Tag: motels

Day Five

Day Five

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All through this road trip I was amazed with Seven. He was so good. So calm. As though he knew this was it for now. Motels and highways. I know he wanted to run like mad and burn off some of that energy but as long as he was with me, he was content.

sleepy seven

Well, that is what I like to think. Once we hit six hours though he was starting to show a little anxiety, like hello where exactly are we going? That is why I tried my best to keep each day in the car to six hours which for the most part I did but there were those days when that was not the case.

Today was the last day in the USA, from Waco to Laredo. Waking up surrounded by highways in Waco is something to be desired. The free breakfast sucked. Coffee, a cigarette and honestly I cannot remember what else passed my lips that morning. It was the final stretch before another border crossing. Once again we packed the car and headed for the highway and said goodbye to the last Red Roof Inn.  This final stretch in the US was extremely boring. Highways and trucks. And more trucks the closer we came to the border town of Laredo. I must admit though the highways are big and built for speed.  Which was fine because the scenery was nothing to write home about unless you like highways and trucks.

We made good time today and checked in before our room was ready at the Family Garden Inn & Suites. We had time to explore a little. Like find a dog park. I was given directions from the lady at the front desk. Needless to say those directions flew out the window. It was pick up time at the primary school. Yikes found myself in a line-up with them, did the u-turn out of there and tried to find a park. That didn’t work so back to the Inn and our room was ready. It was great, two exits which I guess is great if you need that quick exit. One door was to the car, the other was to the open patio and the centre of the motel. The leash and poop on command time for Seven, it’s become a no brainer for him by this point. This motel does not offer free breakfast but free beers and nachos, burgers, hot-dogs.  By this time I am starving so I go over to get my free beers and nachos which did not work, do I ordered from the grill. Can’t remember what I ordered, doesn’t matter it was awful and so was the margarita.

Last night in the USA. Wow was I ready for this? Who knows what I watched on the big bright lite at the end of the bed. It does not matter. Seven is beside me and all is good.

Day Five – done.

Day Four

Day Four

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Woke up and so wish I could go back to sleep for another few hours. First things first, take Seven out for a pee. This is really quite hard because since he came home with me all I have had to do is open the front door and off he goes. This wake up, get dressed, leash ordeal is not fun for me especially when one does not feel 100%. Of course I have no one to blame but myself for the wine that was consumed the night before, so out we go. We meet other people who are doing the same and having the same problem. Seven is at least peeing and pooing basically on command. I felt sorry for this one lady whose dog was having a hard time to do either because he was out of his environment. We must not forget that travel will affect everyone differently including animals. Back inside I make my way to the free buffet. It was great but all I could stomach was some juice, coffee and a croissant. Not really adequate for the day ahead but pocketed some fruit to take with me.

We leave Fort Smith and start our journey to Waco, Texas.

the route

Have been told off numerous times of the correct pronunciation but either way people know where you are going.  We are definetly heading south now as the windows need to be open at all times. Leaving Fort Smith we take a road less travelled and yes I got lost but only slightly.  I was told by one nice lady to take one route because it will be quicker but another said no, take this one if you are not in a hurry.  It was the latter one I took because at the time I was in no hurry to take the major highway and I am glad I did.   But eventually one must face the traffic.

Dallas

Somewhere along that highway in Texas before Dallas I stopped at one of the best pit stops I have made. It was big as one could imagine cos this is Texas. Seven was able to be without a leash away from traffic and people, stretch those legs baby we are half way there. In the huge welcome area I find a map and ask the guy what’s the best way around Dallas, should I take the ring road or barrel right through. He drew on the map and said go straight through. I wasn’t sure if I was going to buy the map but thought well shit now I have to but no, the kind man folded it up and said enjoy your time in Texas ma’am.

With that we were on the road again. Trucks. More trucks. More trucks. The highways in Texas are big. And through Dallas was no different so it was the best way to go. How many more highways does one city need? Construction everywhere. More highways, more trucks. Our stop in Waco was smack in the middle of highways. Not a restaurant really unless I wanted to get lost in Waco. So it was once again pizza. And the tiniest spot to take Seven for his business. By now we were both getting accustomed to the leash. Haha listen to me – I don’t think we will ever get used to it.

Lights out – end of day four.

 

Day Three

Day Three

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Each night including the night before I left I would write down the directions to our next stop.  I wish I had kept all of those notes. It was a wonder I could actually follow them the next day with confidence. I don’t have the luxury of GPS in my car and I do not have mobile internet. I refuse to pay for data on my cell. Why would one, when everywhere has WiFi. It also gave me a sense of where I was and the road ahead. Now as you can tell if you have read the past posts, it seems I get lost a fair bit. All part of being on the road I say to Seven. Not always are maps correct. I was using Google Maps which helped guide me and it was pretty straightforward until the directions I had written suddenly became redundant. Road closures, detours and trucks. So many trucks. Then try circumventing around a large city that you do not know in the pouring rain not able to see anything in front of you with people weaving in and out of lanes because they “know” the roads, they are the dangerous ones. And then the trucks. So many trucks. I was holding onto the steering wheel tightly and by the time I stopped I thought my shoulders were about ready to seize up permanently.  We have a big dislike for cities.

Day three was from St Louis, Missouri to Fort Smith Arkansas. The landscape in Arkansas was amazing. A lot of the highway was empty and suddenly I think I am in a scene from Deliverance. Strange where your mind takes you. Seriously, there was a scenic route that I would have loved to take but we only had so many hours of daylight driving and I did not need to get lost in those hills as breath-taking as they were.

Lynn

We upgraded to Best Western in Fort Smith because there is no Red Roof Inn. Cost me extra for Seven but he is definitely worth it.  At Red Roof you do not pay for your dog. It was great, they gave me room right beside an exit door which made it very easy to take Seven out for pee and poo time. But it did not matter because tonight was special. I had arranged to meet with a fellow animal advocate for dinner and some wine. Lynn was fabulous. she brought one of her rescues, darling Sasha

Sasha

along for the evening too which was great for Seven. Lynn brought the wine which was fabulous, wine always surpasses beer which we manged to consume all of it and I am not telling how many bottles. And she bought dinner which I inhaled. Now how awesome is that. We talked for hours about so many things that are forefront in our minds daily – the welfare of animals in the world, it was liking meeting up with a long lost friend. We could have continued for hours more, but I was on a mission, I needed sleep for the next day on the highway. One day Lynn, we shall meet again, I am sure of it.

Lynn and I

One last pee for Seven, one last drink of the fabulous cream licquer Lynn left before I wrote my directions for the next day.

Over and out, the end of day three.

the motel look

 

 

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