Traveling Dog Lady

Congratulations Goodreads Giveaway Winners!

2025-12-14T08:44:00.002-05:00

Good morning!

The book giveaway ended at midnight and I am happy to announce the winners of a free signed copy of Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog!

Kelsey Aamot; Kris Brown; and Amber Harbert are the winners!

We had over 2,000 entries to the giveaway, and more than 1,600 added Dear Hobie to their shelves. I'm so touched by the interest in my book, and I hope you do get yourselves a copy.

I hope Kelsey, Kris and Amber enjoy the book.

Thank you doesn't seem like enough. I am overwhelmed at the reception my little book has received. So grateful!

The books will be sent out by the end of this week, and I'll click the "Copies are in the mail" button so the winners will know when their copy is on the way.

Blessings for a safe and happy holiday season to everyone.

Kathy Mandell
Author, Dear Hobie

Epic Road Trip Epilogue

2025-12-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

I thought I would be posting my Epic Road Trip diary entries for the next few months. But I realized some entries were so short, I started combining two, three, or four days worth of entries into each post. Suddenly, they’re done.

This post is a look back at the completed trip and the backstory of how this trip came to be.

This trip was a dream come true. The travel company where I worked for three decades was a European tour operator. I have been all over Europe, and I hate flying SO much you have no idea how much. I am grateful for the experience though — it was the best job in the world at the time.

The Backstory

My whole life, I’ve wanted to drive by car across the United States. I grew up in Massachusetts, my family is from Illinois, and I’ve spent a ton of time in the northeastern and southeastern states. I had flown across the U.S. to visit California, Las Vegas, Arizona and the western part of Mexico. But I had never driven west of Chicago. I really wanted to do it — it was on the yearning list.

I mentioned this to my husband when I first met him, and found out that he had done this trip multiple times. He lived on both the east and west coasts at various different times.

I had started this blog, many years ago (too many!) as the first step in this journey. The idea being to travel with my dogs across the country in an RV. At that time, the two dogs I had in mind were Hobie and Hector, now long gone. I wanted to do this trip when I was younger, but life had other plans. So, I did it after I retired, like a lot of people do. And that’s ok.

In 2021, we decided to get this accomplished, but we had a false start. I bought a used Ford Transit work van and Brad converted it to a camper. He has a lot of experience building boats and living on boats, so he knew how to do this stuff. It was basically a live-aboard boat with wheels lol.

Our van we named Vanadieu. Photo by me.

We took three trips in that van. On the first trip, camping in Florida, we took our ailing cat Cali with us instead of a dog. She ended up dying on that trip, it was horrible. The second trip, we went up to Maryland with one dog, Petey. The third trip, we went to Florida, again with Petey. On the way back, my knee bumped the keychain hanging from the ignition while I was driving… the ignition shut off! While driving on I-95! Thankfully, the key was still in the ON position, so I had power steering. I managed to pull over and we were safe. It was at that moment that I decided to sell the van. I didn’t trust it at all. That stopped our cross-country travel plans for a while.

When our dog, Cooper, died in 2024, that’s when we started talking about a trip with the remaining two dogs. Two is a lot easier than three, and especially because Cooper was special needs, it would have been very hard to travel with him. We decided we would go in the fall of 2025. During the ensuing 18 months, we kept changing our minds: no dogs. Yes, dogs. No dogs, just us. Ok. Wait, we can’t do this — Neither of us wanted to leave them for the length of time it would take to do this journey. It was decided: they were coming. The cat would go to kitty resort, which he loves. It would cost a lot, but that’s ok, this was to be my trip of a lifetime.

Cooper and Tux. Photo by me.

At first we were going to use my Subaru. Then we decided our minivan, while older, would be more roomy. We bought so many things for this trip, we planned routes on paper maps and online, we did test rides with the dogs, took the rear seats out of the van and put in a floor. We mock packed the van to see what it would be like, and took pictures so we would remember how we packed.

This trip, this idea, this wish, this hankerin’ was floating around in my mind ever since I can remember. East coast kids in the ‘60s and ‘70s all wanted to drive to California. I loved our family road trips with my parents between Massachusetts and Illinois — we did that twice a year. I loved road trips to Florida which I did several times with lots of different friends or friend groups. I enjoyed my solo trips, with dogs, to South Carolina which led me to move here permanently.

But I had never crossed the Mississippi by car. I had never seen the Grand Canyon except by airplane. I had never brought my dogs anywhere other than up and down Interstate 95 from New England to the southeast and back.

The Trip

We visited eighteen states; twelve of them I had never been to before. We decided to take the southern route from South Carolina to Arizona/Utah, then go north, then take a right and head east at South Dakota, through Iowa, then southeast towards home.

Seeing the Grand Canyon was the highlight. We camped there for three days. It was hard. We are seniors, and so are the dogs. It was both too hot and too cold, depending on the time of day. It was uncomfortable, but the Canyon itself is stunning beyond description. Everyone must see this thing. You simply must!

My favorite sights were the most tacky! Cadillac Ranch, Standin’ On The Corner in Winslow Arizona, The Breaking Bad Store, Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore, Sturgis and Deadwood. Total tourist traps, all of them, but I loved them all, especially Cadillac Ranch and Standin’ on The Corner. Route 66 was my favorite thing. I think I may have cried. We got to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary!

HIstoric Route 66 Winslow, AZ. Photo by me.

Of all the states, South Dakota was the one I liked best, followed by Kentucky and (oddly enough) North Carolina. I liked Oklahoma, too. I am grateful to have seen Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Texas but the weather is way too dry for me, and I had issues with the elevation (dizzy, headache, felt like I was swimming through Jell-O).

I worried about Charlie Brown Hound as well. He was 13 at the time of the trip, and that’s a lot to go through for an old dog. But really I had nothing to worry about. He did great and he has since turned 14 and is doing really well. Every day is a blessing. He is the sweetest old hound dog.

Petey did great. He is such a good traveler. He’s small, so I can pick him up with one hand if I need to. He just loves being with us. As long as he is with me, he doesn’t care where he goes. We are very attached to each other. I couldn’t have had a good time without him by my side.

During this trip we got a number of Bark Ranger Tags from National Parks! I haven’t figured out what to do with them yet — too many to hang on collars.

Part of our collection of Bark Ranger tags. Photo by me.

We humans got along great, and that’s no small accomplishment for two people on the road for 20 days in a small van. We ended up calling this trip The Great Bathrooms of America Tour, as it seemed like mainly what we did was search for restrooms! I am so lucky to have found such a cool partner!

We did not camp as much as we had originally planned. We camped just the three days at the Grand Canyon, then stayed at hotels the rest of the time. The hotels were reasonably-priced — all dog-friendly of course, and we had no problems at all. A couple properties were not as nice as others, but most were surprisingly nice for low-budget accommodations. Coming from the travel business where I got first-class or business-class perks, I can be an accommodations snob. If I was happy (which I was) then nothing bad can be said about these properties.

We got familiar with many hotel parking lots. Photo by me.

The BringFido app was the reason for locating such good hotels. I did a lot of research a day or two in advance of each stop, and found the best-rated hotel for the most reasonable price. Availability was never an issue. Sometimes there were not first-floor rooms available, but that was the only problem, and that only happened about three times.

BringFido is great for other information, too, such as what’s allowed at National Parks, which restaurants and other stops are dog-friendly, what is expected of dog owners at various sites and so forth. It was an invaluable app and I highly recommend it if you’re going to travel with a pooch. I do not get any monetary compensation for that endorsement, it comes purely from being a satisfied user of the app, period.

This wraps up the Epic Road Trip posts. Thank you SO much for reading, everyone who stuck with it, I do appreciate you! We do not know when, or where, our next trip will happen, but as soon as we do you’ll hear about it right here.

What’s next? So much! I have so many things I want to write about and I hope you like what is coming up in 2026!

Epic Road Trip: The Last Few Miles

2025-12-01T11:08:00.003-05:00

These diary entries were written in September, 2025

September 22, 2025

This is our last long day of driving, and we made the most of it, driving through four states: Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.

The main state I wanted to see was Kentucky. I had never been there. Tennessee as well, but we did go through Memphis at the beginning of this trip almost three weeks ago.

Kentucky was beautiful. Rolling hills. Green grass and trees. Mountains. Winding roads. I really like this landscape better than the rocky desert landscapes. Even though that was cool to see and I’m glad I went. Rolling into Kentucky really felt familiar and comfortable. We went past Churchill Downs in Louisville. We couldn’t really see anything, but we were yelling “There’s Churchill Downs!”

I finally made it to Kentucky! Photo by me.

Then, we went through the Knoxville area of Tennessee. We would have gone to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but we heard that dogs were only allowed in the parking area, and by this time we were worn out. The thought of another national park visit was unappealing, even though I could have gotten some more Bark Ranger tags, and we do have the senior pass to get in for “free” (cost = $80 — it paid for itself after visiting two parks!).Share

When we arrived near Asheville, North Carolina on Interstate 40 we were speechless to witness the damage Hurricane Helene had done just about a year ago. It will take ages for this area of the country to recover. It won’t be the same as it was. Entire sections of Interstate 40 are simply gone. Wiped off the face of the Earth by water. That’s how powerful water is!

Traffic had been re-routed on two lanes which used to be the westbound lanes of Interstate 40, but now are single west and east lanes with no divider or median. I-40 was wiped out even though it is on a mountain. Think about it — we associate hurricanes with coastal damage — large waves wiping out homes and so forth. This was from rain and flood waters coming down the mountain. It was a devastating, jaw-dropping sight to realize what occurred.

Two-way traffic on what remains of I-40 near Asheville, NC. Photo by me.

Our final hotel, just outside of Asheville on a hilltop was a chain that I won’t name. Other than the two of us and our dogs, the rest of the occupants were crew members working on restoring the highway, the town, and everything else around. We happened to arrive around 5:30, also the time the workers were checking in to the hotel. I didn’t have a problem on this whole trip, until this night, the final night! Wait… That didn’t come out right! It had nothing to do with the workers, it was a problem with the booking I had made online.

I had used the BringFido app to book all our hotels throughout the whole trip. I generally booked the reservations a day or two ahead of time, after carefully reviewing info and reviews about each hotel. We really had no problems at all to speak of. BringFido was great and I highly recommend this app to people traveling with dogs.

Each time I checked in to a hotel, it was a breeze. They had the key cards ready and waiting at the front desk. But not this time! The Asheville property had no record of us whatsoever. I had to go back to the car and get my phone and show them the BringFido confirmation. Both desk clerks were touching my phone screen (I’ll tell you more about that later). They kept looking at my confirmation, then their computer. Nothing! Meanwhile, a dozen tired-looking work crew people were standing behind me in line. My dogs and husband were waiting in the car. The manager called BringFido on the phone (which, it turns out is really Expedia!) and I suggested that he and I step off to the side, so the other desk clerk could check in the tired guests who needed accommodations way more than we did.

After about 15 minutes, the manager determined that there was a booking confirmed through Expedia/BringFido, but it never was sent to the hotel. I had proof of payment, and the vendor confirmed that as well. So, he said we have to honor this but he needed a few minutes to find a dog-friendly room on the first floor. It took him a while, but he got me the key cards for a first-floor room right next to the doggy potty area.

The dogs had a real treat that night because the room had one of these pull-out trundle beds that enabled them to lie down in a comfy place without having to climb up onto a bed or couch. Charlie really loved that. A nice way to end the trip for him. He had been sleeping on his grungy dog bed every night. His aching joints were definitely grateful.

The hotel property had a really neat walking trail through the woods, and we had about 90 minutes before the sun went down so we walked the dogs on that trail and it was quite pretty.

Charlie on the trundle bed. Photo by me.

The next morning, we drove the last 300 miles to home! But, the entire time, I kept feeling like I had a sore throat. We got home that night. I woke up the next morning with a really bad cold and was sick for two days. Thankfully it didn’t last long. Note to self: don’t let anyone touch your phone!

Both dogs on the trundle bed. Photo by me.

Next Monday: Epic Road Trip Epilogue

Thanks for reading! If you want to read more about my crazy life, you can pick up a copy of my memoir, Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog. It tells the story of my dog, Hobie, and me; and how through a series of major losses I reinvented myself and started over. The paperback is available wherever books are sold online. The eBook is exclusively on Amazon Kindle.

Buy my dogs some treats!

Epic Road Trip: Part 9; Sturgis, Wall Drug, the Badlands, Iowa, Illinois & Indiana

2025-11-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

These diary entries were written on the road, September 20 & 21, 2025.

September 20, 2025

We left Sturgis, South Dakota yesterday morning, and headed to Wall, South Dakota, then the Badlands. It’s hard to believe we’ve been on the road for 16 days!

Badlands National Park entry sign. Photo by me.

What’s the draw in Wall, you ask? Well, it’s a place called Wall Drug Store and it was once a stopping off place for people in the 1930s and beyond who were traversing the country. They’d stop at Wall Drug Store to get free ice water, or a coffee for 5 cents.

Wall Drug Store still offers free ice water and 5-cent coffee.

My fun-loving husband riding the jackalope at Wall Drug. Photo by me.

But it’s really another tourist trap. Tons of stores, and Wall Drug Store itself being a huge, huge store that takes up like four blocks. It’s all souvenirs and yes, drug store items. There is a cafe as well.

The entire place is dog-friendly, except for the cafe. So, we stopped in, used the restroom, and took some pictures. They have these funny statues in the “backyard” section of the store. An outside patio that has restrooms and a huge statue of a Jackalope that you can climb up on. Which Brad did. I took pictures of him on the Jackalope. Then, two other tourists wanted a picture of the both of them on the Jackalope, so I took some pictures of them with their phone. It was hilarious!

There are taxidermied animals all over the place, just like Cabela’s has around its stores. So, that always grosses me out, but it was pretty funny when Charlie saw the bison (buffalo) and got into some big-time sniffing. Brad had his picture taken with the bison, and so did Charlie.

Charlie Brown gets up close & personal with a stuffed bison. Photo by me.

After Wall Drug, we went to Badlands National Park. I took way too many pictures. This place looks like a different planet. It’s right smack-dab in the middle of the United States. You have to see it. Just like the Grand Canyon must be seen, the Badlands also must be seen. There’s nothing like it anywhere else.

The Badlands. Photo by me.

The highest quality photo of the entire trip was taken in the Badlands — a bighorn sheep was standing right next to our car as we waited in traffic (yes, traffic!). Brad grabbed my camera and snapped the picture.

Bighorn sheep at Badlands National Park. Photo by us.

At Badlands National Park, I tried in vain once again to get Bark Ranger tags for the pooches. Nope! So, we have a couple tags, and that’s all we’re going to get because we are heading HOME more than a week early. Which is fine with me. I didn’t want to be away from home for a whole month in the first place.

I had originally booked Tux, the cat, into the kitty resort from September 4 through 30th. Brad said it wasn’t enough time, so I changed the pickup date to October 5th. I really in my heart didn’t want to be away from home or the cat for that long. But I agreed to give it a try and be a good sport for a change.

The pet resort worked with me to change the reservation for Tux for a third time, and they aren’t charging me (their usual policy is to charge the full reservation cost even if you pick up early). Very nice of them! I was one of their first customers when they opened several years ago, and have spent a boatload of money housing my pets there during various trips. It pays to be a valued customer. Plus, they love my pets!

Photo of Tux enjoying playtime at the kitty resort. Photo by them.

Well, it wasn’t me who decided to go home early instead of traveling for another week. It was Brad! Which was just fine with me.

We spent the night in Iowa (yay, another state to color in on my map!), and we’re going to Davenport tomorrow to see where Brad went to college. Then, we are going to “mosey” home over the next few days.

I’m insisting on seeing Kentucky, Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC on the way. Not long stops, I just want to check off these places on my list. Now I’m the one dragging my feet!

Tomorrow we’ll be somewhere between Iowa and Kentucky. No more National Park visits that I am aware of.

See you then!

September 21, 2025

We left Iowa, but not before stopping in Davenport to see where Brad went to school. That’s all we did: We “saw” it! I took a couple photos. We tried to find the house he lived in but couldn’t figure that out. The place reminded me of Worcester. There were so many similarities it was kind of freaking me out.

I mean, seriously: Davenport? Or Worcester? Photo by me.

After that, we drove and drove. We went into Illinois, my birthplace, but it was southern Illinois which I don’t think I had ever seen before, unless my parents took me there when I was an infant. So, that was neat to see a different part of Illinois. I have been to the Chicago area where we used to live a zillion times. The other part of Illinois is not at all like Chicago, FYI.

Land of Lincoln! Photo by us.

Next was Indiana where we stayed overnight. I’ve been to Indiana more times than I can count, so it was literally just a place to sleep for the night. I don’t even remember the hotel.

My attempt at capturing the Indiana sign as we drove past! Photo by me, sadly.

This was not much of a sightseeing day. We are really in “let’s go home” mode now. One more hotel after this and we’ll be heading HOME!

Next Monday: Kentucky, Tennessee and finally, Asheville NC

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading these posts (and anything I write for that matter). On this Thanksgiving, I am so happy to see all the new Subscribers and comments.

