The journey begins - Page 2

Thank you for the vote of confidence Gator.  I've always been a daring soul but this is the most out-there I've ever gone.  I am thinking of not only my safety, bot those of you who have offered a stay.  I have already thought of most of the things you have mentioned.  I grew up in a city so I'm pretty good at reading people.  I also know that even if you read someone and they seem okay, you still have to be on your toes.  I have some safety built-in but I've already started a list of the "possible things to go wrong and how to survive".  Bad weather is  a concern, don't want to get stranded on a lonely stretch of highway and run out of gas.  But if I do, I think I'll have what I need to get by.  I'm preparing for the worst case scenarios. 

I have a new digital camera, I can download pictures to a photo site so I don't store too much on my hard-drive.   I will create a new email account and send copies of everything I write.  I will probably edit for the weekly journal but I'll have everything else, including letters home and correspondence with my family.  The whole trip will be cataloged from morning to night, daily.  I also have a video camera but the battery is a pain so I haven't decided if I'm taking it.  My camera takes video and has much more memory. 

I traveled across the country and into northwest Canada by bus when I was much younger.  It was a wonderful experience.  My friend and I met people from all over the world on our four day trip.  Japan, New Zealand, Germany, all going to see the beautiful country up north.  And beautiful it is, the Canadian Rockies are magnificent, something you must see at least once.  This trip may give me the opportunity to see them again!   I didn't really plan to see real tourist traps but I can't pass up the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.  I may like seeing Vegas at night as I pass by but it's not a place where I plan to stop.  I'm thinking the wide open places, the small towns, the places where people live their lives.  Don't get me wrong, I like cities, but they can always be a destination, I want to see the real heart of this country! 

Wow......what a life changing experience.

I am not from USA nor Canada otherwise I would gladly offer a little refreshment for your journey with your dog with pleasure.

Wishing you great adventure and happiness for 2009.

Hey Traveler. It would be a real, real good idea to leave Canada until the end of the journey. East coast got 40" of white rain and the west coast has lots on the ground. Now some {most} of the people are not able to drive in this and so many cars will be replaced helping the economy. The rockies in Canada are awsome as I have ridden them for the past 14 years with a bike I keep in Alberta. It takes a bit of luck and planning to travel them in the winter. Now my backyard has -30 quite often and you have to prepare well to travel in that as well. Go south while you can and come see us when we awake from hibernation. You can do anything though with some thought and preparation. Hoping were blessed to cross paths.

I may head to Texas first, travel as far south as I can and maybe up the west coast.  I was thinking, as long as my car and money hold out, it should be about a year's trek.  I'm probably going to hit bad weather no matter what but I'll try to plan so it's not the absolute worst time to travel through any particular area.  I love snow but don't want to get caught in 3 feet!

The planning for this is fun in itself.  Trying to visualize what all I'll need in order to be safe, warm and alive at the end.  Just shoes have been a major issue.  I have high-top boots, low-top boots, winter shoes, sandals, tennis shoes and of course, one pair of dress shoes, just in case.  Shoes take up a lot of room, I never realized!  I'm trying to think compact because I'll have to cart my portable home with me. 

Then there is dried and canned food in case I get stuck somewhere.  I'm going today to try and find a coffee maker to plug into the socket in my car.  Anbody know if they make that?  Gander Mountain may be my store of choice for supplies.  A back-pack for both me and the dog, long line, different lenghth leads, so many things just for the dog.  I'm hoping I'll get to work him occasionally if I visit any clubs, we would both enjoy that.

I appreciate any input because planning is going to be the key to success and safety.  Keep the ideas coming, I welcome them.

12 V coffee pot (and other stuff) http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?catalogId=10101&storeId=10101&sku=12v+coffee+pot

I have done what you are planning to do quite a few times. (Typical Georgrahy major...)  Still do on the way to faraway dog events, too cheap to rent a room en route just for a few hours of sleep and a bath... I aslo keep most of this stuff in my van in the winter "just in case" I stuff it in a snow bank or leave the road and no one finds me for awhile.

Here are a few tiems you might find useful to take with-

• Good warm sleeping bag, rated to lot colder than you think you'll ever need, preferably with zip-vents on the sides.
• Comfy pillow or two + something padded and flexible to put under the bag, on floors, car seat, whatever..
• Toiletry carrier that hangs with a hook for those freshening-up stops at service stations, restaurants, truck stops
• Quick dry towels or chamois cloths
• bottle of Woolite for washing garments in the sink, + a couple of plastic hangers with cloths pins (so what if passing cars can see your lingerie drying through the windows, LOL)
• expandable garment pole that goes between your coat hook in the car (good for hanging wet towels, one decent outfit, parka, privacy curtain...)
• Flat bed sheet
• 12/110V power inverter for en route battery charging
• Audiobooks, UNABRIDGED. The miles FLY by!
• Small ice cooler with a shelf to keep dry items out of the melt-water (I have an old hard-plastic double six-packer, fit in front seat, on floor, between van seats... )
• Conservative bathing suit (You just never know!) You'd be surprized how many hot springs there are in this country, especially in Idaho, Wyoming...

Have fun, and LIVE FOR THE MOMENT! Looking forward to your weekly journal.

SS

Thank you Shelley, all good advice and now I have a few more things to add to the list! 

One more thing I'm going to need from any of you is names of good vets across the country.  I'll need to keep up with shots (due in spring) and of course any emergency that may arise.   I can always ask as I travel and think ahead to places I'm headed.  This will be an important resource for me to keep my boy healthy and happy.

I'm off to begin my shopping, I'm hoping all of the last minute Christmas shoppers will want to sleep in today!

Take a list of all SchH clubs (UScA, WDA, DVG) with contact numbers. SchH people ALWAYS know who the best vets in their areas are. If your dog is due for shots in the spring, why not update them before you go? Ask your vet for a small stash of goodies to take along too, for stuff like giardia, coccidia, general upset tummy. Sometimes water in different places (among other things) can give dogs the runs, especially if you plan to hike. Wildlife poop is loaded with bad things.

SS

................waves

Thank you Shelley, I hadn't thought of getting his shots updated now, I should have.  I'll keep all of my contact information on my computer, as well as a phone book with infomation written.  I will then be covered if my computer is down or in an area of no reception.  I can still save things to the hard disc and transfer them later.  I'm getting a basic lap-top, nothing fancy and I don't think I'll need mega memory.  As long as I can get good battery life I should be okay.  I'll have lots of paper and pens just in case.  So, contacting someone shouldn't be too difficult unless I'm in real deep do-do.  At that point I'd have to rely on survival skills anyway. 

But someone at home will always know when I'm on the move and where I'm headed so they'd have a general direction and starting location.  If I miss a check-in call they will contact someone.  I'm mapping those sorts of things now for places I know I'm headed, emergency numbers, etc.  I will have money direct deposited to my account for only my budget each week, which will be a fixed amount, and not large.  I will probably  never have more than $100.00 on me at any one time and no access to any more for a week.  Just gas will come out of a separate account and can be used for nothing but gas.  It will be flagged for any other type of purchase.  If an emergeny comes up my family knows what to do to keep me safe.

I have built in some safety but there's always the unexpected and that's what I've got to watch for.  If I make sure I know where I'm going and who I'm meeting, I'm hoping this is going to be a wonderful adventure.  I may come back destitute but I'll never get this chance again.  I'm taking it!

I lived on the road a bit back in the late sixties and early seventys, man how times have changed.

Watch yer ass out there is all I can say, and good luck.

Hope you find what your looking for.