If you’ve been following us on Facebook then you know that our very own Julie got a shout out on the Browns Automotive Group Blog. We love getting mentions in the blogosphere and Julie earned hers due to the car trouble she ran into on a recent trip from Michigan back to Virginia. I ran into my own car trouble just the weekend prior on a trip from Upstate New York south to Virginia, so now I think we might be the leading experts in juggling car care and dog care enroute.
About half way through my 500 mile drive I watched the various warning indicators illuminate one by one on my dash – battery light, ABS, airbag, on and on. About that same time my air conditioning quit, which was a huge concern since I’m very vigilant about keeping Cannon cool on any summer ride. As I was looking for an exit that indicated any type of civilization my car started lurching bit as it struggled to accelerate up a small hill. I called my hubby so someone knew just where I was and so I could talk through a plan of attack.
Just minutes later I was off the interstate, sitting in a restaurant parking lot and thinking about a tow cause my car was now not starting. My very first concern through all of this was how to keep Cannon safe and comfortable. I got him out of the hot car and into the shade. I pulled out his travel bowl and filled it with water. We hung out in the shade, called Geico for that tow which I made sure would accommodate me and an 80lb dog. We worked through which auto shop was nearby and open on a Sunday afternoon and even what hotels were close which would accommodate dogs, because who knows how long this adventure could last.
A new alternator and four hours later I was grateful for the kindness of strangers (especially the PepBoys that let Cannon and I hang out inside their shop for all that time) and for being prepared for those road side troubles you just can’t foresee. Check out the following list to keep you and your pup just a little safer if you have troubles on the road this summer.
- Keep your cellphone charged. Your car charger won’t help you if your car has no juice.
- Know who call in the case of an emergency and know their number. You may not always be close to home – does your auto insurance company provide roadside assistance?
- Carry a basic emergency kit in your vehicle. Include a flashlight for night time breakdowns.
- Pack enough water for both you and your dog to keep you hydrated for several hours. Include travel bowl for your pup… it’s funny but frustrating to get him to drink out of the bottle : )
- Travel with a leash at all times.
- Add an extra scoop or two in your dog’s travel bag. You never know when you’ll need an extra day of travel.
- Have a power bar or two in your own travel bag to keep yourself going on the road.
- Store a blanket in the car. It’s good for keeping warm on a cold day or creating shade on a hot one.
Also, we highly recommend checking out that blog post by Browns Automotive Group, it could save you and your pup a lot of stress during vacation season.
Not to insult anyone, but I want to first make sure everyone knows what a “Way Station” is. For me, it is that general store of sorts in a park that seems to always have exactly what you forgot to bring on your camping adventure. Marshmallows, check. Matches, check. Baked beans, check. Some even have postcards, ice cream and deli counters and various souvenirs.
It is also usually staffed with some really helpful people who can direct you, teach you and give you great information about the park. Maps, phones and firewood are usually staples at the Way Station.
So today we launch our Way Station page and intend for it to evolve into that same type of invaluable resource. We are preparing checklists, compiling favorite links, providing directions and more. This home page will still be the first place for new content, but before you head out on a hike or camping trip, be sure to click to the Way Station to make sure you have everything.
As always, if you have something to add or need a resource not listed, we want to hear about it!
Got a question about your nearby national park? Good news, The National Park Service has created this great site to provide all kinds of guidance and answers to your questions: Oh Ranger!
The site has videos like “How can I stay safe in bear country,” links to all the national parks, featured parks and pretty much all the answers to your park questions.
I used the search tool and entered my zip code with the parameters of within 25 miles. 100 results showed up – 100! Fantastic! A Google-powered map pops up and it’s easy to see which results are close to home. From either the map or the list below you can click on a park to learn more. Keep in mind that the park service often covers the museums so in the DC area you will see some of those listed as well.
When I searched on a specific park – this time Shenandoah National Park, a favorite of OBH – a ton of information came up. I actually like this site better than the national park service’s site for the same park. The Oh Ranger! site is much more friendly and fun to navigate and has all the same information and more. The best part is, under Shenandoah Regulations link on the left, they specify where pets are and are not allowed in the park! Yay!
So not only do you need to bookmark this site, you also need to watch the bear video – it’s both educational and fun! If you do, the title of this post will make sense!
As part of my Amazon splurge, I picked up two books specifically about hiking in this region.
The first one, Doggin’ Northern Virginia: The 50 Best Places to Hike with Your Dog in NOVA, is exactly as it says on the cover, so judge away. The beginning of the book has some great tips about preparing to hike with your dog as well as a top 10 list of things to look for on your hikes.
The main part of the book summarizes the 50 hikes and consistently contains directions, trail information, dog friendliness and even canine swimming (a favorite feature of Karma’s). This is a great book when determining where you can take your dog.
The second book is 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Washington, DC. Now this is a “real” hiking book as it contains the type of information usually found in more serious hiking books, such as elevation changes, map references, trail surfaces, scenery, configuration and more. If you have read other guides or even the ones I talked about last time, this is the type of book you are used to.
If I had a magic wand I would combine these two books. The “Doggin’” book doesn’t have enough trail information and the “60” book doesn’t tell me about dog friendliness. I find I am using the “Doggin’” book to find the trail then the “60” book as the real guide. Yes, it’s kind of a pain, but together they are all the information you need. Best of all, they are expanding my knowledge of the nearby area and encouraging me to try new hikes!
The other day I went crazy on Amazon.com and bought a bunch of books about hiking with dogs and hiking in general in our region. The first group I will tell you about focuses on the Shenandoah National Park and are Falcon Guides.
The first book – Hiking Shenandoah National Park by Bert and Jane Gildart is a must have! While it is a general hiking guide, it will tell you if dogs are not allowed on a particular trail or if it is unsafe for dogs to drink the water – very important!
What I really appreciate about this guide is the detailed information about each trail, especially the elevation change information. Three miles is one thing, three miles with an 800 ft. elevation change and rock scrambles is something totally different. This is a must have if you are heading to SNP!
The second book, also by Bert and Jane, is Best Easy Day Hikes: Shenandoah National Park. As the name suggests, this is a subset of the previous book and as such is smaller and thinner – great for the daypack when you head out. The way we typically use the two books is to do “homework” and planning with the first book then carry this one in the pack when doing an easier hike. A nice to have.
Finally, I tried Shenandoah National Park Pocket Guide (Bert and Jane still). This one is a disappointment, so don’t fall for it. I was hoping it would be something even more compact that I could take in my pack but other than the fun pop-out maps in the beginning and end, it really doesn’t have much value. Skip this one.
Got a favorite book or guide? Tell us about it!