Thanks for reading!

If you want to read even more about my crazy life, you can pick up a copy of my memoir, Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog. It tells the story of my dog and me; and how after a series of major life changes I figured out how to reinvent myself and start over. The paperback is available wherever books are sold online. The eBook is exclusively on Amazon Kindle until January, 2026 then it will be available elsewhere. If you have read the book, a review wherever you purchased the book would be most appreciated. Many thanks!

Epic Road Trip: Part 8, Wyoming and South Dakota

2025-11-17T12:17:00.005-05:00

Picking up where we left off! These diary entries were written on September 17 and 18.

September 17, 2025

I didn’t write last night because it was a long day driving from Provo to Wyoming, with me driving about 3 or 4 hours because we were in a lower elevation so no lightheadedness. Huge thanks to my husband for driving almost this entire trip!

My view from the passenger seat. Photo by me.

Yesterday morning, we heard the news that actor Robert Redford had died. He died in his sleep at home in Sundance, Utah. Again, right near where we were! We drove past the exit to Sundance on our way out of Provo. Also, the day before that, we had driven past Butch Cassidy’s childhood home and I took a picture of it. This is crazy how much newsworthy stuff has been happening during this trip, right near where we’re traveling!

Butch Cassidy’s childhood home. Photo by me.

We went from Utah to Wyoming yesterday and basically just stayed overnight. We didn’t do any sightseeing. It was just a day of driving, stopping a few times for lunch and restrooms.

Our hotel in Casper, Wyoming was “meh”. I was a little disappointed because the room was substandard. We have had great luck with hotels on this trip, and this one was not part of a chain (which I liked the idea of) but I have to admit the chain hotels are much better.

In our room, the carpet was filthy and I don’t like my dogs lying on dirty carpet, nor do I want to put my own bare or even stockinged feet on there. So, I was kinda grossed out. The front desk staff were really super nice, so that made up for a lot.

In fairness to the hotel, they had booked us in a room on the second floor, but we were worried about Charlie doing stairs, as there was NO elevator. He’s afraid of elevators anyway, so it was a trade-off. But I don’t think he could have done the stairs several times a day. I am assuming the original room was in better condition. The entire hotel was under construction - it looked like it may have been a former assisted living facility or medical facility.

The room we stayed in, after I asked for a first-floor room because of my arthritic dog, was gross, dirty and outdated. The room was small. Only one electrical outlet worked, so we had to take turns charging our phones. The only good part was it was near the parking lot and the dog walking area. To get to the lobby for coffee in the morning, you had to go outside and walk through a windy parking lot. Not ideal.

Charlie with his head on the icky carpet! Photo by me, obvi.

The hotel is situated right on the North Platte River, which would have been nice, except it was on the neck of the river in a weird industrial area outside of the city of Casper. I didn’t realize the hotel was going to be on the outskirts of town. The hotel was placed there as if to say, “Hey look! a hotel by the river!” But it was a scary part of the river — it really seemed dangerous, to me.

Then, to top it all off, it poured rain. Be careful what you wish for! After two weeks of intense heat and desert conditions (only broken by the very, very cold nights while we camped in the Grand Canyon), we got rain, rain, and more rain. And it was chilly. Thankfully we brought all various kinds of clothing and supplies with us. Towels for the dogs, extra harnesses for Petey, raincoats, boots, gloves, hats, winter coats, umbrellas!

After hanging around in the hotel the first day, this morning we drove from Casper, Wyoming to Devils Tower National Monument. It kept raining, a lot, but at least we did it! We took photos of the rock formation, even though it was hard to see because of the fog. I got four more Bark Ranger tags for the pooches because Devils Tower had two different designs, so I bought two of each. We ate lunch in the car, and of course wouldn’t you know it, as soon as we were done, the rain tapered off.

I think our photos are unique though because most people go there when it’s sunny. We couldn’t walk the trail with the dogs, which was fine, we didn’t need to get right up to the monument. The dogs got soaked!

Devils Tower in the fog and rain. Photo by me.

After that, we continued on to Sturgis, South Dakota where we are staying for the next two nights.

Petey looking out the window of our hotel in Sturgis. Yes, 2nd floor! Photo by me.e

September 18, 2025

We got a pretty early start today and went to Mount Rushmore first. It took about an hour, even though it was only 37 miles from our hotel. It was a lovely ride going there, mountains, hilly, winding roads and it was cool outside so none of us would swelter like we had been in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

When we arrived it was difficult to figure out parking. It is FREE to get in, there’s nobody checking you in at an entry kiosk like at the other places where I had to use my senior park pass to get in. The pass wasn’t required at Mt. Rushmore.

But it was difficult to understand where to park. There are little “garages” and also outdoor lots.

Charlie is terrified of elevators and of course these last few days we’ve been having to use one at the hotel. Well, we had to use one at Rushmore as well. After dealing with that, it turns out dogs aren’t allowed anywhere near the monument. So, we had to wait outside. Dogs aren’t allowed past the pillars at the entrance after you park. They are allowed just right in front of that area. And of course, weren’t there a bunch of other dogs!? Petey goes nuts trying to protect me, so I had to walk way over to one side and hide near some trees.

Brad and I had to go separately to see the monument and look at the shops. He got some souvenirs and gifts, then it was my turn. I used the restroom first, obviously, and then went to the monument and took a ton of photos. I went into the gift shop AND the bookstore, both of which did not have the Bark Ranger tags. A nice employee told me to go to the visitor center “National Park Store” which was at the bottom of the stairs near the monument. Well, lemme tell ya, remember the movie, “Rocky”? Where he runs up the steps? It was five times more steps than that, way way down to the base of the mountain. There was an elevator, but I thought by the time I get all the way down there, look through the store for the tags, which are not easy to find at any of these stores, and go back up again, Brad will have been waiting with the dogs for like a half hour. I didn’t want to do that, so, no tags from Mt Rushmore. That means no tags from Rushmore or Zion. I did get tags at Grand Canyon and Devil’s Tower. I hope I can get some at Badlands, too.

Looks like everyone else’s photos of Rushmore, but… Photo by me!

After Rushmore, we took the 20 minute jaunt to nearby Crazy Horse monument. Unbeknownst to us, the monument is nowhere near finished. It’s going to take like 20 more years lol. And you can’t get close to it for a decent picture unless you take one of the bus tours where – surprise, surprise – dogs aren’t allowed. It also costs $30 to get in, and no pass covers the fee and there’s no senior discount or any other kind of discount. We love helping out organizations, so the money went to a good cause, but it was a pretty steep price and unexpected.

Parking was once again a debacle, but we figured it out.

Once again, we had to go in separately. Brad went first while I walked around the parking lot with both dogs. And, true to form, Petey went nuts when he saw another dog.

When Brad returned, it was my turn to go inside the building. Small dogs that can be carried are allowed in – no nails on the beautiful hardwood floors, please. So I carried Petey in with me and we walked around inside looking at all the cool stuff and reading all about Crazy Horse and the monument that was created by a Polish guy whose name has way too many consonants for me to remember how to spell! Brad and Charlie stayed behind walking around the parking lot. It was great to be able to bring Petey inside somewhere for a change. Worth the $30? Hmmm…

The never-finished Crazy Horse Monument, with crane. Photo by me.

We trudged back to the car, and away we went — next stop Deadwood, South Dakota.

The ride to Deadwood took us down the other side of the mountain road, which was under construction and all torn up down to the dirt, which by then was mud because of all the rain. Workers had each lane of traffic take turns. While one lane stopped, the other lane was escorted by a “pilot” vehicle that had a big sign on the back that read “Pilot Vehicle Follow Me”. So, we did. Miles and miles of construction and mud, probably not great for the car.

We got through that and arrived at Deadwood. It is not a national park or anything, it’s just a town. Well, once again, parking was a hassle. They have kiosks and also an app. You’re supposed to be able to scan a QR code but the damn code was SO SMALL my phone couldn’t recognize it, so Brad ended up paying at the kiosk along with 50 other people who were trying to get to Deadwood in time to see the street shootout – a performance that’s put on several times a day through the summer. We were there during the final weekend of the performance.

Stagecoach and street actors in Deadwood, SD. Photo by me.

Well, the dogs were barking at the horses, other dogs, and so forth. I had to take them to the back of the crowd. Then, the starting gunshots went off to announce the beginning of the reenactment and Petey was shaking so bad I thought I could make a milkshake using him instead of a blender! Charlie was ok, until the real reenactment began and then he all but dragged me down the street in the opposite direction. I waited outside the Hard Rock Cafe disguised as a casino (it’s called the Hard Rockasino) and Brad found us and we left. The reenactment was a pretty cheesy tourist trap and there was no place to eat either. There were nothing but casinos up and down the streets. At least that’s all we could find. So, we ended up leaving, and yes, paid another $4 for parking that we barely used.

After that, we came back to the hotel, watched TV and I did another load of clothes in the guest laundry!

Next, we go to Badlands. I sure hope that it won’t be a debacle!

Next Monday: Wall Drug, The Badlands, on to Iowa, and the long way home

Before you go: If you have picked up a copy of my memoir, Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog, thank you SO much! If you have a moment, a review wherever you purchased the book would help me out. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you can search the title and my name (Kathy Mandell) on any search engine. Beware not to purchase for more than the standard $9.99 set price (some sites are over-pricing books to make an extra profit). Thanks in advance for buying and for your review!

See all my favorite "top shelf" books on my own personal bookshop.org shop!

Epic Road Trip: Part 7, Zion National Park and some Best Friends

2025-11-10T11:09:00.003-05:00

____________________________________________________________

September 12, 2025

Hello from Page, Arizona!

Today, we drove from the Grand Canyon to here. I am glad we got to see the Grand Canyon, it was amazing. Camping in a tent, not so much. Camping in a dry, arid climate, no. I cannot quench my thirst. No matter what I do! I could never live here. It is just unbearable for me.

That being said, we drove the three hours to here, and the landscape was like nothing I have ever seen before. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed because of the recent wildfires that decimated the entire area, but we drove past where the entrance is and I can’t believe how far it was away from the South Rim where we stayed. The thing is huge. It’s like another planet.

The other side of the Grand Canyon. Photo by me.

The landscape on the drive from there to Page must have changed every three minutes. I couldn’t keep up with the picture-taking!

The dogs did great, as usual. Boy, are they glad to be back in a hotel (so am I).

We stopped at a really neat shop to use the bathroom and I sometimes wish I could take 20 minutes to shop at these little stores, but it’s not easy with two dogs and the heat. They have to wait in or near the car (with a human present, at all times).

While waiting to be able to check in to our hotel in Page, we visited Glen Canyon Dam. There are so many canyons that are separate, but as I told Brad, in my personal opinion, they are all one huge canyon. On the way between the Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon, we also drove through Antelope Canyon!

Glen Canyon Dam. Photo by me.

Glen Canyon Dam is where the Colorado River (or is it Lake Powell?) goes past Page, Arizona. It’s a big dam that produces electricity. We thought we’d go see Lake Powell but unfortunately, even though it’s “right over there” – like, you can see it – but the drive to actually BE there is over three hours! Winding, tiny little roads. The size of things out here is mind-boggling.

Tomorrow, or the next day, (we aren’t sure yet) we’re going to Zion National Park. We were unable to get a hotel or campground anywhere near Zion. Page, AZ was the nearest place! The first time we looked, it said the distance in time was an hour and forty-five minutes. Now, it says it’s about two hours, or perhaps longer. We’ll have to come back here to the hotel in between excursions to various sites of interest.

It’s supposed to be hot again, so I am a little concerned about Charlie. Petey I can always carry. I’m a little concerned about ME too! I can’t quench my thirst!!!! It’s so weird!

So, we’re staying here in Page for about three days.

City of Page, Arizona sign. Photo by me.

September 13, 2025

Today, we went all the way to Zion National Park in Utah, about 2- 2 ½ hours away, and back to Page.

And when I say we went. We went. That’s all we did. There was not one parking spot to be had. We couldn’t go to the visitor center to see if they had Bark Ranger tags* for the dogs. We couldn’t use a restroom. It was insane. There were so many cars and not only were the parking lots full, full, full, but cars were pulled over to the side of the road everywhere. We did manage to pull off, walk the dogs ever so briefly, and take photos that were outside instead of through a windshield. But that was it. So, we literally drove there, and drove back.

* After I got home, I ordered Zion Bark Ranger tags for both dogs online. Even with the government shutdown, someone was operating the online shop and sent them to me.

Now, the drive was spectacular. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen, except in movies. I remember the movie “The Long, Long Trailer” with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz…it may have been filmed in Zion National Park! The roads are really crazy especially when you look back up from the bottom of the canyon and realize that you just drove on that little road that’s basically a ledge! With hundreds of other cars, possibly thousands.

The dogs and me at Zion. We pulled over to stretch our legs, and theirs. Photo by my husband.

The tunnel was cool. A little creepy but cool.

So, we saw Zion. Lol and when I say “saw” I mean that’s all we did. We SAW Zion.

After that, we stopped at McDonald’s for a bite to eat. What a debacle. We went in separately because someone has to stay with the dogs and we both needed to use a restroom after that drive. Well, Brad ordered his food from a human, but I didn’t see anyone at the counter, so I used the kiosk. I’m a computer person, and even for me it was a pain in the arse. I didn’t want to pay on the machine, so I clicked “pay at register” so that I could use cash. Then the human appeared. I didn’t know I could have ordered the food from him. So, it took a really long time. It’s a stupid setup.

On the way to Zion, I noticed that we were in Kanab, and that’s where Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is!! We drove right by it, and I thought OMG I am pretty sure we can go there. I looked online and sure enough you can visit, with dogs! So, we are going to try to stop on Monday when we drive past on our way to Orem. I found out you can’t really do anything at Best Friends if you have your own dog/dogs with you. So, we’re going to just stop in at the Welcome Center and say hello and tell them “we already know all about you and just wanted to say hi” (and we’ll use the restroom lol). This trip has been officially dubbed “The Great Restrooms of the Western United States”.

Tomorrow, we’re going to explore Page locally and do our laundry at the hotel’s guest laundry area.

We had no choice but to stay at a Motel 6 as La Quinta was full — busloads of tourists! I have to say, this is only the second time I’ve used a Motel 6 and I was skeptical because this one somehow got good reviews. Well, I have to say it really is not bad! The other Motel 6 I stayed at many years ago was freakin’ awful. I wrote about it in my book, “Dear Hobie” where you can read the whole story.

Until tomorrow! Good night from Page, Arizona near the Utah border.

September 15, 2025

I didn’t write yesterday because we took a day “off” and hung out in our hotel room.

Today, we head to Provo (Orem) Utah. We’ll lose an hour as we cross into Mountain Daylight Time.

We did stop in at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and they were so welcoming! I spent $75 on tchotchkes and a t-shirt (all proceeds benefit the sanctuary, so it was basically a $75 donation). We walked the dogs around, and we had photos taken of us standing in front of the sign. We used the bathroom and then kept driving.

The four of us! A Best Friends volunteer took the photo with my iPhone.

It was nice to see green trees and grass again. The landscape here in Utah is a mix of both desert and grass/trees. By the end of the week we will be heading towards Iowa, closer to sea level and more grass and humidity. I’m ready. We are all tired of the desert. I’m grateful I got to see it, but I am ready to get back to a little more humidity.

After a while, we stopped to eat. We’ve been getting McDonald’s snack wraps which have made a comeback recently, and they are surprisingly healthy and yummy.

Tonight, we checked into our hotel in Provo (Orem) Utah, and while we knew it was near where Charlie Kirk was killed, we didn’t realize HOW near. It’s right across the street! While sitting in traffic waiting to turn into the driveway of the hotel, we saw people placing flowers at the memorial at Utah Valley University. Right there. Right across from our hotel. This is crazy. You can’t make this stuff up.

Grass and trees! Blue skies! Photo by me.

Thank you so much for reading and subscribing. If you’ve already picked up a copy of “Dear Hobie” I am beyond grateful, and I hope you are enjoying the story. It would be greatly appreciated if you would take a moment to post a review wherever you purchased the book. Many thanks!

As always, my senior pets and I are thankful for your support.

Next week on Epic Road Trip: Utah to Wyoming

Epic Road Trip Part 6: Arizona

2025-11-03T16:31:00.005-05:00

September 9, 2025

Grand Canyon, Arizona

It’s 909! Today was an amazing day, even though I was stressed out a bunch of times which turns me into a crabby-face. Apologies to my dear husband!

We got up way too early. Neither of us could sleep. So, we decided to just hit the road early.

This morning we went to Winslow, Arizona. We stood on the corner. We took a bunch of photos. I even took a pic of the Route 66 symbol in the middle of the square.

Route 66 and Glenn Frey Road

We went into the Standin’ On The Corner Gift Shop and bought some more magnets and trinkets. They play Eagles music all day, every day. I wonder if the folks working there are tired of hearing those songs!* When I was in the store, they were playing a live album. Brad got us a Route 66 sign we will hang on the wall somewhere at home.

