Progress in TX, aka The Hottest Place Ever

Hyperbole? Nah. So there's been very little road-tripping in Winston's life over the last couple days. The only other time he's been in the car is to go to my mother-in-law's house, where he met Gidget, her dog. Poor Gidget is a rescue and has been through a lot in her life, so she was mostly just terrified of the meeting. Winston for his part ignored her mostly, chased her like a cat for a second, and made himself at home with her toys and chew sticks. Spoiled.

The thing I will note about this is the need for water. Even for a 30 minute drive, we really should've packed a bottle in this heat. Not travelling via car normally, we didn't really pack his bag like we do when going around Brooklyn. Not a good idea! Luckily MIL had fresh water on hand and waiting for him--shoutout to her for that! Thanks Cindy!

Arrival in TX

Winston has been in heaven since we parked! The in-laws have two dogs and a fenced in yard. He immediately inserted himself into the pack, and has been running and playing with them, despite the heat even, every moment he can. He especially likes the year-and-a-half old girl, Tina. Immediate best friends!

Second Stage--TN to TX

Sunday morning we departed Nashville at 6am. Winston didn't want to go in the car--he made Husband chase him around the perimeter of the house! But we got him and loaded him up. He didn't complain once we were rolling.

This drive is two things: 1) a lot less pretty, and 2) a LOT more hot. The exterior thermometer on the car read 106 starting around 10am. Because of this, our stops had to be shorter and less playful for Winston. Fortunately, two days of sniffing around the house in TN had worn him out, because he slept a larger part of the day. He didn't eat breakfast again, but he didn't say no to snacks from our lunch! We also noticed on this drive that he desired a lot more water. We had packed a lot of bottles of it, so that was okay. He took water from his sport-cap bottle at every stop, plus drank from his travel bowl in the car.

The other habit that he was much more interested in this time was being "with" us, meaning sitting in my lap up front. This was achieved rather comically by me laying back the passenger seat, and him climbing onto it and down to my lap. Also, this was the trip when he hung his head out the window for the first time--too cute!

Arrival in TX was 8pm. Another easy trip.

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Short stay in TN

We stayed for two days in Nashville to rest and recharge. At my parents' house, there are many animals: 2 old dogs (16 and 10 years old), 2 indoor cats, and 3 outdoor cats. Winston loves my family and being there, but he struggles with the animals. The dogs don't want to play with him, and he doesn't understand cats at all. He goes after them energetically, then cries when they swipe at him. So, it was a nice rest but I knew Winston was missing his friends at the park in Brooklyn.

The Second Half of the First Journey

The route we took is outlined below. You can see that we had a planned detour to Hungry Mother State Park in VA. Our usual road trip MO (my OH and I have taken MANY a road trip in our 11 years together, what with our hometowns being Houston (him) and Nashville (me)) is to drive with as few stops as possible, with the one motive being arrival. However, with a dog--and a young dog at that--we felt like it would be necessary to try and exercise him if we could. Thus, Hungry Mother. I really recommend this as a stop in VA. It had a lake and trails to walk, plus it is a very short detour off the interstate. Even though it was hot, the trail we walked for about an hour was very nice. Winston wanted to get in the water, but we weren't really willing to have Wet Dog Scent filling the car.

We had thought that this 14 hour journey would be too much on Winston, and that an overnight stop would be requried. Nope! Winston was a dream. After the park he slept a good bit, which he hadn't done earlier. We arrived at my childhood home around 7pm the same day we'd left. So far a successful trip!

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The Early Stage--Morning of the 1st Day

We awoke in our Brooklyn apartment at about 3:30; Winston thought we were crazy. He hid in the curtain when we turned the lights on and didn't really wake up until the car started to be loaded. Once we were all in and going, it was 4:15.

To begin the journey, Winston was secured into the backseat with a dog seatbelt harness. However, every time he moved--which was a good bit as he acclimated to his new surroundings--the belt would get twisted under his legs and he would whine. So we abandoned that effort in New Jersey and let him settle as he chose into the backseat. He was awake, but made himself comfortable with no problems.

And so we were off on our adventure. Winston refused to eat breakfast; we tried to feed him at a rest stop, then tried leaving it in the backseat with him, but he wouldn't take it. Otherwise he was just fine! Things are beginning very well!

On the Eve of our Journey

So it seems that we're trekking into one of the worst heat waves on record for the US. Luckily, Winston got a haircut on Monday, and we're leaving our window-unit apartment for central air. We begin early tomorrow; Winston's bags are already packed. This is what we've packed for him:

Plenty of food

2 leashes--regular for walking and his extension leash for long walks.

3 bottles of water

2 bowls

Treats

a huge bully stick

towels

brush

puppy wipes

a harness for the seatbelt

We depart early! I'm starting the drive since I'm more of a morning person than my other half.

This is Winston. He is a one year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi (Fluffy!). This summer, we will be driving with Winston from Brooklyn, NY to visit our parents in Nashville, TN and Houston, TX. We plan to stop at various spots along the way, but the purpose of this blog is to chronicle exactly what it's like to travel roughly 3300 miles with a dog in the car. Winston is a wonderful pup with a very laid-back disposition, so we'll see!