Traveling With Pets

Part Five: The long road to anywhere

Day Two continued: We were tempted to spend another night at Mesa Verde National Park. The crowds were sparse, meaning these two senior citizens could fumble through our new adventure of pet travel without a large audience.

Our itinerary was somewhat flexible. But this was Sunday, and we had camping reservations at the Grand Canyon on Monday night.

Travel with a car-sick forty-pound puppy and a tiny two-month-old kitten was taking far longer than we expected. Plus, the American West is vast. There are many - often slow - miles between parks and attractions. We decided it was better to break up the trip from Mesa Verde to the Grand Canyon. Strider wasn’t going to be happy with an intense all-day drive.

I looked up a park on our route. “Hey, Petrified Forest National Park is pet-friendly. Listen to this: ‘Petrified Forest even starts with "pet"! We are one of the most animal friendly parks.’ Have you ever been there?”

“Maybe,” my husband responded. “As a kid? I don’t remember much.”

“It was a long time ago for me, too,” I said. “It looks like it’s about halfway between Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon. And Strider can go on the trails with us.”

So we headed to Arizona via New Mexico. Winging it, we had no camping reservations here, either. I looked for possibilities.

“There’s no camping in the park,” I said. “And not much nearby, either.”

Not a problem. We had parked overnight at truck stops in the past. They’re noisy, but safe. We could spend tonight night at one, and head to Petrified Forest in the morning, fresh and ready to explore.

The Navajo Travel Center had fuel, and plenty of parking. They even had a nice fenced dog park. Strider was glad to stretch his legs, but was continuing his no-potty streak. We kept him on a short leash due to all the semitrucks and customers coming and going, so there wasn’t much outdoor time for him. Legolas stayed in the RV at all times.

Day Three morning: The drive to Petrified Forest National Park was blessedly short. The park is pet-friendly, but still requires ADA certification for service animals to come inside buildings. My husband and I took turns going inside the gift shop and cafe at the entrance. The visitor center was closed for remodeling.

In an open visitor building, we learned from a young ranger that high winds were predicted. We had time to view the petrified trees, but shouldn’t linger. The interstate highway could actually be closed if it got really bad.

Strider was happy that nearly every stop involved putting on the leash and walking him around. We saw vast desert scenery, petroglyphs, and of course, so many petrified trees. We explored the Crystal Forest.

Yes, the wind was picking up! Toward the end of our hike, Strider finally pooped. A lot. He’d been saving up. Thank goodness we were carrying collection bags. I had Legolas tucked inside his kitty backpack. Still, he complained from time to time in kitten mews, startling the few other hikers we passed.

Traveling with pets on our third day was every bit of the three-ring circus we suspected it might be. But it was also fun bringing our animal companions with us on this adventure. Having an RV no doubt made travel much easier and more comfortable for us all.

After leaving Petrified Forest, partly on a whim, and mostly because the wind was making driving difficult, we stopped at Meteor Crater. This was another attraction both my husband and I had seen many years ago. It was quite different now. A museum told the story of the theories about the creation of the crater, until exploration and science revealed the truth. This could be worth an entire day, but we needed to get to the Grand Canyon. Plus, no pets were allowed. We didn’t want to leave them alone in the RV for too long.

We opted for a route to the Grand Canyon that got us off the Interstate as soon as possible. The wind and the big trucks were making for an uncomfortable drive, to say the least. And Strider picked up on our stress. Legolas? He was oblivious.

In an earlier installment of Traveling With Pets, I worried about the dog getting into the cat litter, or the cat getting into the dog’s dishes. While the litter box was situated to prevent canine invasion, Strider’s dishes became open game.

Long Roads: We made adjustments to our travel plans on the fly, to avoid stressing out the dog. Strider needed to stretch his legs, and simply enjoy the lack of movement, at much more frequent intervals than we anticipated.

Lesson learned: Linger in areas that are pet-friendly. Use the internet to check attraction policies ahead of time. Know the rules.

Questions: Could we lighten up on our policy of keeping the cat and the dog separated? Was their budding friendship only due to Strider being too car-sick to make a predatory move?

Find out in the sixth installment of Traveling with Pets.

Novels with animal companions by Catherine Dilts:

The Body in the Cattails, available from Harlequin Worldwide Mystery

The Body in the Hayloft, available here

Co-authored with Merida Bass: Grandpa’s New Year’s Relocation, and Grandma’s Valentine Abduction

YA series co-authored with Merida Bass (jungle animals): Frayed Dreams, and Broken Strands

The entire Rose Creek Mystery series, the Tapestry Tales series, and the Ninja Grandparent Placement Mysteries, are available at Basecamp Books and Adventure located at 3918 Maizeland Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80909 (phone: 1 719 596 1621)