Road Trip Part 1: "It Was Fairly Horrible"

So exactly how does one get three dogs and a cat from Oregon to Arkansas? Driving was the best option but it came with some unique risks and problems. That's a long trip for just one driver. Plus I was going to pull a 5x8 foot trailer. And my plan wasn't too clear on lodging options. I figured that I would just pack it all up, hit the road, and figure things out on the way.

Taken in Utah.

It was a marathon event. I drove 2350 miles in three days. I did a bit less than 600 miles the first day, just under 900 miles the second day, and around 850 miles the third day. It was fairly horrible.

The cat was not doing well. He was in a large crate with room for a small bed, litter box, and bowl of food, but he was by no means happy or comfortable. He wasn't eating, drinking, or using the litter box, and that can be a big problem for cats. I was worried about him, and decided the sooner we reached Arkansas, the better. I was going to spend the same number of hours on the road, and whether we pushed through in three days or four wasn't going to change that.

And about those sketchy lodging plans? After wasting an hour or more trying to sort out a hotel on the first night (when I was already exhausted), I gave up and slept in the van in an interstate rest stop, buried in a pile of dog blankets and the two terriers. With four crates in the van, there was just enough room for me to sort of stretch out along one side. I could only let the terriers out--no way would I have been able to lie flat and let Azza out too. I did the same thing the second night too. In a way, it was easier. I could feed the dogs in their crates and didn't have to shuffle a hundred bits of crap in and out of a hotel room. Sure, I didn't shower for three days. And it was really cold both nights, around 45F. But I have plenty of dog blankets and the terriers are used to sleeping right next to me. So it worked out.

I stuck to major interstates for 99% of the trip. It was a good plan because I was able to stop often, let the dogs out and stretch my legs.

Here are some random observations from the trip:

• There is a lot of empty country out there. 
• Wyoming is fucking enormous. And empty. But amazingly beautiful. 
• Even after three days, I would look up at the rearview mirror and think, damn, that car behind me is too close, before realizing it was the trailer. I packed the shit out of that trailer. It was about the same size as the van and didn't move an inch even in high winds. 

Dogs along the driver side, cat in the dark red crate. 

• Kansas has the best rest stops I have ever seen. Large grassy areas surrounded by trees, places to pull the van and trailer into the shade, clean bathrooms. 

Enjoying some early morning Kansas sunshine.

• Oklahoma doesn't even bother with interstate rest stops. Disappointing. 
• It takes a pile of five thick fleece dog blankets to muffle the seat attachment brackets on the floor of the van but once they were in place, and I was wrapped in another king-size fleece blanket with two terriers snuggled in with me, I slept pretty comfortably. 

There was snow on the ground at the rest stop outside of Laramie, WY. Mimi is not amused by the cold winter wind. 

• I can't come up with a good reason for this, but with respect to traffic, the east-west corridors were the most empty and the north-south corridors the most crowded. 
• While I can confirm that the coffee culture of the Pacific Northwest has not fully penetrated The Big Empty of the western US, decent coffee can be found. 

So after three days, we arrived at the new house. My bed was in the trailer, but after that trip, I was too exhausted to even contemplate trying to unload anything. Plus we rolled in close to midnight and that's no time to be toting boxes and bales. So I slept on the floor of the house for yet a third night in the same pile of dog blankets, although this time Azza was able to join us.