We met a guy who plays bluesy music on the opposite corner at the Arizona 66 Trading Company. He played like B.B. King though he insisted he is an amateur guitarist.

The dogs were great, but it was a little hot.

There were about 15 other people taking pictures of each other on the corner.

One of the streets is called Glenn Frey Road. There’s a statue of Glenn when he was young, and another statue of him older. I didn’t realize it at the time, but in one of the photos Brad took of me, I’m standing in almost the exact same pose as the statue.

I unintentionally mimicked the same pose as the statue

The Standin’ On The Corner Foundation Park was dedicated in the town of Winslow on September 11, 1999. Two years before “the” 9/11. The anniversary being two days from now isn’t lost on me. Another coincidence.

After Winslow, we drove to Flagstaff to pick up some groceries. Flagstaff is lovely with huge pine trees and it kind of reminded me of New England or Germany with the big hills (Gray Mountain). Brad said it reminded him of Berkeley, California. Well he did go into the Whole Foods! Flagstaff is a college town, and I saw a ton of 20-somethings riding their bikes and electric scooters around. It looked like they were zipping to class or back home to one of the nearby apartments. It was a very cool looking place. Brad says it’s one of the most popular ski areas in the U.S. My only problem, once again, was the altitude. It was beautiful, but I felt like I was wading through Jell-O. Walking the dogs around Whole Foods’ parking lot felt like an intense workout.

The big event, the one I’ve wanted to do my whole life, was our next stop: The Grand Canyon! That’s where I’m writing from now. We arrived here around lunch time. Check-in was easy. But when we got to the visitor center there was barely a parking space to be had! We found one though, and we used the restrooms, got a map of the Park, and walked with the dogs to the South Rim. There were SO many dogs. OMG!

Hubby’s phone takes beautiful pictures. This one is his.

This thing, the Grand Canyon, words cannot describe. It looks almost artificial. It is just incredible. Pictures do not do it justice. Nevertheless, I took a bunch. But my battery on my iPhone was draining and the dogs were getting hot, so we went to find our campsite.

While I was waiting at the car for Brad to pick up a map and get water, a huge, black bird (I thought it was a crow) was hanging around and Petey was very interested and was barking at it. I noticed the bird seemed to be scavenging for food. Then, someone else in the parking lot tossed a cracker or something, and the bird grabbed it and flew up into a tree.

Later on, I found out these birds are RAVENS! They’re huge. Bigger than any of the seagulls on the beach. The rangers told us to make sure we put away everything because the ravens are very determined.

We are camping here for three nights. Tonight is Tuesday. We’ll check out on Friday.

I was unable to charge my iPhone with the solar battery we brought so I figured I’m meant to stay offline for the next few days. If I can charge it up someplace in the visitor center or something that will be great, but I’m not counting on it.

I was a little cranky tonight after setting up the tent, the other sites began to fill in with other guests and Petey of course had to bark at everything. Charlie joined in, but he’s not as annoying.

So, I’m hiding in the tent with both dogs, writing this. In a little while, we’ll go sit outside and look at the stars.

Tomorrow, we’ll go back to the South Rim and look more closely at the canyon. The whole thing is surreal.

More tomorrow! Goodnight!

September 10, 2025

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Day two at the Grand Canyon. We went back to the visitor center and I looked at the canyon without taking photos. I wanted to experience the experience.

I said to Brad, “If you don’t believe in God after seeing this, there’s something wrong with you!” Then I said, “Well, maybe God is an alien!” Because this thing is otherworldly, It looks like a painting. A montage. 3-D. Pictures do not do it justice. When I was in the restroom, I heard another lady say the same thing, “It looks like a painting!”

After that, the dogs were hot and I was still a smidge dizzy from altitude sickness ( I needed an altitude adjustment). So, we stopped at the laundry area to see what it was like. We have been traveling six days and it would be nice to have clean clothes. Well, we had everything in the car, and nothing else to do, so we did our laundry. It took like two hours, and I was even able to charge my phone there! My battery had dwindled down pretty low, so I didn’t want to use my phone. Now I know where I can charge it, as we are here for one more day.

When I asked the ranger where to charge my phone, he pointed to the outlets and then he asked where I am from? I said South Carolina. He said, “You don’t have a South Carolina accent!” I shrugged and said, “Well, ok, Boston!” I’m guessing my pronunciation of the word “charge” might have been his hint.

While we were at the laundry, we had the radio on in the car and we heard the news that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated. I swear every time we travel huge news happens and we miss seeing TV coverage because we have no access to television. Think I’m exaggerating? Here’s the rundown:

Our “honeymoon” cruise January 2020: As our boat was pulling into port in Fort Lauderdale, the TV in our cabin was able to broadcast again after a week at sea. There was then-President Trump (his first term) and [whatever his title was] Anthony Fauci, announcing that a dangerous virus was going around in China, Italy and India, but (they said) there was no danger of it coming to the U.S.!

Next! January, 2021: We went camping in Florida in our first camper van that we named Vanadeiu. The January 6th riots took place during that trip. We had no TV and didn’t hear about it until several days after it happened. We had our sick and dying cat with us and we spent January 6th in a veterinary clinic, sobbing into our Covid masks, as she passed away in my arms.

Continue: We were on our way to Pennsylvania in July of 2024, and we heard on the radio people screaming and shouting during a top-of-the-hour news break. Turns out Candidate Trump was shot at during a rally IN Pennsylvania! We didn’t see any coverage. We had no TV for that whole trip except for a station that showed news one day after it happened.

And now this. Charlie Kirk shot and killed near Provo, Utah, where we are literally going in a few days. I don’t know too much about him. He seemed to me to be a polite and kind young man who had traditional values. He was much too young, and left a young widow and two little children.

It seems every time we travel some major news story happens. Yikes! Maybe we shouldn’t travel anymore lol.

Back to our trip: we spent the rest of the day at our campsite. I like Arizona, but it’s way too dry. I can’t seem to hydrate no matter how much water I drink. Gatorade helped a little. So, it’s from one extreme to the other: South Carolina is way too hot and humid; Arizona is way too hot and dry! What?! When people say “But it’s a dry heat” from now on I’m just going to roll my eyes. I suppose I’m more comfortable in humidity, at sea level.Share

Tomorrow is September 11th. We usually participate in the 9/11 Memorial Ride in Myrtle Beach (motorcycles), but we agreed we can miss this year, because next year is the biggie (25th anniversary) and we don’t want to miss that. Tomorrow I’ll note the date. We must never, ever forget.

Until then!

September 11, 2025

Today we remember the day 24 years ago, when our country got attacked by terrorists. All around the National Park, flags are at half-staff.

I have to tell you about another weird thing related to the Kirk assassination. We booked our next hotel several days ago, in a town called Page, Arizona, known most especially for Lake Powell. Well, I heard on the news today that Kirk’s body was transported from Provo, Utah (where we’re going next week) to Page, Arizona. This is getting so weird!!

Today wasn’t that great. In hindsight, we should have only camped two days here at Grand Canyon National Park. Brad gets bored, the dogs do too, and the elevation has really been getting to me. I don’t feel “seasick” anymore but when I move, I still feel like my legs are stuck in mire. Even the slightest activity takes three times longer than it should. Having to find things in my bags or in the tent is getting really old. I like to have one little bag (or sometimes none, preferring to just use my pockets). I feel like I’m carrying ALL of my valuables around with me all the time. It’s really grating on me and it’s heavier than it should be because it feels like I’m on a different planet with twice the gravitational pull!

Last night, we basically had the campground to ourselves. Or so we thought. “Quiet hours” are from 10 pm to 6 am. Well, we got here Tuesday night. People were whooping and hollering until way past midnight. On a TUESDAY! Wednesday night, we thought we lucked out and there were only a handful of occupied sites. Nope! People started arriving at 9:30 pm One after the other after the other. They were all slamming car doors, hammering tent stakes into the ground, talking, yelling back and forth, shining bright lights. One guy’s car headlights aimed RIGHT INTO OUR TENT every time he opened the car door they came on automatically. Then he’d close the door loudly. He was hollering the entire time to his wife, and she back to him. They talked really fast and really loud. We were cracking up asking each other, “Who talks so fast like that?” Then, after they got the tent all staked out and I think maybe they were even cooking, they hit the start switch on an inflatable bed. It was so freakin’ loud all we could do was laugh. I mean, what else can you do?

All of this took place well after 10 pm. I think the couple with the inflatable bed and headlights aimed right into our tent finished setting up at around 11:30.

We ended up meeting them in the morning, and they were really nice people. The wife apologized. They said they had gotten delayed on their drive from California and they were so sweet, so we accepted their amends.

I had forgotten to mention that every night there’s someone who trips a car alarm.

Also, there must be an Interstate nearby because all night long, and all day, you can hear the highway roaring. It never stops.

The stars aren’t as magnificent as they should be because of all the lights.

I mean, this is supposed to be the wilderness. Hello? Nope!

So, I was cranky today. We got up early. Went to the Canyon again. It was too much for Charlie Brown Hound who was heating up after getting too COLD the night before. The temp last night had dropped down to 46 overnight and he hasn’t been in temps that cold since last winter. Plus, we were in the tent and even though he was lying on a dog bed on the tent floor it was just too cold for all of us. Charlie was shivering when we woke up that morning. We were wearing our winter coats, hats and gloves - inside the sleeping bags! Then Charlie dog got too hot only a few hours later when the temps skyrocketed past 80 and there was not a cloud in the sky.

It was so cold in the tent that night both dogs were shivering. I’d never seen Charlie shiver before in 13 years! It was very concerning. I had the infamous red blanket handy and covered him with that, even after we got up and went outside. Poor guy! Petey is so small he can just crawl into the sleeping bag with me, and he did. But Charlie doesn’t have that luxury being a big ol’ hound dog.

Trying to warm up my poor, elderly dog!

Petey in the sleeping bag

So, we spent the bulk of our day today at the campsite, doing not much of anything. I was really cranky because I’m just uncomfortable. The dogs are getting filthy dirty from the dusty dirt on the ground where they are sitting all the time. They bark a lot. But not as much as I thought they would.

I tried to nap, and couldn’t — it was just too hot. The sun was blazing. After wearing my winter coat this morning! I can’t seem to hydrate. We’ve gone from one extreme to another in the same day.

The highlight of today was when the dogs were napping in the late afternoon. They were sound asleep in the tent, thank goodness. Two female elk came by and they spent about an hour right next to our site. They were probably 12 feet away, maybe a little more. I took too many pictures of them. But it made my day, so it was worth staying here today to see that. Animals have a way of brightening everything up – especially wild animals.

Elk between our campsite and the bath house

Tomorrow, we head to Page, Arizona which will be our home base (at a hotel!) for another three days. We are planning to visit Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Lake Powell.

Next Monday: In Utah we stumbled upon some best friends!

My memoir, “Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog” is available now online in eBook and paperback. We hope you enjoy our stories and thank you for reading.

*Did you know? There’s another song that references Standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona. Here ‘tis:

Epic Road Trip, Part 5: Texas and New Mexico

2025-10-27T13:17:00.005-04:00

September 7, 2025

Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Today was my favorite day! I’m writing this from (yes) another La Quinta, this time in Santa Rosa. Maybe La Quinta will give me some influencer money hahaha. Seriously, I do not receive any compensation from any of the companies mentioned here, with the exception of the Amazon links I've added in this post.

So, today was my fave day. I achieved a goal that I wrote about in my Dear Hobie book. I’ve always wanted to drive Route 66 and I’ve always wanted to visit Cadillac Ranch in Texas. I did both today!

Route 66 was established on November 11, 1962. The road was decommissioned in 1985, so it’s not really a route anymore, but it was declared a Historic Monument in 1991 by Congress, so the route (what’s left of it) is marked with signs and you can follow along with it on Interstate 40. But today, we drove ON Route 66 that runs alongside I-40. It was so cool and we laughed.

Then, Cadillac Ranch, which technically is on Route 66 but it’s kind of not. Hard to explain. Anyway, this was a goal of mine for many years because I used to drive a 1963 Cadillac Coupe deVille. The thing was 18 feet long, and had fins. It was such a cool car. I drove that car in high school, during the ‘70s, right around the time Cadillac Ranch was created (1974).

Since two of my friends did not know what Cadillac Ranch even was (one thought it was a brothel – no, that’s Chicken Ranch!), here’s a quick description. It’s a work of art, one might call it a sculpture. The artist placed about ten Cadillacs in the ground, face-down, so as to show the back of the cars because the back of a Cadillac is just fabulous with those fins and huge lights, chrome bumpers. Oh my! it is just quite a car.

The sculpture features Cadillacs from 1949 through 1963! So, today, I had my picture taken in front of the last car in the row.

Now, what’s weird about Cadillac Ranch is that the cars were placed in the ground, then moved to another location, and then, for some reason people started painting them with spray paint. The attraction is FREE, and there were dozens of people there today, on a Sunday in September. Dogs are welcome. There were several dogs besides ours. A quick walk across a dirt field takes you from where you park (on the side of the road) to the cars. Even my Charlie had no problem, and he’s almost 14. He did such a good job! Good boy!

If your dog, heaven forbid, gets injured and you'd rather not use the "cone of shame" try this doggie onesie instead. I used it on Charlie when he had a hot spot, and it was a great alternative.

Charlie Brown dog (and hubby) at Cadillac Ranch

There is a truck vendor where you can buy spray paint, or you can bring your own. Also, there’s a guy selling souvenir jewelry and keychains made from chips of paint that falls off the cars. We didn’t spray paint anything. We just wanted pictures. I did buy some paint chip souvenir art.

I took a picture of each car. Then had my picture taken while standing between the 1962 and 1963 models.

The cars are loaded with layers of spray paint from the past 51 years. They are sort of unrecognizable as a car. “What is that thing?”, a friend asked when I texted her a picture. Another friend said she knew it was a car, but wondered what was sticking out from the side? I told her it was the open door of the 1949 car, and it has been painted so many times it’s thick, thick, thick with paint making it unrecognizable.

After that, I drove from Texas to New Mexico. Since we were in the Panhandle, it wasn’t much of a drive at all.

The scenery of New Mexico is incredible. I am in awe.

As luck would have it, we rolled into Santa Rosa before our room was ready. So, I parked downtown while Brad mailed a birthday card to his sister and went to the grocery store. I was parked in the shade near a courthouse and I was hesitating to walk the dogs around a government building, but I did it anyway. And then I noticed poop bag stations all around the entire courthouse. It was a dog-friendly park! There was also a bathroom for humans near the park, but it was locked. It’s a cute little town!

This hotel is a little different from the last one, as every La Quinta seems to be unique. This one has no carpeting in the room, so Charlie is a tad uncomfortable, but it’s only for one night.

Mom! No carpet!

Tomorrow – more time in New Mexico, exploring. Until then!

Want a cool way to help out your pet sitter with scooping duties while you're away? I recommend PetGenie. Where had this thing been all my life I discovered it a few months ago. Life changing!

September 8, 2025

Gallup, New Mexico

I can’t believe I’m here. Who’d have ever thought I’d be in New Mexico?!

Today, we cross-crossed Route 66 multiple times, I cheered each time.

We both had a little bit of altitude sickness overnight last night. I had a really bad night, but I have acclimated now. We went from 4,100 feet to around 7,000 feet. Brad said not to worry about it, it will go away in about a day. Well, he was right, it did, and we had a great day. But I’m tired from lack of sleep.

We left Santa Rosa, NM in the morning with the first stop being Santa Fe, NM the state capital that sits at 7,000 feet. We walked around Santa Fe, and went into some shops. Dogs are allowed in almost every shop. Of course, I didn’t know that so Brad waited outside with the dogs while I went into a much-too-expensive jewelry store. The woman working there said “Oh, you can bring them in, dogs are welcome in almost all the stores here.” Knowing I wasn’t about to buy anything at those prices, I politely thanked her and said I’ll be right back with the dogs, and then we left haha. Sorry! But no.

I did get a great picture of Brad and the dogs sitting in front of the jewelry store.

Then, we went to the “Five and Dime” store (that’s what it’s called. It’s a throwback to the old Woolworth-style stores. Dogs allowed inside AND there are restrooms AND food! Yay! We got a Route 66 fridge magnet. If you haven’t seen our fridge magnet collection, it is quite something.

We walked around a little bit, but Petey was barking at all the other dogs, and we still had several stops to make, so we left after about an hour and ten minutes.

We then drove to Albuquerque. Our main objective was to visit the Breaking Bad Store (and Museum for $5 each). Which we did, but not without some hiccups. Another couple with two dogs went into the store ahead of us, Of COURSE. It’s a tiny little store, but we tried to be in there together. No dice. Petey went bananas barking like an idiot. I took both dogs and went outside to wait until the other people left. That wasn’t great either because when they DID leave, Petey went nuts again. We had to go around the corner to get out of the line of sight.

