put 1811 miles behind us.  It was over.  We were thrilled but also exhausted.

First and most important was taking Buck to the dog park for some good exercise.  I’m not sure he really needed it because he also acted exhausted.  We weren’t sure why since he’d been sleeping most of the way.

It felt so good to sleep in our own bed.  Even though we had rented the car until Sunday we wanted to return it Saturday before 9:00 AM hoping to save a good $100 on our car rental.  We were up early to walk Buck, get gas and clean the rental.  Then, it was back to the airport to exchange vehicles.   What a relief to get that behind us.  Cheapest fuel we saw was $1.69!

Next it was Buck’s turn.  We took him to PetSmart to be groomed and pampered.    After being attacked by the other dog, we weren’t sure how he would adapt to other dogs but now we realize that isn’t a problem.  He loves “most” of the dogs at the dog park.  He’s also learned to climb the steps in and out of the motorhome.  I just need a treat handy because sometimes he’s a little stubborn about coming in. 

We’re still trying to catch up after the long drive but certainly glad that is behind us.  We told Justin that he could count this as his birthday and Christmas present for the next five years.  Maybe it’ll be longer after I prepare his bill! 

One more trip is ahead. This time no driving is required and I’m the only one going.   Thanksgiving is just a few days away and it’s off to Washington to spend the holiday with family.  Obviously someone needs to celebrate the day with Buck so Terry will be staying behind.

‘Tis life on the road.