Lessons Learned on the Road (with a dog)

I've learned a couple of things traveling with Max that I felt the need to share:

1) Have a plan for pit stops that have bathrooms facing the outdoors v. having to go inside to the bathroom. This is because you can't leave the dog in the car on a hot day (or really cold one, I suppose, but I didn't have that problem)...and you can't bring a dog into a restaurant or convenience store that sells food (though I did BEG one man running a gas station that sold some food, and promised to clean up any messes, of course).

Answer: SONIC!

And you have the added bonus of having lots of people in their cars sitting around watching your stuff and they have shaded places to sit in your car to eat with your dog.

2) You will also need a way to FIND the Sonics!

Answer: iPhone...or more specifically the Around Me app for iPhone.

This locates your current coordinates and tells you what is closest to you in various categories from food to hospitals...or it will tell you where the nearest thing you ask for is (if it's within 100 miles), like Sonic.

3) When traveling on turnpikes or along long, windy country roads or unfamiliar territory with lots of tall trees AND your fuel gage is low, it's good to have a way to find out where the nearest gas station is. It's even better to know if cheaper gas is just around the corner, or a block or two off the highways.

Answer: iPhone...or Gas Bag app! Not only does it locate area gas stations, but it often has the prices listed (this is entered by users), so you know where cheaper gas is...it also has a function that helps you keep track of prices and mpg, etc.

4) Be careful of hot cars...did you know that cars with windows closed can get so hot that the air expands and the windows blow out? This from AAA books, and a Grand Canyon info site.

Answer: Crack the windows!

Tourist Branson and Writer's Camp

OK, so I didn't make it to a show, but Max and I walked up and down the Branson strip for a day or two, and spent the last day in historic downtown Branson, MO, as a bonafide tourist:



After Branson, MO, we headed to the roaring metropolis of Freck, AR, where Cloud Creek Institute for the Arts is located, home to TV Writer Larry Brody and his famous TV writing class...The town is soooo small that there are more residents here than in town:



Max had a great time chasing bunny rabbits, sniffing chickens and cowering from the world's largest dogs--called "horses."



We spent a night out in the deep, dark woods of Arkansas where there are NO GHOSTS, despite what everyone said and despite the fact that Max kept growling at something I couldn't see and followed it around the cabin we stayed in...

Thanks to the Brody's for their hospitality and large movie collection...I finally saw Doubt and Revolutionary Road, saving me about $10 at the video store...and for all of the encouragement and advice...Larry was smart enough to marry a woman from the big city of Ada, OK, so he can't be all bad - despite his long tenure in LA.

After a relaxing couple of days, it was off to OKC down the winding road of US Highway 412...

Yea, AAA!

AAA cost me $52 and I saved $16 on my ticket to the Biltmore in Asheville, NC, then about an average of $8/night on hotel rooms...so after 5 nights, I paid for the membership...not to mention the books and maps...though I did buy the Traveling with Your Pet book at B&N for about $18 only to see it was on sale there for $9...poo...well...now you know if you want to buy it.

Branson, MO

Two nights in my namesake town was quite enough...It was weird to see my name posted everywhere...even weirder to see people who look like my family everywhere...Max did a little exploring of his own--under the bed:


...and he is the one who noticed the arrow to the scenic view -- it overlooked an amusement park ride:

...and it is he who noticed the placard stating that we were at the outlet mall only a day or two before it's 15th anniversary:

...so of course we shopped...he found a nice new water bowl from Coleman and a cool bungee cord leash (not from the outlet mall but from Branson Paw Place):


...enough with the buffets and country cooking...my waistline can't take it.

Off we go today to check out a writer's colony just an hour south of here, across the Arkansas border...we took a GREAT TV writing online class (using video) from Larry Brody of TV Writer ...tell them Juli and Max sent you!

Now on Facebook!

After a free hour of one-on-one, or really two-on one (mom came with me), with social media guru Henry Hutton, I have imported this blog onto Facebook for all to read...I would be curious if you can find it easily as an outsider -- as the owner of the page, I found it fairly easily, but I had hoped it would be right there on the home page...check it out and tell me what you find.

Henry Hutton gave us some great tips...I'll post a few later, but it looks like the rain isn't going to let up, so I need to get going so I'll be at our next stop before the Preakness -- go girl!

Asheville and Lebanon

Biltmore Estate was awesome! (http://www.biltmore.com/)

Dogs are welcome...except in the big house...so I breezed through it and picked up my compadre, Max, and went hiking...and hiking...and dang it, where did that main trail go?????

"oooo...is that water?" "Why, yes, yes, it is!"

Luckily they sell more than wine at their vineyard and I cooled off with a margarita while Max dried off after his romp in the stream (hey, who thought I needed a towel to go visit a fancy estate????)...he's gotta be part water hound of some sort.

On our way out of the estate, Max saw baby geese...and baby cows...all with noisy moms, saying "move along"...

At the end of the day, somebody needed a bath and somebody else needed a shower after giving the other somebody a bath! After getting a bath and tearing around the room to avoid getting dried off with the evil towel, Max indicated he'd had a full day.



The next day we got up and headed to Lebanon, TN...Max was NOT into the windy roads that led out of NC and into TN...so we pulled over in the first rest stop in TN...Thanks to TN State Trooper Olbert for holding onto Max while I used the state facilities...

Max and I will stay the night in Lebanon before heading out tomorrow...I had planned to go swimming here, but made the tactical error of coming before Memorial Day weekend! So, they DO technically have a pool, but it's empty :(

So, I guess we'll leave early tomorrow morning...cuz it's also rainy here....and the big thing to do here is shop their outlet mall -- a big no-no for an unemployed person! Even though I turned in a course proposal today and dropped a resume two other places for potential jobs...the job hunt never ends!

The Trek is On!

Yeah! My condo sale is DONE!!!

I am now free to move about the country, as the SW slogan goes. Tomorrow, I'm squeezing in a talk with a publishing & social networking consultant that my mom knows, then lunch with some long-time family friends before I hit the road -- first stop Asheville, NC!

My good friend in Laguna Beach has talked me into doing the Santa Barbara Triathlon Aug. 21-23 time frame (I'm slow, but not that slow...it's only one of those days)...of course, I'm doing the women-only sprint course and she's doing the coed military version.

Training has already started in Raleigh as I have been walking 2 miles a day with my mom...the sprint course requires running that far...baby steps...baby steps...

Each hotel along the way has been strategically chosen for its access to a swimming pool so I can ensure that I can at least dog paddle the required 500 yards...now all I need is to find a way to work up to the 6-mile bike ride...maybe I can find some stationary bikes in these places.

Anyone want to join us? It would at least be a fun trip to Santa Barbara :)

BTW: Here's the doggy Mother's Day card and inside it reads "I was just...uh...getting you something to drink for mother's day. yeah...that's it... :