The Breaking Bad Store & Museum

I went into the store, and we bought some more fridge magnets. Some of the stuff in there is so fun and funny. We watched the entire series Breaking Bad while we were dating, and then watched the entire series AGAIN during the pandemic. So, we just love it. Also, its prequel Better Call Saul. Two of the best shows ever made in my opinion. The store was very fun. I didn’t buy anything, but you can buy stuff from them online.

After the Breaking Bad store, we walked around a little and noticed that the setup of that section of Albuquerque was almost identical to Santa Fe, so we laughed about that.

Then, we got lunch at Taco Bell. hahaha I know, here we are in New Mexico and we go to Taco Bell! But it’s easier with the dogs, when it’s hot out.

The weather was actually quite nice and not too hot. Charlie did GREAT, I was so surprised. He’s really being a trooper.

After that, we drove from Albuquerque to Gallup where we are staying overnight. Nothing much to say about Gallup except the rock formations on the drive here are otherworldly!

I feel better. I seem to be past the altitude sickness for now. It feels exactly like seasickness, for the record. Yuck.

Next Monday: The BIG day: THE GRAND CANYON! Stay tuned.

If you haven’t read my new book, “Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog” you might want to check it out. Now available on Amazon and elsewhere. eBook on Amazon Kindle; paperback available everywhere. Thanks for reading!

Epic Road Trip, Part 4: Across the Mississippi

2025-10-21T11:04:00.004-04:00

September 5, 2025

Tonight it looks like Charlie isn’t doing great. Charlie isn’t thrilled to be away from home but I think he’ll be ok. He ate more than Petey did. He’s doing well on walks, and everything seems normal. Charlie doesn’t like the ramp to get into the car, so we utilized the dog-lifting sling to put him back in the car. It worked great because we each lifted one side so it was only 30 pounds for each of us, and Charlie didn’t even realize that he was being transported into the van. I’m glad I brought that thing.

I think Charlie will be fine. He would think we abandoned him if we had left him at the pet resort, or with a sitter. As it is, Tux is at the resort, and I am concerned enough.

Petey seems good. As usual he’s just afraid I’m going to leave him somewhere. The poor thing has been abandoned by so many people, but not us. We are his forever and ever family.

Charlie seems to know that Brad is his ticket back home. Every time Brad leaves the hotel room, Charlie waits at the door. Like Petey does with me.

Charlie snoozing in the hotel room

Today, I visited three new states: Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. It’s funny because Memphis takes up a tiny corner of the southwestern part of Tennessee, and that’s the part I saw. Whereas MOST of Tennessee is actually closer to where we live, and yet I had never been there! Crazy to think about!

And until this very moment, I had forgotten that my dogs Charlie and Cooper came from Tennessee. I didn’t acknowledge that on the drive. Ugh.

We crossed the Mississippi River! By car! I have flown over the country, but I have never done it by car. So, this is something I’ve always wanted to do. For months, I’ve wondered should I just enjoy the moment, or record the crossing? At the last moment, I decided to record a video of us crossing the river. The water was hard to see. Really all you can see is the bridge, and the old bridge, as you’re going over.

Tomorrow, I will add Oklahoma to my list! DING

I colored in the blank map that I had printed at home. I’ve been to 29 states (including this trip, and previous ones).

States I have visited are shown in green.

I had forgotten about Wisconsin, which I visited when I was a very small child when my grandparents lived there. So I added that in tonight when I was coloring in the map.

Interstate 20 is a trucking route. This was kind of a fascinating learning experience for me. There’s an intermodal terminal along the Mississippi River near Memphis. This happens to be where the main FedEx hub is located, which we drove past — it’s huge.

While the area is very industrial looking, it was interesting to see how the boats, trucks and trains all come together to transport goods across the United States. This doesn’t even include airplanes. I’ve never thought about it until seeing the magnitude of the process while on the road. Next time you order something from Amazon or any other vendor (but wow we saw a lot of Amazon trucks, shipping containers and train cars) realize what it takes to get that little thing from point A to point B. It is no small feat, and some of these companies do it super fast. It’s a remarkable system, and one I felt was underappreciated (by me, at least) until it dawned on me what I was witnessing.

September 6, 2025

Today, we went from Arkansas to Oklahoma. We could have probably gone to the Texas border, but we wanted a slightly shorter day of driving.

So, I’ve added Oklahoma to my list of states visited, and I colored it in on my map. 30 states!

Oops! Enteriing "Klahoma"!

We went to the Meher Baba center in Prague, Oklahoma. We’d been talking about this for months, and it’s so funny but the woman who runs the place is actually in Myrtle Beach this week!

She said someone was covering for her, but we called and then went by and knocked on the door, and no one responded to the phone call or our in-person visit. It’s really even funnier, because I had been wondering how I was going to handle the dogs being with us, and I was thinking we wouldn’t be allowed to bring them into the Baba Center. Well, problem solved because it wasn’t open.

We tried to find the spot where Meher Baba had a terrible car accident in 1952 just outside of Prague, Oklahoma. We were given specific instructions to find the place in the road, but even though we calculated the distance perfectly, we couldn’t figure out exactly where the crash occurred. We were told there were usually flowers around, and someone said the Prague Baba center had purchased the adjacent land and was going to build a memorial of some sort. We saw no indication of any of that. So, we just said some prayerful words as we drove past the spot where we thought it happened according to what we were told. Oh well. Wasn’t meant to be I guess!

Route 62 in Prague, approximately where Meher Baba's crash occurred in 1952
Some say this location is almost the "center of" the United States. Hmmm.

The dogs slept all day in the car, basically. I took them out twice at rest areas. We are exclusively using the sling to lift Charlie into the car now. So, the ramp is probably going to sit in the corner of the van for the rest of the trip. We are on the third day of a 30-day trip lol.

Speaking of Charlie, he had some tummy issues tonight. Sort of. I am a little concerned. The funny thing is both dogs ate tonight when we arrived at the hotel, so I thought that was good. But then we took them out for their last walk before bed, and let’s just say it wasn’t ideal. So I’m a little worried. I can’t imagine what we did wrong because he’s eating the same food he always has, and is drinking the same water we are drinking.

Today, I fulfilled another wish. I drove on I-40 alongside of old Route 66 which was decommissioned years ago, but which still exists in part, and some of it can still be driven on. It is now just a frontage road. But it meanders right alongside Interstate 40 westbound, until it disappears and then reappears again, because certain portions of Route 66 are gone.

I always dreamed of driving on Route 66. I didn’t realize the road is not used as a travel road anymore, until today. Guess I was out of the loop on that one.

So, I got as close as I could. Tomorrow, I will get even closer because I think I’m actually going to drive ON it, when we go to Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas.

Tonight, we’re staying at our third La Quinta Hotel. The address is “Highway 66” but it’s not that meandering road I saw while we were driving here. But that’s ok. It’s close. The Route 66 Museum is here in this town (Elk City, Oklahoma).

Funny, they couldn’t give us a ground-floor room tonight. I realize it’s Saturday, so I figured that was why. But with two dogs, we were thinking it’s kind of a pain to take them down stairs or on the elevator. In fact, Charlie is terrified of the elevator. When we got back from our evening walk, Brad was talking to a woman in the elevator, and he said “Wow, there are a lot of dogs here tonight.” And she said, “Oh, that’s because there’s a DOG SHOW in town.” He asked where, and she said it’s at the convention center about a mile down the road. It’s unbelievable we were able to get a room knowing that additional information. Many thanks to BringFido.com where I have been booking the rooms (on their app) it hasn’t let us down yet.

Petey says, "I'M not afraid of elevators, though."

This is the best of the three La Quintas we’ve stayed at on this trip. All three are great hotels, but this one is by far the nicest. There’s a great walking area for the dogs. The other two places (Alabama and Arkansas) were a little less safe in terms of dangers to dogs such as holes, cracks, sewer grates, broken glass, construction materials… this place is nice and tidy and NOT under construction.

It seems like everything is under construction right now. It’s September. Right after Labor Day. They must lie in wait all summer and then dive in to do repairs and renovations at these places. Two of the three La Quintas were under repair/renovation. Every Love’s truck stop we’ve gone to has been under repair/renovation.

It’s only been three days. I wonder how many more La Quintas we’ll stay at! If we come back the same route, maybe we’ll simply stay at the same ones again. Who knows?

The moon is almost full, and we can see it from our hotel window.

Tomorrow: Texas! I can’t believe I’m finally going to Texas!! More on that, next time.

Before you go: My new book, “Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog” is available on Amazon and elsewhere. Hate Amazon? No worries, you can check get it on bookshop.org for the same price (ten bucks). Not interested in a print copy? Have no fear, the e-Book is available for just 99 cents. Thank you in advance for buying and reading. I appreciate you more than you know.

I wrote a book! Psst: it's a memoir.

Next Monday: Texas, Cadillac Ranch, Route 66!

Epic Road Trip, Part 3: Too Much Kibble, but Off We Go!

2025-10-13T10:38:00.003-04:00

September 2, 2025

I just spent almost an hour portioning out the dog food for this trip. Why? you may ask. I had heard that you can’t always get your brand in other states, so I purchased enough food to last a month, PLUS enough to have on-hand when we get home so I don’t have to think about shopping. I get my food through Chewy anyway, and I have a delivery scheduled for right after we get back. By the way, if you don’t do Autoship through Chewy, I recommend it – it works out great and I always have everything I need for the whole pack, cat included. (I don’t get paid for endorsing Chewy, I just like them. They’re a good company. One time, an entire order got lost or stolen and they sent another one the next day with no questions asked! Two other times, a shipment was smashed and broken and they replaced it – again, no questions asked. Oh how I wish they’d compensate me for these endorsements, but I don’t qualify for their criteria! Oh well.)

Another company I love to endorse, and I don’t get compensated for, is Subaru. That’ll be another post for another day, as we did not take that vehicle on this trip.

So, I spent about an hour measuring dog kibble for a month-long trip. I wanted to package it as compactly as possible because space in our vehicle is at a premium. Also, originally we thought we would be doing more camping than we did, and there was the possibility of encountering bears and other wildlife. We purchased bear proof containers, but I put the dog food in a Rubbermaid tote until it was time to camp at a bear-centric place. In the end, we didn’t camp at any such place, so I didn’t need to go all-out protecting our food!

I also miscalculated how much the dogs would eat. At home, they normally eat twice a day. That was not the case while traveling. As with most of us, appetites were lower in strange places. The dogs ate once a day, and turned up their noses at the second serving of food as well as their “toothy-brushy” treats. We also were gone for only three weeks! It turns out we lugged a lot of stuff with us unnecessarily.

We do buy an unusual brand of dog food, so it was possible I wouldn’t be able to find it easily on the road, although it is sometimes sold at WalMart and Petco. The brand is Nature’s Recipe, and you guessed it, I do not get paid to endorse them.

I placed the kibble into gallon-sized zip closure bags. Six days’ worth of dry food for two dogs squeezed into each gallon bag. Wish I could have fit seven servings to make it an even week, but no. Annoying! I measured out enough for four weeks, which meant five bags. But I also have to feed the dogs for the next few days before we depart, so that’s six one-gallon bags. Another one-gallon bag for treats. Plus 31 cans of canned food for fussy Petey. The cans are small plastic “frou-frou” cans, not metal cans, so they do not take up a lot of space. We were able to fit it all into one Rubbermaid tote, so I’m happy about that. Brad was so great about everything. This trip is going to be “all about the dogs” and really it was his idea initially, a year-and-a-half ago when he first suggested we go on this adventure.

Space is at a real premium but I am very talented at packing a car. About eight years ago, I cleared out three houses and an office building, and used my Subaru to make what seemed like four hundred trips full of stuff that I then needed to sort through in my basement. I got pretty good at packing a car efficiently.

Petey supervising the packing of the van

Mom, is kitty going with us?

I was able to pack that car so perfectly. I try not to be a control freak, but it’s hard to back off because I know exactly how things ought to be laid out to maximize efficiency and space. Hopefully we will survive this (hahaha I jest!).

A note: in honor of my three previous dogs who didn’t get to do this trip with me, I snuck a little something of each of them into my duffel bag. I thought about bringing their ashes (well, Hobie’s and Cooper’s – I do not have Hector’s ashes). But that would have been heavy and would have taken up too much space in an already packed-to- the-brim automobile. Also, Hector wouldn’t have been represented. Besides, I don’t think I’m ready to spread their ashes anywhere, nor do I want to do it in any of the places we are visiting. It felt wrong when I pictured myself doing it. Some day, I’ll do something with their ashes, but this isn’t the time.

I have these two very small stuffed dogs. One is made by Douglas; the other by TY. I named them Stuffy Douglas and TY Hound, respectively. They each fit in my hand. One of them looks a little bit like Hobie, and the other a little bit like Cooper. I put the toys in my duffel bag and they went with us on the trip representing Hobie and Coop.

Stuffy Douglas (left) representing Hobie; TY Hound (right) representing Cooper

As for Hector, I needed a blanket for Petey to sleep on in the car, and I still have “the red blanket” – the infamous red blanket that belonged to Hector. So, I brought that with me to represent the one, the only, Hector.

Funny enough, as I was looking at the map in Arkansas, I saw a town called Hector.

There are dozens of places called “Cooper” or “Cooper’s”.

And I saw a town on the map of Oklahoma called Hobart – one of the nicknames I used to call Hobie.

We are all packed and ready to go!

September 4, 2025

Coming to you from Oxford, Alabama in the foothills of the Appalachians! We left South Carolina at around 9:15 a.m., and with the time change (gained an hour!) we got here to our hotel at 5:15. I mean, it was perfect! Nothing at all went wrong.

I booked the hotel using the BringFido app and I highly recommend this app if you’re looking for hotels (or any other dog-friendly locations such as hiking, museums, sightseeing, state and National parks, restaurants, pubs, etc.).

I have never been to Alabama before, so I added it to my list of states visited. That means I’ve been to 23 states. There will be more added during this trip. So exciting!

The Appalachians surround this little town and who knew Alabama was so pretty? I look around and there are mountains completely encircling us in both directions. It’s quite lovely.

Mountains in all directions

Industrial, corporate, but… mountains!

Best one… a last look at the mountains as we left Alabama and headed west.

We went through the Talladega National Forest which ended right before we got here. That’s also where the car races take place. Earlier, we went through Darlington, SC.

When I dropped off our cat, Tux, at the kitty hotel in North Myrtle Beach this morning, the Ford Mustang enthusiasts were in town (it’s an event called “Mustang Week” that happens every year right after Labor Day). I’m sensing a car-racing theme for day one.

Traffic through Atlanta was as awful as New York or Boston. Lots of construction and of course we went through right at rush hour. But we got to the hotel “early” because of the time change to Central Time.

In Georgia, we didn’t stop at, but saw that a Laurel & Hardy Museum exists. I got a real kick out of that. Also, there are several stretches of road named for other famous people. Lots of well-known folks are from Georgia.Share

The dogs did great. Mommy didn’t. I was helping Petey from the back of the van to the front seat and he launched head-first into the lower dashboard. Brad said it was a pretty hard bump, but I didn’t think it was. Then, when I picked up Petey to put him on my lap he shrieked. I was so upset with myself. I kept apologizing. He’s ok though.

Later on, Charlie had trouble using the ramp up into the van. He got his front legs in, and when I went to help him with the rear legs, he didn’t like that, so he “shut down” and laid down on the ramp. Ugh. Some of his legs were dangling. I had to help him get off the ramp (which is really just one step, it’s not a long ramp).

But the dogs are doing remarkably well so far. They slept almost the entire time in the van. Sometimes I’d see them looking around, but mostly it was sleeping, just like they do on any given day at home, so really what’s the difference?

I thought they’d be fussy about eating. Nope! They were actually VERY hungry the first night and they ate their food as soon as we got to the hotel.

I was a good pet owner and picked up after the dogs, as I always do. They will go out tonight right before bed, and we’ll see how that goes. I’ll report on that next time.

The things I was worried about for months didn’t happen. So… so far, so good!

NEXT UP: Across the Mississippi River!

Before you go: If you’ve ever dealt with multiple losses and major life changes, whether it’s the death of a human or a pet, having your house broken into, losing a job, a long-distance move, getting married, and more then you may be interested in reading my book “Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog”. The book delves into how I got through all of those things with positivity, a deep faith and spirituality. I had the opportunity to start over and reinvent myself. The book is written in the form of letters to my beloved dog, Hobie. You can get it on Amazon.

The BIG Announcement! I did it!

2025-10-10T12:09:00.006-04:00

What is “it”?

Well, it’s my book! Finally, I have finished and self-published my book Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog.

I started writing this book in 2014 when my dog, Hobie, was 14 years old. I guess it’s only a little bit ironic that his successor, Charlie Brown Hound, will be 14 in a few weeks. A fact that itself is hard to believe.

If you’ve ever dealt with multiple losses and major life changes, whether it’s the death of a human or a pet, having your house broken into, losing a job, a long-distance move, getting married, and more then you may be interested in reading my book “Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog”. The book delves into how I got through all of those things with positivity, a deep faith and spirituality. I had the opportunity to start over and reinvent myself. The book is written in the form of letters to my beloved dog, Hobie. You can get it on Amazon.

