I am an avid dog lover – especially my two girls. I also love to travel. I travel a lot, especially for work. Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, even New Zealand.

Of course, when you’re in meetings all days and staying on the 14th floor of a 4 star hotel, it’s not too convenient to take 2 huskies with you.   Even if the hotel approved it, I wouldn’t want to pay to clean up the mayhem two bored huskies would create.  All the same, I do hate leaving them for up to three weeks at time.  After all, companionship was the reason for which I adopted them in the first place.

As I was planning my spring vacation, I made up my mind that from now on ALL pleasure travel was going to include my dogs.  While they are well behaved, I can’t exactly say that are the world’s best dogs.  Something we’ll just have to work on if they’re going to travel the world with me.  So here begins our great adventures – the world on a leash!

We’ve been back home long enough for Aurora to forget that she doesn’t want to get in the car and Zahara back into her old habits of asking for “second dinners” instead of skipping meals. Both dogs race to the door anytime I put my shoes on, and even though we’re usually going for runs, they are always asking if they get to go for a ride this time.

One of the great things about the area where I live is that there are two miles of dirt roads to our house and no leash laws, so evening jogs for me mean gallivants through the desert for them. They are getting very good at coming when called, no matter how enticing that rabbit or other dog may be, something that is a huge encouragement to me when I consider our next road trip.

The not-so-wonderful thing about where I live – Tucson area – is that while there are hundreds of hiking trails, most of them are in the Catalinas and dogs are not allowed. If anyone can recommend some great hikings trails in the Tucson area where dogs are welcome, please let me know about them!

Having not had much chance to see the caves last night, we returned to Carlsbad Caverns this morning. We checked the dogs back into the kennel service, where Zahara ran straight for her kennel from yesterday despite the fact that there were bigger kennels now available. To help the settle in, we had bought them both bones which they eagerly set about consuming. Meanwhile, we returned to the caves to explore.

My father and I entered through the Natural Entrance while my mother rode the elevator and revisited the Great Hall. We met in the rest area afterward, picked up the dogs and headed west towards the Guadalupe Mountains National Forest and the Permian Reef.

We took a short break to check out the visitor center and let the dogs play, but while there were tons of highly recommended hiking trails, it was already too late in the day to go on any of them. With almost 7 hours of driving still ahead of us and it already being mid afternoon, we elected to just head home. This is definitely a place I’d like to revisit with my dogs, though.

Permian Reef

The dogs were delighted to be home, to see my roommate and my parents’ dog, and to once again have ready access to their own back yard. I imagine by tomorrow they’ll be missing the new environments and constant activity this trip afforded them. Vacationing with my dogs is definitely going to be a new and enduring part of my life!

Tuesday morning we rose early and checked out of our hotel. Aurora was shedding less, but there was still a cloud of dog hair where she had been sleeping. We had a couple hour drive to Carlsbad ahead of us – assuming we didn’t get lost again and prolong the trip – and then the dogs would be checked in to the kennel service at Carlsbad. So before heading south, we made one last trip to White Sands.

The dogs were excited as they jumped out of the car, and we took off together up the nearest dune. They raced along, bounding with ease, while I sunk into the sand at each step. I’m not exactly sure what the rules are at White Sands, but it was early and there were no other people around, so I dropped the leashes and let my dogs run. We went up one dune, over and down, then raced up the next. By then my father had also climbed to the top of the dune, so we took turns calling the dogs from one dune to the other, running with them a short ways, then sending them back to the other dune.

Finally, exhausted, we all collapsed onto the dune to catch our breath. It was a great decision for morning exercise though – the dogs settled quietly into the back of the car to nap, and we headed down to Carlsbad.

Load Up!

We didn’t get lost this time, but with a late start (due to White Sands) and a lunch break, we just missed the last afternoon tour at Carlsbad Caverns. Not that it would have mattered – the tours were all full. We checked the dogs into the kennel – $5/ dog for a day, but since it was already so close to closing time, the gentleman who checked us in waived the fee. He also, very kindly, gave us an extension as the kennel usually closes at 4pm and it was already 3:45.

The kennels were clean, cool, and quiet. Zahara was terrified, pulling hard to get out, but once introduced to her kennel she retreated gladly into the safety of the “cave” and hunkered down in the far corner. Aurora, on the other hand, was eagerly sniffing around and was loathe to go into the kennel at all. Once in, they both settled down, and we headed off to buy tickets and spend an our walking through the caves on the self-guided tour.

We returned to get the dogs, both eager to see us and ready to go, but no worse for the wear. Nothing like having to spend a few hours at the vet’s kennels with dogs barking non-stop. There were several trails around the caverns, and in order to give the dogs a chance to stretch, we took one to the top of Walnut Canyon lookout, then walked along the top for a bit.

We returned to Carlsbad for the night, to Motel 6 where we had planned to stay. Two dogs were welcome there and the fee was minimal, but my mother found the room, while very clean, too small. So we checked out the two neighboring hotels, both of which we discovered allowed pets, and then settled in at Continental Inn. Needless to say, if you ever decide to take your dogs to Carlsbad, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a hotel that allows dogs – and all at prices around $55/night.

We fed the dogs and waited for nightfall to eat our own dinner so the dogs could stay cool in the car. As with the other hotel rooms, Zahara was uncomfortable. She had already skipped a couple meals the last few days, despite all the extra exercise, and she seemed intent on not eating again tonight. I was finally able to get her situated under the table (caves equal comfort for her), and she managed to pick through her dinner.