Hobie was 15 when he left this Earth in April of 2015, and I wrote more letters to him, on and off, during the ensuing years. I half-heartedly intended to publish the book, some day. I knew I wouldn’t go via traditional publishing because I have self-published a couple of other books in the past and it’s pretty easy for me. I also don’t intend to become a NYT Bestseller (though that would be kinda cool, maybe?). So why not just take the plunge and do it on my own? So that is what I did.

The book’s cover photo was once featured on the cover of Dog Fancy Magazine

I had put aside this project for about 7 years, when one day I was looking at it on my computer and my husband walked up and asked me what I was working on. I wanted to cover the screen up. I was scared and embarrassed. But I figured what the heck, and I showed it to him. He encouraged me to finish. Between him doing that, and a friend asking me to edit her memoir, I got inspired to at least finish mine.

I even put up a Poll on Substack asking followers’ opinions. The response was flattering and added even more encouragement.

Well, I have finally finished. We did take a 3-week vacation last month, but I had already almost finished the book, so I took it with me and proofread it a few more times. Always finding more errors!

Earlier this week, I was satisfied that I had the finished product. But no…while waiting at an appointment two days ago, I found more typos. Now it is really, truly “done” (but as someone on Substack said recently “Is art ever really ‘done’?”

Not sure if this qualifies as “art” but it’s ready to be revealed and I hope anyone interested in reading it really likes my work. It is a little frightening to put it “out there”, but here goes!

The book is my memoir, disguised as a story about my dogs, cats, and a couple of people in the form of letters to my beloved canine friend. You can get it on Amazon in paperback or a Kindle e-Book.

Thank you as always for reading and following along!

NEXT WEEK: Back to the Epic Road Trip!

Epic Road Trip, Part 2: Pre-Trip Worries Continue

2025-10-06T10:27:00.003-04:00

Continuing with my pre-trip diary entries, I decided to combine two entries into this week's post.

My journaling dated August 20th and August 26th were both short, and we want to get to
talking about the trip itself, don't we?!

Before you start reading this, be sure to check back later this week for my BIG

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Follow TravelingDogLady on Facebook, Instagram and Substack so you don't miss a thing!

The following was written shortly before we departed on our Epic Road Trip!

****************************************************

August 20, 2025

We have changed the trip about seven times. This is the beauty of having nothing booked in

advance. We can change our minds.

There are a number of reasons we changed the trip. For starters, I was afraid of the possibility of

encountering bears at Yellowstone. With two dogs, it could be an issue. We will have SO much

food for a month-long trip. I did buy bear-proof containers but still we are going to have a lot more

than will fit in those, between our food and the dogs’ food.

Secondly, it’s going to be cold and apparently it already IS, in August! I belong to a camping group

online and one of the group members posted that she left Yellowstone two days earlier than

planned because it was too cold. Oy!!

We will go to Yellowstone on a future adventure.

This week, we did a couple activities to prep the dogs for the trip; and we also did a mock packing of the car as well. I’m including pictures here.

We set up the tent in our backyard and we also put our two cots inside. We invited the dogs in, and we all hung out inside the tent for the afternoon. I forgot to take photos! But I had taken photos the first time we set up the tent, right after we bought it, so here are those pictures.

A couple days later, we were washing the boat and cars, and I put the dogs on long leashes (about 30-feet each, estimated) so they could again spend time with us. This is what they’ll be doing at campsites, so I wanted them to get used to being on the long tie-outs. We will never, ever leave them unattended so no trolling, please!

We packed the car and took pictures so we could remember exactly where we put various items. The food (our cooler and a milk crate with dry goods) will be right by the sliding door of the minivan. The only time the food won’t be right at the opening of that door is when we drop off the

cat at the kitty hotel on our morning of departure. We’ll push the cooler and milk crate inside the car, and put the cat’s crate and food right in front of the door so we can get him out quickly.

Back to packing the car. We left a “path” down the middle of the minivan so that Charlie, Petey and perhaps a human, can walk back there if needed. Otherwise, Charlie is confined to a little square area where his dog bed will be located. It’s not ideal so I would like him to be able to stretch his legs. Petey loves to sit with me so he won’t mind not stretching his legs once in a while. Small dogs are easy travelers in that respect.

The dog food and other items are under the floor in a cubby hole Brad built when he added the plywood floor. It has hinges on it and can hold quite a lot of stuff. We purchased our dog food ahead of time (a month’s worth) after hearing warnings that we may not be able to find our brand/flavor throughout the country. The reason this can be an issue is that you should never switch a dog’s food quickly. Any time you want to switch to a different brand or whatever, you should always gradually introduce the new food and phase out the old. Just FYI.

August 26, 2025

Here we are, one week before departure. It’s hard to believe.

We have been talking about this trip “cross-country” ever since Cooper died in March of 2024! Not that Cooper dying propelled us into doing this, but it is a LOT easier with two dogs instead of three. Plus, poor Coop was disabled (but don’t tell him that!).

Cooper, always with us.

As mentioned previously, we have changed the route a zillion times now. As it stands today, the plan is to cover the southwest, excluding California but only because we have both been there a bunch of times (Brad even lived there). So, we don’t need California this time. However, that could change!

Currently, the plan is to travel south, then west. The first day, we’ll get past Atlanta. We will stay overnight in Alabama at a pet-friendly hotel that I have already booked. After that, we’ll head through Memphis, Tennessee. Then on to Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, culminating in a stop at the Grand Canyon for a few days. After that we may head up to Utah to Zion and Bryce Canyon, then back home. The entire trip should take about a month.

Next Week: Departure!

Don't forget to check back here, or on my social media pages, for a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT later this week.

Epic Road Trip, Part 1: Pre-Trip Worries

2025-09-29T11:27:00.001-04:00

Following is the first entry in my Traveling Dog Lady "diary" for our cross-country trip that just ended a few days ago. I began making journal entries about a month before the trip began. So, I will be posting here weekly as you travel along with us on our Epic Road Trip.

A few notes before the journal journey begins: We had allotted for a full 30 days, but we ended up completing the trip in only 20 days.

We "flew by the seat of our pants" in terms of booking reservations as we did not want to be on a set schedule, having to rush somewhere or whatnot. We were lucky to be able to secure reservations everywhere we wanted with only a day's notice, sometimes less. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this in summer, but it certainly worked out for us in September.

We departed on the trip September 4th, a couple days after Labor Day. I wrote the first journal entry in August, in anticipation of the trip. Here goes!

August 10, 2025

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina- Home Base

We are about to embark on our first cross-country trip together.

This is the trip I dreamed of many years ago when I started TravelingDogLady.com. It is finally, finally happening. But I'm not gonna lie, I am nervous. I envisioned it a little differently than the trip Brad and I have planned. I’m taking a leap and trying to stay open to other ideas other than what I had seen in my mind’s eye for the last two or so decades. We will be doing a combination of tent camping, van life, and pet-friendly hotels and Airbnbs. Not the RV I had imagined we would be driving. That may come later, IF we like this trip.

Let’s not forget that we and the dogs are all seniors. So, it’s entirely possible we may get too many aches and pains, be too uncomfortable or cranky to do this again. But for now, we are taking a month off and heading west with Charlie and Petey.

The dogs, and all our gear in the minivan.

You see, I have been to the western U.S. many times, by airplane. I've been all over Europe. But I've never seen the United States by road, and have never crossed the Mississippi or the Missouri rivers by road – only by air. I've never seen the Grand Canyon except for flying over it.

When I was a kid, my family did road trips to and from Illinois twice a year. We were from Illinois but we lived in Massachusetts. That's as far west as I have ever gone by automobile. So, I’m excited to finally do this.

When I first started TravelingDogLady, it was because of a dream to finally see my own country on road trips with my dogs. The dogs I had at the time, Hobie and Hector, wouldn’t be the ones. It turns out it wouldn’t even be Charlie and Cooper, the two I had elected second! Instead, it’s Charlie and Petey! Hey, at least I got it half right. And Petey may be Hobie reincarnated… so there’s that.

Charlie and Petey sitting together in a hotel room.

The initial plan is to book nothing in advance, something that, as a former tour operator, is pretty foreign to me! Brad is very adventurous. I’m more of a planner. AND, I got spoiled working in the travel industry because I used to get all fancy accommodations. This will be more like roughing it, and low-budget hotels with the dogs in tow. As well as flying by the seat of our pants in terms of where we’ll be staying each night,

I did manage to convince him that we should book a hotel for the first night. About three weeks before the trip, I used BringFido.com and booked one night in a pet-friendly hotel in Alabama. I based that location on about a 6 or 7-hour driving day for our first day, and we also wanted to get west of Atlanta before stopping for the night.

The plan is to drop off our cat, Tux, at our local pet resort early that morning, having packed the car the night before. Tux will be staying at the resort for an entire month. He being 16 years old, it worries me a little. I’ve never left a pet for that long in my entire life. This is all new to me. My entire reason for never being away from home longer than, say, two weeks, was my pets. In this instance, only one pet is staying behind, and he loves being at the resort. He would get more attention there than if we kept him at our house with a drop-in sitter. I think he would be very sad if he was all alone at home. As it is, he often walks around yowling, looking for me, seeking attention. The resort staff plays with him and they have toys (something he doesn’t get at home because the dogs would steal them).

Tux at the pet resort

Both dogs have traveled by car extensively with me, but this will be our first time staying overnight with two people and both dogs. I used to do this all solo, with sometimes up to three dogs. So, this will sure be different. My hope is that, with a man included, they won’t give me the absolute worst room in the hotel. We have done many trips up and down the east coast with the two of us and Petey. No problems at all with pet-friendly hotels with a little dog. But having just one small dog is very different than having one big dog, or one of each.

September 4th can’t come fast enough as I'm interested to see how the first night turns out.

To help find places to stay while on the road, I downloaded several apps onto my phone. The KOA Campgrounds app, because most KOA Campgrounds are dog-friendly. HotelTonight app was recommended by a friend. You can find hotels available “tonight” in the city where you're located. BringFido which I mentioned above, and RoadTrippers where I planned out our proposed trip.

I spent the last few months mapping out the trip on my Roadtrippers account. I was able to do several versions. I recommend this program because you can see a map of the whole country, and it gives you places to stop such as museums and other attractions, plus you can look up hotels, restaurants and even rest areas and truck stops. You can modify your trip as many times as you want, and can choose different dates and stops along the way. They provide turn-by-turn directions, but it's a little difficult to find this feature and I have to hunt for it every time I want to see the directions. That's probably one of the only negative features of the program I can think of. (I do NOT get compensated* by Roadtrippers, BringFido, or anyone else mentioned in this post, by the way).

*At this time, I have suspended all my arrangements with affiliates. I am not getting compensated for any products or services mentioned.

Next up! Epic Road Trip Pre-Trip Musings continue!

Check back here every Monday, and on Substack!

Happy #NationalDogDay

2025-08-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

Happy National Dog Day to all my dog-loving readers and followers! #HappyNationalDogDay

Hobie and Charlie holding paws

Charlie, Petey (and Cooper on the floor)

Petey, Charlie and Cooper

Hector and Newman

Got dogs? Did you know that the “dog days of summer” refer to the Dog Star, Sirius, which is present in the northern hemisphere during the months of July and August? Well, it’s true! The astrological alignment is said to create thunderstorms and heat , resulting in the miserable days of summer in our part of the galaxy. Right here in South Carolina, I’m happy to say that we are getting a much-needed break from the heat this week. It almost feels like fall out there — almost. But the humidity broke and we’ll take it, as SC can be one of the most humid places in the southern U.S.

Last month in my MailChimp newsletter, I wished a Happy GotchaDay to my cat, Tux! Well, this week, he is the featured kitty on Substack’s “MeowStack”. Look for the MeowStack post August 27th. For now, here's the most recent photo of Tux.

The one, the only, Tuxie-Doodle!

More news! If you follow me on Substack (and if you don’t, why not?), you may have seen my post earlier this summer asking readers if they’d like to see my memoir about my “heart dog”, Hobie (he’s the dog wearing the glasses in my TravelingDogLady logo). The feedback was very encouraging, and I have almost finished the book which I started writing eleven years ago in 2014. It isn’t available yet, but should be by the end of October just in time for the howl-idays. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s available on Amazon (there will be a Kindle version). For now, here’s a teaser: a mock-up of the cover. Stay tuned!

Dear Hobie coming soon!

Road Trip! New traveling with dogs posts -- coming up this fall!

A word about pets in need: Shelters around the United States are bursting at the seams with surrendered animals. If you can find it in your heart, and if you have the time and money, adopt a shelter dog or cat. If you already have pets, remember it’s a commitment for their lives. You have them for a short time, relatively speaking. They only have you. Adopt, foster, volunteer or donate. No gesture to assist the shelters is too small.

Until next time

Thanks for reading and following

Ode to Charlie Brown (my dog -- not the cartoon character)

2025-07-24T10:58:00.001-04:00

Ode to Charlie Brown

My dog, that is — not the cartoon character

Charlie Brown is 13 1/2. He’s been with me since he was 10 weeks old.

Yesterday, he had a bad day. Tummy troubles. A few weeks ago, after a routine blood test, his pancreas number was slightly elevated. But his predecessor, Hobie, had very bad pancreatitis so I know what to look for, and Charlie is not experiencing those symptoms.

Let’s just say, I had to shampoo the carpet in my office last night after I was out for a few hours.

Charlie’s better today, but not 100%. I’d say 97%. I’m staying home. Keeping an eye on him.

Right now, he’s lying at my feet just beside my desk as I type this. He never does that. So, I know he’s getting clingy, and I’ve had enough experience with elderly dogs to know that this is usually how they get when they start to decline.

Charlie Brown’s twin brother, Cooper, passed away a year and a half ago. For those readers who don’t know, I had adopted them both as puppies. Yeah, I’m that crazy dog lady who raised litter mates (the naysayers aren’t right — it was one of the BEST experiences of my life!).

It is possible Charlie is the “last man standing” of his litter. Even though they were mixed-up mutts, I stayed in touch with most of the adopters of this litter of eight hound pups. We used to celebrate their birthdays together, because they were born on 11-11-11 (November 11, 2011) which happened to be Veterans Day and a lot of us would have the day off from work. One-by-one, we lost touch or I’d hear that one of the dogs passed away. Most recently, I couldn’t find contact info for the owners of one of the last remaining siblings. Therefore, I do not know if the dog is still living. She had been sick right around the same time as Cooper, but she recovered.

Yesterday when I was out, I saw a young puppy. I estimate the dog must have been about four or five months old. The paws were huge, the movements awkward, the pleasing (hey, it was a Lab!) on overdrive. I said to my husband, “Charlie used to be that age.” And then I started thinking…

I’ve known Charlie Brown his entire life. What a wonderful gift to spend 13 1/2 years (so far!) with this kooky, misunderstood, car-and-squirrel-chasing, lovable hound dog.

I also started thinking about the people who had the young Labrador Retriever… that, if they are so lucky, some day THEY will be going through this anticipatory grief and series of remembrances. Some day they will say “Wow, how lucky we are that we’ve had this dog this many years. We’ve known this dog its whole life.”

Then the tears came. Husband asked what was wrong, so I told him what I just told you. I sat crying for a few minutes before we carried on, and eventually returned home to Charlie and his companions Petey and Tux. That’s when I found my office floor soiled.

Not a problem. I dragged out the trusty Bissell SpotLifter (I do not get affiliate dough or points for mentioning them — believe me, I have applied to be a Bissell Affiliate but nope! didn’t qualify).

There’s no way I’d get mad at Charlie, or any pet, for accidentally soiling in the house. I’ve never punished a pet for doing that. That’s old school stuff our parents and grandparents did.

I really just wanted to get these thoughts down on paper. Share them with you.

In other news, I am currently working on a book of letters to my previous dog, Hobie, so stay tuned for that. It will be available within the next year or so. I am thinking the follow-up might be letters to Charlie Brown (my dog, not the cartoon character).

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

Bathroom break tips when traveling solo with dogs

2025-05-23T10:27:00.003-04:00

Petey

Charlie Brown

The late, great Cooper

I have traveled with dogs quite a lot. I mostly traveled with three dogs to and from my cottage on Cape Cod. But before that, I used to travel (many, many years ago) with one dog and I would leave her in the car with windows open if I needed to stop for a bathroom break. I would not do that today. Times have changed.

Most recently, I traveled up and down the east coast with my three dogs, and now I'm down to two after Cooper passed away.

I wanted to write up some suggestions for traveling with dogs, as I have been seeing that the subject keeps coming up in various travel or travel-with-pets groups.

One thing people always ask about are bathroom breaks for the human, and what is proper protocol. The best thing, obviously, is to have a human traveling companion, and each human takes turns using the restroom while the other one stays with the dog(s). But what about the solo traveler (such as me, before I met my current husband)?? It's tricky. And times have changed over the last decade or so, making it even more tricky for the solo dog loving traveler. Not to mention, I've always had more than one dog, so traveling alone with TWO or THREE dogs is quite challenging! But I've done it, and if I can do it anyone can.

The first thing I always suggest is find a pet-friendly place that has a bathroom. One of my go-to solutions is a pet supplies store like Petco or PetSmart. You most likely would have to take an exit off the highway, and likely drive a few miles to find the nearest store, but once you do they have a restroom and you can bring your dog into the store AND the restroom without even having to ask. This is the ultimate best solution I have come up with.

Stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, Michael's, Ace Hardware and a few others may also allow dogs, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone with multiple dogs inside one of those stores, so do your homework first before assuming you could bring three dogs into your next Home Depot!

The next best idea is a rest area with exterior restrooms that don't necessarily have any signage about dogs. In other words, they're sort of "silent" on the topic of whether or not your dog is welcome. These are kind of hard to find, but I do remember, when I used to go to Cape Cod to check on my cottage in the winter, I could always find a rest area that had these exterior restrooms.

Third, park in a shaded area (such as under a covered section of a gas station & convenience store where the gas pumps are). Pump some gas first (purchasing something always helps, and you'll be on camera, most likely). Leave your windows open about 3 inches -- just enough to get air in the vehicle, but not enough to fit a person's hand. If you have a sun roof or moon roof, open that up a little too. In my personal opinion...DON'T leave your car running with the a/c on! Some will disagree with me on that. You do you, but I wouldn't do it. Dash quickly into the restroom inside the convenience store, use the restroom, wash your hands, and come back to the car. Do this as quickly as you can and do not dawdle or buy anything in the store. I did this for many years, but nowadays people are apt to try to break your windows, steal your pet, or report you to the police. So, it might be a good idea to have a sign that says "Human in bathroom, they'll be right back, we are safe and loved!" Or something like that.

As for pet-friendly hotels, oh boy do I have some stories!! Be assertive, especially if you're a female traveling alone with one or more large dog(s). The hotel may be pet friendly, but they will try to put you in the WORST room. I know, because it has happened to me more than once. Explain that your dog is clean, well-behaved, housebroken, doesn't chew, etc. and that you are alone and need to be safe. I have horror stories of filthy rooms crawling with flies and roaches, broken toilets (one of the main reasons I would stay overnight rather than continuing to my destination!), and "crack house" type hotels teeming with unsavory humans. I've been put in the worst, filthiest rooms, on the ground level of a hotel, simply because I had a large dog. Be sure you stand up for yourself and don't be afraid to take your business elsewhere if you have to!

I've traveled with my small dog, Petey, several times -- quite a lot of those times during the pandemic when there wasn't much to do. We went camping, and also stayed at hotels. He's always welcome. They definitely treat smaller dogs differently than big ones, and they definitely treat couples better than single female travelers. How unfortunate.

I have lots of other "traveling with dogs" tips, but I've gone on long enough!! Hopefully you can find some of this usable! lol

Take care, and happy travels!

Kathy Mandell

Meow!

Our first "Triday" without Cooper

2025-03-03T11:56:00.002-05:00

It's been almost a year since Cooper passed away. It went by so fast. We moved, we sold the house where he passed away in the living room, leaving his spirit and Newman's behind as we go on to our next adventure.

Cooper's brother, Charlie Brown, is aging, but still full of life. We took him on an excursion yesterday to one of those shelter charity events where they have bands playing and lots of food and dogs. He did ok, but it took a lot out of him and I noticed he was very stiff this morning. He slept almost too soundly. He is now 13 -- almost 13 1/2! How did this happen? Charlie, my little puppy who bugged Hobie relentlessly when Hobie was 13 himself. Now it's been ten years since Hobie passed, and a year since Cooper did.

Today is "Triday" (3/3). It's the day when parents of three-legged pets celebrate their amazing dogs and cats who live life on three legs. I always participated in this through the Tripawds organization, a group I have supported for many years because they offer a wealth of information on how to care for three-legged pets, also known affectionately as "Tripawds".

I looked at my calendar today and said to myself, "Oh look! It's Triday!" and then I realized, he's not here for the first Triday ever. Last year, we celebrated Triday with him, and he was practically normal. Sure, he was slowing down, but never in a million years did I think he would be gone just three weeks later.

For all the tripawd parents out there, know that your pet can live a pretty good life on three legs, with just a few adjustments and taking special care not to let them overdo it!

Here's a photo of Cooper from the good ol' days, doing what he loved best.... R.I.D.E.

Why "traveling" dog lady when you rarely travel?

2024-12-16T09:38:00.000-05:00

I suppose you may be wondering why this blog is named Traveling Dog Lady, when I rarely write about travel.

Originally, I had big dreams of traveling the U.S. in an RV with my dogs. I've tried to do that several times, but it never materializes.

But really, the name itself was sort of tongue-in-cheek. You see, I had worked in the group travel industry in an administrative role since the mid-1980s. The administrative role meant that I didn't get to travel much at all. I was "holding down the fort" at headquarters while my colleagues and our clients traveled on tours that we had organized for them over a several-month planning period that spanned sometimes up to a year or even two, depending on the size of the group and the length of the trip.

After running the computers and then taking over the billing department at the company where I worked, I started "bitching" to upper management about how I and my "girls" (as I called them at the time) did all the work, but reaped none of the travel-related benefits. We'd silently watch as our colleagues in the sales department and the travel operations department got two or three trips a year to Europe and elsewhere, while we languished in the office.

True, most of the women who worked in my department were young moms and it wasn't easy for them to pack up and travel without their kids and spouses as the mostly-single sales employees did. However, we spent most summers sitting in an empty office, playing crossword puzzles or computer solitaire just waiting for the phone to ring. We cleaned the office corner-to-corner. We had cookouts in the back parking lot. We watched TV. Meanwhile, everyone else got a trip in the summer.

So, I started to bitch. I showed them life through our eyeglasses. Slowly, little by little, I wore them down, until I scored and was able to get myself and one other person from my department onto a trip. Thereafter, we took turns. We didn't draw straws or anything like that, we just sort of said "Who would like to go this year?" and someone would say they wanted to go, and we made it happen. I and my assistant manager would take turns going along as the lead person for our department.

The years went by and it became the norm for EVERY department in the company to send one or two people on one or two trips a year. This took decades to accomplish, by the way. It didn't happen overnight. We were treated as though we were invisible. It's not that anyone thought we didn't deserve the perk. It was, I think, innocently assumed that we were too busy with our families, and that since we didn't sell the trips and didn't need to see the operation "on the ground" as someone in the travel department needed to, then there was no need to send us on a company trip.

But as upper management always said, "Everyone who works here is a sales person first and foremost, and always." Or words to that effect. My girls were the ones that the customers talked to most frequently, too. They were the ones who put out the fires. Who got screamed at when something went wrong. Who rarely ever got thanked when things went right. They were the ones who got the extra work when a member of upper management (a group that I dubbed The Boyz Club) came up with a new way of doing things, a new idea, a new thing to implement. We were the ones who got saddled with the work. My question to the Boyz became, "Who's gonna DO it!?" whenever they'd come up with one of their elaborate ideas, generally formulated during a three-hour, mostly liquid lunch.

So, that's where the "traveling" part of my name came from. It comes from my career background, rather than an actual travel-with-dogs platform. As much as I wanted to do a travel-with-dogs website (and sometimes still do) it just never transpired.

Instead, what's happened is mostly a pet memorial site because I've had so many pets, and of course the inevitable happens -- they die. I became a certified Pet Loss Grief Specialist. Not a counselor because you have to have a psych degree or an LICSW for that. But I did take the classes from two different schools, and I did get the certificates. Still, I didn't pursue this as a career, mostly because I am retired now.

I started out getting interested in pet loss grief due to my own experiences in losing many pets, sure, but also because for some strange reason (and this still happens -- it just happened the other day) I have always been the first person one of my friends or family calls when they've lost a beloved pet. This has happened ever since I can remember. So, I see it as somewhat of a calling or a purpose. But I don't want to go all-in on it as a career move or anything. It's like the person who turns their hobby into a career. It usually doesn't turn out that great. What once was being done for the sheer naturalness of it, then becomes something with an income attached to it -- an expectation. I didn't want that. So, my phone still rings when someone close to me loses a pet, and I listen, and I try to say something helpful, and I say lots of prayers.

So, this site isn't really about traveling anymore. Nor was it, ever, in fact. A post here and there, but that's about all.

RIP Cooper the three-legged wonder dog

2024-05-29T14:45:00.003-04:00

I started to write this blog post shortly after Cooper died. He's been gone two months today. I wrote most of this a few days after he passed, but I wasn't able to think clearly and I kept looking at it and trying again. Editing and updating. I think it's actually better than I thought it was, at that time.

Here we are 60 days after Cooper left us, and still sometimes shocked that he's not sitting right there at my feet, or on the couch, or waiting in the hallway, or sitting by the door waiting to go for his R.I.D.E. I miss him terribly. I still have a dog bed next to the bed ready and waiting for him. No one else sleeps on it. I imagine in the middle of the night that he's still there, that I have to step over him if I get up to use the bathroom. But he's not there. But I say "hi" to him every night, nevertheless. It's nice to put my feet down on that dog bed, instead of the hard floor, and it's nice to think of him when I do.

This is what I started to write back in April, right after he died:

For his entire 12 years, such a short lifespan, people asked me one question... and I couldn't answer it, and still can't. "How did Cooper lose his leg?" It's a question that has haunted me ever since they day I met him, when he still HAD four legs, one badly broken and needing amputation.

I even have copies of his veterinary records from before the surgery. I have x-rays of his busted leg. I have photos and video of him dragging his useless leg around, yet still smiling and happily hopping around as he played with his twin brother, Charlie Brown, who sits nearby as I write this.

One thing I don't know is the story of how Cooper broke his leg. I always speculated that it was an accident. I always stuck up for his original owners, who re-named him "Fluff" because they had another dog named "Peanut Butter" (anyone who grew up in New England knows about peanut butter and "Fluff" sandwiches, which are not a thing anywhere else, or so I'm told. Fluff is the brand-name of a marshmallow spread that was a big hit as a partner to peanut butter on bread when we were kids. An alternative to jelly or jam.).

When Fluff was returned to his foster home with a broken leg, his name was quickly returned to its original: Cooper -- named for mini-Cooper, the car, and because he was the runt of the litter.

Was that all it was? Was he the runt, and therefore his bones were more fragile? And he just broke a leg incidentally and it wasn't a big deal? I suppose I'll never know, and it will remain a mystery.

But in all those years, I'll tell you some things about this dog, this amazing three-legged dog. First of all, nothing bothered Cooper. You could do anything to this dog (except pick him up!) and he didn't mind. Cut his nails? Sure. Bath? Meh, but ok, go ahead. Brush, groom, pet, cuddle. Touch his ears, teeth, nose, feet. He didn't mind. Unlike ALL my other dogs who wouldn't let you do any of those things. Cooper was the most easy-going dog. He was, just simply, a dog.

He also was Hector reincarnated. I truly believe this, and now I've just lost about half of my readers! But seriously, Cooper and Hector had so many personality traits that were not just similar but uncannily identical, there is no doubt in my mind that Hector, whose very short life was only nine years, came back to me as Cooper. In order to come back, he had to be only three-quarters of a dog, physically anyway. But both Hector and Cooper's hearts were so big, I think they needed an extended life on Earth, and this was God's only way of doing it... Hector had nine years (he died four days before his tenth birthday, so let's say ten years); and Cooper had twelve. That's twenty-two years! I had the love of this amazing soul, the HectorCooper soul, for twenty-two wonderful years! How lucky am I? Both dogs met a similar set of circumstances in death, dying extremely quickly and unexpectedly at home, with no time for us humans to even take action to save them.

Hector

Cooper

People tell me all the time that Cooper was lucky to have found me. Someone once told me that when they die, they want to come back as one of my pets! LOL I am flattered, but really, I'm the lucky one to have found him, and all my other pets. They have defined me. I'm the dog lady. I'm the crazy cat lady. It's in my DNA. It's me. I am the lucky one.

I adopted Cooper when he was 7 months old, after he had broken his leg at 5 months, and (I was told) his original adoptive family could not afford medical treatment so he was kept confined with no exercise mainly in a crate for two months. When this went on long enough, he was eventually returned to the rescue agency (which, by the way, is what an adopter is supposed to do if they can't keep a pet -- return it to the rescue agency or shelter from whence it came).

I digress.

The rescue had put out word that Cooper had been returned to his foster home and would any of us who had adopted from the same litter (I had adopted Charlie Brown when the litter mates were 10 weeks old) want a brother? I immediately started sending out emails asking anyone and everyone I could think of if they wanted to adopt Charlie's brother, Cooper. You wouldn't believe how many people replied to me, "Well, YOU should adopt him." or, "He's YOURS, can't you see that?"

You guessed it. I adopted him.

I met Cooper when he still had four legs. I brought Charlie Brown back to the foster home for an afternoon, and the two played and romped around together, despite Cooper dragging his leg around. The two of them had been the last two puppies adopted from the litter, and so it was a wonderful and happy reunion for them. I could tell right away that they needed each other. That they had missed each other a lot those last few months. It was great seeing them together. I made the decision then and there to adopt Cooper. The same way I had made the decision, in the same place, to adopt Charlie a few months earlier.

The day I met Cooper^

But first, Cooper had to have the surgery, and he was owned by the rescue agency, so while I did contribute financially to his medical care, I had no say in what would happen to him medically or otherwise. The agency decided (along with several veterinarians) that amputation was the best solution. The break was in such a position that, the only surgical solution would be experimental. It had never been done before, and as one vet succinctly put it: "I would not put my OWN dog through experimental surgery. It may not work, and then we'd have to amputate anyway!"

So, in the summer of 2012, Cooper's right front leg was removed. As his tentative adopter (I had already signed the papers) I was kept advised of every step of his surgery and recovery. I was even allowed to look at video-cam footage of him at the vet's office during recovery in his crate. He stayed overnight one night, maybe two. Then he was sent home to his foster parents for full recovery.

His first night back at their home, he summarily and unceremoniously jumped up onto the human bed! He wasn't supposed to even be able to attempt this, nor was he allowed to, but if you knew Cooper (I didn't then) he would not be deterred. And from that moment, until the minute he died three weeks ago, he was able to jump up onto a human bed and would not take no for an answer.

Hobie, Charlie & Cooper on Cooper's first day at our home

After Cooper had the stitches out, he was able to come home to my place where I had five other animals: Three cats Cali, Tux and Newman; and two dogs, Hobie and Charlie Brown. Cooper arrived at the house one summer afternoon and literally was like the glue that held the household together. He made everything click into place. He especially fell head over heels in love with Hobie, a friendship that would only last a few years as Hobie died at age 15 in 2015.

Cooper & Hobie

But over the years we did have together with the three dogs, Cooper, Charlie and Hobie, we had some great trips to Cape Cod as a pack, we had lots of cuddles and fun at home, and it was just a pure joy to have all three of them -- and my three cats -- during that brief time. It was such a larger-than-life timeframe that I sometimes forget it was only three years that the three of them were together. It seems so much longer in my memory, because it was the most important feature of my life at the time.

Charlie and Cooper were my only two dogs for a while after Hobie passed away, until Petey joined our pack in 2017. Cooper and Petey became best friends, in much the same way as Cooper and Hobie were. Petey also has some of the same traits as Hobie, and again I often wonder if he's Hobie come back to me.

Cooper & Hobie

Cooper & Petey

The three dogs and three cats moved to South Carolina with me in 2018, and then moved AGAIN to a different town in SC when I got married in 2020 during Covid. Later that year, I lost my job of 30+ years, and sold my first SC house which was a very difficult decision. Through it all, those three dogs and cats were there with me as anchors to my excited but upended life. But one-by-one, three of them left us, and now we have just two dogs and one cat.

Cooper goin' for a R.I.D.E.

Cali died in 2021. Newman died last year. Cooper died three weeks ago. I am still reeling from his absence. Cooper was a huge presence in our house. His life ended abruptly and with no clues that he was even close to dying. Sure, he was slowing down, but he was 12 years old and handicapped, so that wasn't a sure sign of impending death.

Cooper & Newman

Cooper & Cali

Sometimes, however, I think it's a blessing that he went so fast. He already had a hard life, hopping around on one front leg all the time. He made more than the best of it. He was an inspiration. He never, ever wanted help and I think checking out so quickly was connected to his desire to do things his way with no assistance. He would refuse to be picked up, and like I said he could jump up onto a bed, or furniture, or into and out of the car better than his twin brother who has all four legs! He was just a remarkable creature, and everyone loved and adored Cooper.

Twinz! Cooper & Charlie Brown

Cooper was like "the drunk uncle" who lives with you. He was loud, and obnoxious. He snored (we thought it was Charlie doing all the snoring, but come to find out, it was Cooper). The house is SO quiet now. You can hear a pin drop at night, whereas just his mere presence in the home took up space and energy like nothing I've ever seen in my life. Cooper would bark at the TV whenever an animal or a child appeared on screen. Even if it was a cartoon. Commercials were particularly bark-producing because of the fast moving snippets of video that seemed to dash across the screen. We believe he saw the TV screen as a big window and maybe he thought all of that was happening outside our house! Who knows, all I know is he was LOUD, and it was impossible to watch any shows that included dogs, cats, horses, bears or even sharks. And now that the drunk uncle is gone, we miss him. Sure, he was loud and obnoxious and un-well, but he was our drunk uncle, and he made us laugh and now he has made us cry.

I haven't gotten rid of any of Cooper's belongings yet and probably won't. Except for one. His favorite bed. I had this thing for YEARS. I think it went to three houses with me, definitely two. I had tried to wash it in the machine so many times it was just a plush bag filled with lumps. But he loved that damn bed. Maybe because he also was a plush bag filled with lumps! I couldn't flatten out that bed, and I could barely keep it clean, but he loved it. He slept on it every night, right by my side on the floor next to the bed. I couldn't imagine either of the other dogs would want to sleep on it, so I decided to bring it to the dump the next time I went. I placed it outside on the front porch for about a week, simply because we had no plans to go to the dump for that long. Cooper had died elsewhere in the house, so the bed had nothing to do with his death, it was just old and lumpy and stupid to keep. Every time we went for our daily walk after I put that bed on the porch, Charlie would sniff it for a few minutes, halting on his way up or down the steps to grab the scent of his brother. The day I brought it to the dump, I went by myself. Thankfully, hardly anyone was there, as I walked to the Bulk Waste receptacle to toss it in, I hugged the stinky fur-covered bed to my heart and started to cry. I felt stupid, but so what? I whispered goodbye to Cooper and threw the bed over the top of the high dumpster, and returned to my car. I sobbed the whole way home. In my car, that Cooper loved to ride in.

Cooper's rides in my Subaru Forester were his favorite thing. I've had that car ever since Hobie and Hector, so all five of my most recent dogs have "lived" in that car with me. We had so many adventures. During Covid, one thing I did was take Cooper for long rides, just the two of us. Before I met my husband, the three dogs, Cooper, Petey and Charlie and I would hop in the car on Sundays, and strangely enough we would drive from our home in the southern part of the Myrtle Beach area to the town I live in now!! We had no way of knowing we would ever live here! But maybe we did on some subconscious level. I still have the car. I took Cooper for one last ride about a month ago. I noticed he had trouble getting in and out of the car, and on one day he didn't even want to go! His favorite thing! I should have taken that as a sign that something was wrong.

I took Charlie and Petey for a ride in that car this week. The same route I would take Cooper during those Covid days and beyond. It wasn't the same. Cooper would just lay back (he was so laid back!) and sleep, and he enjoyed the rides so much. Charlie and Petey barked most of the time and didn't quiet down until we were a half hour away!

One thing about Cooper's death that I've noticed is that I don't feel AS guilty as I did with almost every other pet who has passed before he did. There was always something I did wrong that I shouldn't have done. Something I could have done that I didn't do. Something I did too much of (medication, mainly) that I should have stopped doing. Things I should have noticed but didn't. I can say that level of guilt is not there this time. It's a different type of grieving without so much guilt. Oh, there's a little, but not as much as the all-consuming guilt I have had with almost every one of my previous pets. There's a calm regarding the guilt portion of the program. But his absence is glaring and shocking, and the house is so quiet and different without Cooper. At times, it takes my breath away. Other times, I smile if I happen to see a picture of him, or if I see the cat, Tux, lying in Cooper's seat of the couch (Tux has taken over Cooper's seat on the couch!!). If I see a butterfly, or a cardinal. I know that's Cooper saying hello.

Tux, sitting in Cooper's seat!

Life with Cooper was beautiful. I am so fortunate that I adopted him. He was a wonderful creature, "just" a dog, but a very special dog. I will never, ever forget him.

RIP Cooper

11/11/2011 - 3/29/2024

Helping My Local Animal Shelter

2023-06-20T10:10:00.005-04:00

Following here is a letter I wrote this morning to the Horry County (SC) Council regarding proposed plans for Grand Strand Humane Society to build a new shelter in the neighborhood known as Carolina Forest in Myrtle Beach:

***At the bottom of this post is an update Grand Strand Humane Society posted on Facebook after the meeting with Horry County Council. Unfortunately, the outcome did not go as hoped, but GSHS is not giving up! ****

Good morning,

I heard the executive director of Grand Strand Humane Society on WRNN this morning, talking about the opposition to plans for the shelter to build a state-of-the-art facility in Carolina Forest.

As a dog rescue advocate and the owner of three rescued dogs and one rescued cat, it disturbs me greatly to see anyone oppose these plans of expansion for the shelter. It also is troubling to see how many people are surrendering their pets to area shelters in and around Horry County and the Grand Strand.

I moved here in 2018 from Massachusetts and retired. I came here with SIX pets and it would never, ever occur to me to surrender any of them to a shelter. But it seems a lot of the housing developments or landlords don't allow pets, or lifestyle changes have made people move here and then surrender their pet because having a pet is inconvenient or expensive. Add to that the pandemic-era high levels of adoption, followed by the "buyer's remorse" scenario that resulted in people turning over their pets to shelters in droves as they went back to work. The situation is awful.

The Grand Strand is exploding with housing developments and none of those are being opposed, yet something GOOD like this is being opposed by only a handful of people who have nothing better to do but whine and say "not in my back yard".

Grand Strand Humane Society’s new facility on River Oaks Drive is designed to be a beautiful building surrounded by more than 100 acres of nature held for conservation. The architectural renderings submitted show a beautiful facility that will only enhance the existing community. LS3P is a highly esteemed architectural firm.

The shelter will be adding multi-tiered interior and exterior sound mitigation such as sound absorption kennel materials, AcoustiBlok Soundproof Fencing and the addition of mature landscaping, berm and water features.

GSHS will contribute to the conservation of natural landscape by occupying less than 3% of the 112 acre property leaving the overwhelming majority of this property undeveloped.

The shelter will be installing state of the art HVAC and Plumbing – 4, 8 and 12 minute air exchanges, drains in each kennel and extensive well engineered plumbing throughout so that odor will not be a concern.

The construction of GSHS on this land will result in less traffic than there would be if this lot was developed with additional homes.

Animal shelters are proven to have no reduction in surrounding property value. (St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, Flower Mound Animal Services, Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, Second Chance Animal Center are nearby examples of this.)

I hope that you will find it in your conscience to approve GSHS's plans to build a new facility on River Oaks Drive. Having this larger and modern facility will help the community greatly. Right now, the dogs and cats in their care are being housed in SEPARATE locations in less-than-ideal locations (one inside a mall... I mean, come on!). Gone are the days of cinder block buildings with chain-link dog runs and constantly barking dogs outdoors. This impressive facility will boost Myrtle Beach in the eyes of pet rescuers everywhere. It's not a good look for y'all to be against this improvement to our community.

Thank you for listening.

Kathleen Mandell

Little River, SC

Here is the Facebook post from Grand Strand Humane Society after the meeting with HC Council:

"Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts to each and every one of you that has advocated for Grand Strand Humane Society in our fight to acquire land for our new facility. There simply aren't words to properly convey our gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received.

Last night, you guys showed up for us in a BIG way.

We can't count the number of times we were told - "We have never seen these rooms so full!" It was a sea of blue as far as the eye could see. While we may not have had the outcome we hoped for last night, we certainly made our presence known. You all made an impact on the opposition, on our county council and especially on us. There wasn't a dry eye among our staff and executive team as we looked out into the room.

We know that the intricacies of meetings such as last night can be a bit confusing, so we wanted to take the opportunity to clarify what occurred. Our team was able to have some very positive conversations with many county council members over the past several days. We explained the progress that we had made with concerned neighbors and showed the support that this project had. Our hope was that we had sufficiently demonstrated our ability to work with neighboring communities and find common ground in order to move this critical project forward. In the hours leading up to last night's meeting it became more and more clear that we would likely not be granted our requested deferral, meaning the resolution would be struck down and we would not be allowed to reapply for use of this land for 12 months. There was an option on the table for us to withdraw our own application, but there was confusion on what that would mean. While county council was in executive session, we worked to determine what the result of withdrawal would be. Whether it meant we could reapply right away while continuing to have constructive conversations with neighbors and council, or if it meant we would be forced to wait 12 months to reapply just as it would have been if we allowed the resolution to be struck down. In the final moments before our resolution was called, we made the choice to keep our fate in our own hands. We withdrew our application for rezoning. Our team felt this decision allowed us the small chance of keeping hope alive for this piece of land.

We know that some of our supporters left feeling frustrated, confused, disappointed, angry and unheard.

Please know that you WERE in fact heard.

All day, we have received calls from the media and county council members who were so impressed by the number of supporters and by the behavior you all displayed. You were classy, composed and respectful. You showed those watching what GSHS is all about.

For those asking what happens now....

We will continue to proudly serve our community. We will continue to fight for the most vulnerable among us. We will continue our pursuit of a facility that our animals, staff and volunteers deserve. We will not allow this minor bump in the road to slow us down in the least.

You can share new ideas, reach out about land opportunities and find so many ways to get involved in our efforts by visiting campaigngshs.org!

To every person who took the time to write an email, make a call, share our information, talk to neighbors, attend the council meeting last night... thank you.

This GSHS team is steadfast, strong and unbelievably resilient. Our team includes YOU and for that we are so very grateful."

Peace of mind this Fourth of July.
Shop Halo Collar 4 and save a dog from becoming a statistic.

RIP Newman

2023-02-21T12:42:00.003-05:00

Enjoying a winter day in Spencer, Mass., 2011
Links in this post may give us a smidge of dough to help support the website! Thank you so much if you end up buying something from one of the links provided.


Our beautiful kitty, Newman, passed away peacefully at home in the wee hours of this morning, surrounded by his human parents and his fur siblings. His death was shockingly fast, and he did not suffer. In fact, we didn't even have enough time to discuss bringing him to the vet to be euthanized. 

Newman had been diagnosed with thyroid disease about four months ago, right after our scary medical situation with Petey. Newman never tolerated the thyroid meds, and after a while it was clear that the only option was to make him comfortable at home and enjoy our time together. As recently as yesterday, he was eating, drinking, relieving himself properly in the litter box, interacting with us and his furry pack mates, and even cleaning himself. I thought we had several more weeks, but that was not in the cards. He deteriorated so rapidly overnight, it was shocking. About an hour before he died, he actually walked down the hall and used the litter box, then walked back to the crate where he loved to sleep (Petey's crate lol). I've had dozens of cats, and have never seen one be so clean, determined and dignified all the way to the end!

Newman never gave me an ounce of trouble in his 13 short years with me. He lived in three homes with me: Spencer, Mass., Murrells Inlet, SC and here at Brad's house where we moved  three years ago. Newman never strayed from the yard or  porches -- ever. He never "went missing" like my other cats. He always stayed close to home. He never fought with another cat, or anybody else. He was always clean and fluffy and had the most beautiful eyes. He followed us on our dog walks both here and in Spencer on Thompson Pond. He cooperated with the "staying indoors" rule for two whole years when we moved to SC because we lived on a busy street (although he did sneak out twice, but never left the front yard!). 

All in all, Newman was a great friend and companion. He loved the dogs, especially Cooper (doesn't everybody?). 

I'll share some photos of Newmie Newms as soon as I've had a chance to look for them.

RIP Newman 
May, 2009 - February 19, 2023

Photo dump! Get ready!!!!

All photos property of Kathleen Mandell

Remembering Cali

2023-02-21T11:02:00.005-05:00

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Cali at Thompson Pond, Spencer MA

When I got the reminder email for Petey's annual vet visit the other day, I realized it's been a year since our situation with my beautiful Cali. I had asked if I could bring her along for that appointment, way back in September of 2020. In the middle of the pandemic, we were still on curbside visits.

Cali had chronic sneezing for several weeks at that point, and I noticed she would sleep under the bed for many hours at a time. At the time, I had not noticed that she also was not eating and was not able to jump. I am technically not sure if that happened before the vet visits, or after. But one thing is for sure, I wish I had never brought her to the vet. She'd probably still be here, sneezing away, and sleeping under the bed in my office.

It's now nearly nine months since we said our goodbyes to Cali, our beautiful tortie/calico girl. We had a camping trip planned this past January, in Florida — the only place fully open at the time. We were going to bring Petey with us, and we had a reservation that we had made months before after we bought our van, that we ALSO bought in September. I think a lot was going on, and I just didn't realize how sick Cali was getting from the medication. About a week before the trip, I asked the kennel if they would take Petey instead, and we brought Cali with us on the camping trip.

Cali was under treatment for a supposed ear infection, and thing just got worse and worse and worse. The more often I brought her to the vet, the worse she got. In hindsight, and being a person who is basically anti-medication (I prefer natural treatments), I wish I had never agreed to all the meds she was given.

Once we were in Florida, she took a really bad turn for the worse. When we arrived at our campground, I called the closest vet and told them I had brought my cat with me from out of state, and I think she needed to be euthanized. They graciously cleared their schedule and told me to bring her in immediately. I called them back an hour later and said I wanted to wait one more day. I know this is probably selfish, but I just wasn't sure, and one of my mottos is "when in doubt, don't".

The next morning, Husband and I knew she was not living a life and there was no chance of recovery. I called the vet again, and they said just bring her on in. During a chilly January day in Florida (yes, Florida has those!), in the middle of COVID, we were allowed to go inside the vet's office, with masks on. The vet did an examination of Cali, and the techs cleaned her up (she had gotten covered with her own urine and feces and liquids coming out of her eyes and mouth). The vet said it certainly did seem like there was no hope of Cali surviving on her own. A week or two earlier, she had stopped eating, not for lack of interest, but her face was paralyzed and she could not eat the food nor swallow it when I fed her baby food in a syringe. It was time.

I held Cali in my lap as the vet gave the shot to sedate the cat, and then the second shot to end her life. They had given me a puppy pad to cover my clothing, at my request. After all, I'd been through this before, I knew it wouldn't be pretty.

They gave us as much time as we needed, and we stayed for what seemed forever. The two of us crying, and Brad whispering in Cali's ear to go to Baba. If you've never tried crying with a mask on, I don't recommend it!

We made arrangements for the body. I was given the choice of taking her with us and keeping her in the camper's fridge. We actually considered that, but didn't want to deal with that for a week! Or, cremation and I could pick up the ashes in about 7-10 days. I explained that we would only be in town for six days, and wondered if they could expedite the process. They made no promise, but to my relief they came through for us! We picked up Cali's ashes on the way out of town six days later.

Cali, on the day I adopted her in 2009

Cali's ashes are on the shelf in my office where I'm writing this. Along with her friend Hobie's ashes, and another cat's ashes, Filkin, who was quite a bit like Cali and I often wonder if she was reincarnated as Cali.

Cali was a beautiful kitty. She looked exactly like a kitten that was born at my house on Oak Lane, that I later gave to my mother. We called that cat Patches. Mom didn't keep the cat, but I have pictures and the markings bear an unbelievable resemblance!

There were a few times in her life when, just like Filkin, she would take little vacations and worry me sick! She would disappear for days at a time, only to turn up inside of someone's garage, or meowing at the back door. Eventually, I found out that my neighbors thought she was THEIR cat! This happened when I posted photos of her and attached them to telephone poles around the neighborhood when she was missing one time. They called me and said "The cat is here. We thought she was ours. She's been coming here for like two years!" I then had to show them kitten photos of her the first day I got her (and Tux)... not that they didn't believe me, but I wanted to prove that she was definitely mine. After that, they didn't let her into their house for more than a few minutes visit!

When we moved away, from Massachusetts to South Carolina, we were moving to a busy suburban area with lots of traffic from a dead-end dirt road in the middle of nowhere. So, my three cats would need to become indoor cats. Surprisingly, this turned out to be super easy, and I wish I had not lost as much sleep over this as I did during the months before we moved.

After I got married, we moved again, into my husband's house. Once again out in the country, but... I did not want to let the cats out because they'd bring fleas and ticks into the house if they became outdoor cats again. They remained indoor cats, and seemed none the wiser (except for Newman who likes to sneak out occasionally).

There were some times when I would bring Cali into the yard and she always liked that.

As we approach the year anniversary of losing Cali, I know there are some things I will do differently from now on. First off, no medications without checking them online first. The powerful antibiotic the vet gave Cali has a known and reported history of brain damage, loss of sight, stroke and paralysis in cats. This is precisely what happened, and I still feel guilty for letting it happen. It would have been much better to just live with the sneezing rather than destroying a perfectly healthy cat's life by giving a medication with such powerful side effects.

I also will keep a better eye on whether my pets can eat, drink and climb (if necessary). Cali was unable to eat or drink, and could not climb. I did not know this, and it made her weaker because she could not get to the food, which is kept high off the ground away from the dogs. I inadvertently contributed to her demise because she was unable to get at the food. Then, she became paralyzed and was physically unable to eat it due to facial paralysis.

Photo dump of Cali photos from the years!!!

All photos property of Kathleen Mandell

How do you take a safe bathroom break when traveling solo with dogs?

2022-01-30T11:13:00.000-05:00

The first thing I always suggest is find a pet-friendly place that has a bathroom. One of my go-to solutions is Petco or PetSmart. You have to take an exit off the highway, and likely drive a few miles to find the nearest store, but once you do they have a restroom and you can bring your dog into the store AND the restroom without even having to ask. This is the ultimate best solution I have come up with.

Charlie in the Subaru

The next best idea is a rest area with exterior restrooms that don't necessarily have any signage about dogs. In other words, they're sort of "silent" on the topic of whether or not your dog is welcome. These are kind of hard to find, but I do remember, when I used to come to the Cape to check on my house in the winter, I could always find a rest area that had these exterior restrooms.

Park in the shade!

Are you pumping gas, mama?

Third, park in a shaded area (such as under a covered section of a gas station & convenience store where the gas pumps are). Pump some gas first (purchasing something always helps, and you'll be on camera, most likely). Leave your windows open about 3 inches -- just enough to get air in the vehicle, but not enough to fit a person's hand. If you have a sun roof or moon roof, open that up a little too. DON'T leave your car running with the a/c on! Dash quickly into the restroom inside the convenience store, use the restroom, wash your hands, and come back to the car. Do this as quickly as you can and do not dawdle or buy anything in the store. I did this for many years, but nowadays people are apt to try to break your windows, steal your pet, or report you to the police. So, it might be a good idea to have a sign that says "Human in bathroom, they'll be right back, we are safe and loved!" Or something like that.

Cooper got his learner's permit

Cooper!

As for pet-friendly hotels, oh boy do I have some stories!! As far as tips go, be assertive, especially if you're a female traveling alone with one or more large dog(s). The hotel may be pet friendly, but they will try to put you in the WORST room. I know, because it has happened to me more than once. Explain that your dog is clean, well-behaved, housebroken, doesn't chew, etc. and that you are alone and need to be safe. I have horror stories of filthy rooms crawling with flies and roaches, broken toilets (one of the main reasons I would stay overnight rather than continuing to my destination!), and "crack house" type hotels teeming with unsavory humans. I've been put in the worst, filthiest rooms, on the ground level of a hotel, simply because I had a large dog. Be sure you stand up for yourself and don't be afraid to take your business elsewhere if you have to!

Charlie and Hobie at my old house on Cape Cod

Cooper and Charlie on a bed

Hobie on a couch

Hector and Hobie on a bed

I've traveled with my small dog, Petey, several times during the pandemic. We went camping, and also stayed at hotels. He's always welcome. They definitely treat smaller dogs differently than big ones, and they definitely treat couples better than single female travelers. How unfortunate.

Petey!

Petey the beach dog!

Dogs sleep in funny positions!

I have lots of other "traveling with dogs" tips, but I've gone on long enough!! Hopefully you can find some of this usable!

Mommy 'n' Me Day for Petey Dog!

2019-10-09T11:39:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time since I've written a blog post. I'm glad all my readers still follow me on social media, where the dogs, cats, and I are much more active since our big move from New England to South Carolina back in December of 2018.

Today, Charlie Brown and Cooper (Brown ha ha) spent a day at the doggie spa, getting even more handsome than they already are, if that's even possible!

In their matching nautical-themed bandannas!

That gave me a chance to spend a special day with Petey. We did a lot together!

First, we dropped off Charlie and Cooper at the grooming salon. It's right around the corner from our house. Everything is so convenient here. Almost all the things we need are less than 5 minutes away (including the beach, but that's for another day).

The "flying nun ears" at the beach!

After that, we drove straight to the famous Marshwalk in our town of Murrells Inlet, and we went for a walk on the little boardwalk there.

Petey at the Marshwalk of Murrells Inlet, SC

Next, we went home and I ate lunch while Petey looked out the window and wondered where his brothers were. Usually, when I eat (or do anything at all!) Petey is in my lap. Not this time. No need to protect me from the other two, or "own" me, I guess?

Oh, where, oh, where, are my brothers!?

After that, we took a drive to Lowe's and PetSmart. Got everything I needed at Lowe's. Was disappointed in PetSmart's selection of dog beds. They were either the wrong size, or too expensive. I'm going to go to Tuesday Morning tomorrow (on Wednesday, ha ha) because I think they have a wider selection to choose from.

On the way home from Lowe's/PetSmart, I cut through the neighborhood, and drove right past the groomer, then looked down at my phone and realized they had called while I was driving and didn't hear the phone. I pulled into a parking lot, banged a U-ey (that's Massachusetts slang for turning around and heading in the other direction!) and picked up Charlie and Coop from the groomer!

Picked up some passengers! LOL!

Everybody's home now, and pretty zonked-out tired!!

Pretty boyz!

And that was our "Mommy 'n' Me Day"!

Cat Café Book Launch Blog Hop

2018-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

*This is NOT a sponsored post. I did receive a free copy of Mollie Hunt's new e-book Cat Café The 5th Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery so I could write this interview and book review.

Hello dearest readers! It sure has been a long time since I've posted, and I have much to tell... but not today!

Today, I am grateful to Mollie Hunt for including me in her blog hop to launch her latest book Cat Café - The 5th Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery featuring crazy cat lady, shelter volunteer and super sleuth, Lynley Cannon, and her mom, Carol, of course, as trouble brews at a Portland, Oregon tea house, and of course they eventually solve a mystery. Here's a synopsis of the plot line:

Sixty-something cat shelter volunteer Lynley Cannon always finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, but this time it’s not about her. Someone is targeting very senior citizens, and when Bea Landrew, elderly owner of the Blue Cat café turns up dead, Lynley’s mom Carol could be next.

Handsome Detective Devon is looking for a link between the victims when he makes a different sort of connection— with Lynley! It’s been a long time since the cat lady had romance in her life, but while her mom is in danger, the case comes first.

It appears the cat café will go the way of its deceased owner, but Bea’s grandson, a slick Miami businessman, steps in at the last minute. Arthur is not a cat person so why would he bother? Romeo, the big Russian Blue, senses ulterior motives, but who will listen to a cat?

A black cat rescue, an antique photograph, an elaborate payback. Is this killer seeking justice or vengeance? With death as the objective, the results are the same.

Cat Café launched October 29th, and I urge you to leap off your window perch and get it as soon as you can. I honestly couldn't put it down. I spent a couple weeks reading it at night in bed, and let me tell you it was tempting to read it all in one sitting, but I savored it, like a good cup of tea.

I had the disadvantage of not having read the previous four books in the series (where have I been?), but it didn't matter because Mollie writes in such a way that you can pick up the book and just pounce right on into the story. Mollie herself even says the books need not be read in order.

If you haven't read them already, I encourage everyone to grab all FIVE books, cuddle up with your favorite feline, and start reading. Winter is coming, after all. Hey, maybe a great holiday gift for somebody to give you!

Here are links to the first four books, available on Amazon:

Cats' Eyes (Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Look what the cat dragged in! When Lynley’s old kitty Fluffo discovers a stolen uncut diamond, Lynley finds herself accused of murdering the thieves.

Copy Cats (Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) When Lynley exposes a breed cat counterfeiting ring, she becomes the target of a serial killer who murders with a grisly cat-like claw.

Cat's Paw (Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) Two suspicious deaths at an elite art retreat send Lynley running back to Portland, but murder follows in her wake.

Cat Call (Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery Series Book 4) Lynley takes over as cat handler for a TV pilot only to find the show is hexed and murder is waiting in the wings.

Aren't those titles and plot descriptions grrrrreat?!

And now, without further ado, I would like to share my recent interview with author Mollie Hunt:

Author Mollie Hunt and her cat Tinkerbelle

Since I'm working backwards, reading the 5th book in your series first (I promise, I will catch up afterwards!), I wanted to know what inspired you to include "cat facts" at the beginning of each chapter?

Thanks for bringing that up, Kathleen. I personally enjoy epigraphs in books; they give us a little something extra, a teaser before we dive into the new chapter text. Being a cat shelter volunteer and very much into cat health and welfare, I thought epigraphs were the perfect chance to impart educational information about cats without lecturing within the story. Topics broached in the book, such as TNR, kidney disease, and the plight of black cats in the shelter system deserve further discussion, and the epigraphs work well for that.

Have you used this feature in all five books, or is this unique to the Cat Café story?

I’ve included epigraphs from the start, though I don’t remember consciously deciding to do it. It just sort of morphed into being when I was writing Cats’ Eyes, the first in the series.

You even manage to weave in this same kind of information in the dialogue and storytelling of the plot itself!

I must admit in the first few books, my epigraphs were more random, something I found interesting about cats. (One of my personal favorites is: “If you think you smell cat pee, you probably do.” Cat’s Paw, Chapter 23.) Then it came to me that if I tied the epigraph in with the story, it would make more sense and have more impact.

It's a great way to educate the cat-loving public, while entertaining readers at the same time. Brilliant!

With the photograph of Carol and her friends as teenagers as the centerpiece of this story, I have to know if a photo of someone in your life sparked the idea. I ask because I am packing up my house to move, and found all of my parents' photos in the process.

No, not directly, but I am blessed (or cursed) with caretaking the bulk of my family’s ephemera, including numerous photographs going all the way back to the civil war. But looking back on the past isn’t always a pleasant experience. Here, Lynley’s mom Carol in confronted with the photo:

….she upended the envelope and slipped its contents into her lap, a grainy eight-by-ten photograph sandwiched between squares of cardboard backing.

Her hand froze midair as she stared at the photo. So quickly as to be clumsy, she shoved it back into its packing and clasped it to her breast.

“What is it, Mum? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Without speaking, she rose and quick-stepped out of the room. A minute later, I heard her bedroom door open then shut with a slam.

“What just happened?” Devon asked me.

I shrugged, clueless.

“Did you see what was in the photograph?”

“No, not really. People. Black and white. It looked old.”

We both turned to the hallway as if my mother might suddenly reappear to explain her actions.

She didn’t.

Candy came in from the kitchen, a tray of drinks and wine glasses filled with rich, cinnamony rice pudding. She stopped in confusion when she saw Carol’s empty place. Then she sighed and pasted on a big smile.

“Refreshments, anyone?”

Cat Café, chapter 11.

I found it interesting that the generation is "our parents" (those in their 80s right now) and "us" (boomers), so I am curious if maybe you were going through photos one day, found one of 80-somethings as a teenagers, and that inspired you.

Sometimes I take it for granted that everyone knows what their parents looked like throughout their lives, but it isn’t true. The fact that I have photos of parents, grandparents, and even some great grandparents from babies all the way through to old age is exceptional. One of my favorite photos is of my mother in college with long hair tumbling down her back doing yoga. I certainly never saw her that way.

Since I am 66, the idea of a parent in their 80s seemed fitting. 80-somethings don’t get nearly enough face-time in current stories.

They sure don't! It's great that you're featuring that generation in your series.

Since you live in Portland, Oregon, how does your real-life location impact your writing of the Crazy Cat Lady mystery series? Do you use real places, restaurants, street names, and so forth? Is there really a Cat Cafe nearby, for instance?

I locate my stories in Portland partially because I am proud of my town and partly because I’m lazy. The old saying, “write what you know”, applies here. I am a rare bird, a Portland native, and have watched Portland grow from a bigish town to a huge city. I can offer that experience to the advantage of my stories.

I use a mixture of real and fictional places. For example, the Belmont neighborhood, where the Blue Cat café is located, is a real place, not far from my own home. The businesses— Cupcake City , The Florist Shop, and alas, the Blue Cat— are entirely fictional. Coincidentally a bookstore called Belmont Books just opened up a few weeks ago, and it’s very near the location of the bookstore in Cat Café!

Your stories are reminiscent of a few other series I'm familiar with. It's "Murder She Wrote meets Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries". And I mean this as a compliment! I wish I could write fiction, my attempts have always become too obviously autobiographical. Are any parts of your characters autobiographical, and if you don't mind sharing, which ones?

My hero, Lynley Cannon, is indeed semi-autobiographical. Beyond age and demographics, Lynley and I are both Trekkies, both have an anxiety disorder, and both love volunteering and fostering cats. Lynley is much more outgoing than I am, however, and she has a lot more cats.

Other characters vary, some being based on people I know or have known, and some being purely fictional. Thankfully, all the villains are fictional!

Like you and Lynley, I too have anxiety disorder, love volunteering and [living with] cats. Not fostering yet... I still have too many of my own.

In the case where the themes and characters aren't autobiographical, how did the ideas come to you? Songwriters say they sometimes get a "muse" that visits them and they act on that and can't help but write the songs -- they just seem to "flow" and they can't stop it (and wouldn't try!). Is it that same process occurring when you create characters and plot lines for your fictional series?

Yes, that very well describes my writing process. I compare it to reading, only slower. The words come, as if on a page. Often they are accompanied by pictures which I see vividly and can then describe in detail. I usually begin a book with something very basic, such as the title and tagline, and then the story blossoms on its own from there.

With Cat Café, all I knew when I sat down with my laptop was that I wanted to write about a cat café. That’s it. A year later, it is a book.

As to characters, they have a life of their own. Scary, isn’t it?

Not at all! I love it!

What projects are you working on next? Can we expect Crazy Cat Lady mystery number 6 any time soon?

I’m working on the third draft of Crazy Cat Lady #6, Cosmic Cat (“When a superhero cosplayer falls to his death at a comic con, Lynley is left holding the bag— and a cat!”), as well as the second run-through of a Christmas novella, Cat Noel, (“Lynley finds new meaning in Christmas when a wiccan’s familiar is cat-napped before the winter solstice festival and Lynley becomes her only hope.”), both of which I intend to publish next year. I’m on chapter eight of book #7, Cat Conundrum (“A locked room. A dead man. The cat is the only witness, and he isn’t talking.”) Lynley Cannon still has a lot of tales to tell.

I can't wait to read all of them. Keep going!

What else other than that? Either writing, or other projects and passions...

Of note, I am working on something completely different, the Cat Seasons tetralogy, a fantasy sci-fi series where cats save the world. I’ve finished the first book, Cat Summer (“Can one person change the world? Yes, with the help of a few stalwart cats.”) and am sending it to a publisher soon.

I am also putting together a book of cat poems, but I’m still looking for a title and can’t move ahead until I’ve found one. The only title I’ve come up with is Cat Poems, and there are already many volumes by that name. I need something fresh. Any ideas?

Meow! You are busy! How about "Purrfect Poetry"?! (lol!)

Moving along....What can you tell me about yourself that most people don't know? Or... are you an open book? (sorry! pun fully intended!)

I really am an open book, as you so aptly put it. At this point in my life, I mostly hang out in my house and write.

Briefly, I was born in Portland and grew up in the house my great grandfather built. At sixteen, I fell in with hippies and moved to British Columbia, where I stayed for ten years. Coming back to Portland, I got a degree in commercial art and became not-so-gainfully self-employed. In 1994, I took up writing again after a 30-year hiatus; in 1997, I married my soulmate; and in 2006, I began volunteering for the Oregon Humane Society. To sum up my life, books and cats covers the most of it.

I totally appreciate that. I think if I were stranded on a deserted island, books and cats would make it all ok.

Many thanks, Mollie for writing such great books, and for taking the time to be interviewed by Traveling Dog Lady and fellow crazy cat lady.

And thank you so much, Kathy, for having me over to your blogsite. I really enjoyed your questions; they made me think.

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Some additional words from Mollie Hunt: Kathleen S. Mueller is the last stop on this week’s Cat Café Book Launch Blog Hop, but you can still visit the previous posts:

Oct. 29^th- National Cat Day.

The 1^st day of the hop starts with Dusty Rainbolt’s Jeffy Jeffy Bad Boy interviewing Lynley’s oldest cat, Dirty Harry. Old cats have all the secrets!

Dusty Rainbolt's Universe

http://dustycatwriter.com/nv_dusty/

Oct. 30^th: Melissa Lapierre’s cat Mudpie interviews Lynley’s kitties, all 8 of them! (Little, Lynley’s favorite feline sleuth, is the spokes-cat)

Blogger, Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

www.mochasmysteriesmeows.com

Oct 31: Why Cat Café? Patricia Fry wants to know.

Catscapades

www.MatilijaPress.com/ Catscapades

Nov. 1: Fun Questions with Amy Shojai, CABC

Amy Shojai, CABC

www.SHOJAI.com

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Find out more about Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer:

Website: www.lecatts.wordpress.com

Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/

@MollieHuntCats

Native Oregonian Mollie Hunt has always had an affinity for cats, so it was a short step for her to become a cat writer. Mollie is the author of THE CRAZY CAT LADY COZY MYSTERY SERIES, featuring Portland native Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip. The 3^rd in the series, CAT’S PAW, was a finalist for the 2016 Mystery & Mayhem Book Award. Mollie also published a non-cat mystery, PLACID RIVER RUNS DEEP, which delves into murder, obsession, and the challenge of chronic illness in bucolic southwest Washington. Two of her short cat stories have been published in anthologies, one of which, THE DREAM SPINNER, won the prestigious CWA Muse Medallion this year.

Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, Willamette Writers, the Cat Writers’ Association, and the Northwest Independent Writers Association. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like Lynley, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.