Poor Aurora is shedding like crazy and left a cloud of fur on the hotel room floor. Thankfully, they were able to vacuum it all up, as when we returned the floors were entirely clean.

This morning we headed up the mountain to Lincoln National Forest. Unfortunately, I hadn’t printed out a map or directions, and my memory failed me – we took the long route, then the wrong road, and finally found ourselves deep in the forest. A quick check on my Blackberry, and we were able to find where the ranger station should have been. Only it wasn’t. We found a deserted campsite, then a winding dirt road that led no where, turned around and headed further into the forest. We finally entered the forest proper, still with no ranger station in site.

The main reason for wanting to to to Lincoln National Forest was that their website had boasted that dogs could run off leash on forest trails if under voice command. While we never did find a trail, we found a dry creek bed that led us up the mountain, so off we went (off leash of course) to see how high we could go. My mother didn’t climb too high, and my father eventually stopped and went back, but the three of us pressed on. Somewhere near the top, more time conscious than anything, I turned back to find my parents.

Offleash!

The forest was oddly devoid of life. An occasional butterfly fluttered by, but no birds were even heard singing. I suppose we were too noisy. There were deer droppings all over, so it wasn’t really lifeless. The dogs had a blast running back and forth sniffing absolutely everything. Occasional patches of snow, nearly all melted already, provided Zahara with a delightful treat. She licked, bit, and then rolled in each patch she found. Aurora ignored them – she was more interested in finding mud puddles to run through.

 

After returning for our hike, we turned and drove the hour or so back to Cloudcroft. Just as we approached the town, there is was off to the right, as clear as day – the ranger station. We bought a picnic lunch in town, then headed back to the station, but by then everyone was tired so we sat under the trees and ate, then drove back down to Alamogordo.

My parents decided to stay at the hotel for a siesta while the girls and I headed back to White Sands. Hurray! We took the “Dune Life” trail this time, wandering through the habitat on the edge of the dunes, learning about all the creatures that lived there. Signs posted along the trail are the only directional indicators (there is not actual trail) and provide great information about the life here on the edge of the dunes. My dogs, on the other hand, learned all they could with their noses. Thankfully, though, they missed the “stink bugs” that were out in force, three of them crossing our path at one point. We saw tracks of the kit fox, but didn’t actually encounter anything else other than birds.

At the end of the hike we found a few sand dunes to run up and down, then headed back to the hotel for dinner.

Today was awesome. The dogs and I had an absolutely wonderful time at White Sands. I think it’s one of my favorite national parks now. We rose early and left just before 9 am as the family we were staying with had plans for the day. What should have been a two and half hour trip, though, turned into closer to four hours as my father, who was serving as Navigator, misread the directions on the Google Maps printout. Unfortunately I hadn’t printed out the maps, only the directions, or that would have been avoided). We stopped for lunch on the road and arrived into Alamogordo early afternoon. We checked into our hotel first – the Satellite Inn.

They allowed dogs (I believe for only $2 per dog per night) and were very reasonably priced. The rooms were clean, spacious, and comfortable, and came with a microwave, fridge, and internet. Oh, and free breakfast. A really good deal for the $60/night it cost the five of us. Alamogordo is a small, friendly town whose main source of income seemed to be the military base near White Sands.

The drive to White Sands National Park was only about 20 minutes long, and we arrived just after 3 pm. After checking out the visitor center (quickly, as we didn’t want to leave the dogs in the car long), we headed into the park. We did the short walk down the boardwalk first, learning about all the life in the desert (amazing how much there is! I never would have guessed), then drove as far as we could into the sands and began one of the hikes. We didn’t actually get very far in. The dogs were ready to run, so the three of us took off over the dunes. They flew over the sand as if they were born to run on it, faster it seemed then they could even run on grass. To their disappointment, they quickly outran me and reaching the extent of their long leash, slowed down. Their slow was still as fast as I could sprint over the sand dunes, and I tired long before they were ready to call it quits.

Moving a little further in, we found a quiet dune and took to climbing the leading edge (loose sand), then ran around on the hard-packed top and back edge.  Wathcing two huskies playing on the gleaming white sands was somewhat surreal.  In every direction, white mounds rose and fell, and if it weren’t for the heat of the sun beating down on me, I would have had a hard time remembering that this was sand not snow.

Queen of the Sand Dune

Snow Dogs on Sand

Finally, about an hour before sunset, we met up with a group and a ranger for the “Sunset Stroll”. The dogs walked along calmly, although enjoying every bit of attention they received from the other visitors. For an hour we ambled over the dunes, stopping to check things out. The dogs sniffed, dug, rested, and romped, seeming to enjoy the change of scenery and pace. We stayed just long enough to see the sunset, then headed back to town. After washing up, we went for dinner. It was dark by then and cool, so we left the dogs in the car. Tired from the day, they slept and settled the question once and for all as to whether they could be trusted in the car.

Zahara at White Sands

Zahara at Twilight

New Mexico Adventure: 5 days, 4 locations, 3 people, 2 dogs, and 1 Ford Explorer….

We woke early to pack the car, ready for 7 hours on the road. Aurora watched us despondently, getting more and more depressed as we packed and then loaded the car. I reassured her several times that she was coming, but of course she didn’t understand a word of it.

Finally ready to go, I called the dogs outside. It was like she didn’t believe me, but once she realized she was in fact going, she perked up. Both dogs jumped into the back of the SUV, ready to hit the road.

Several long hours of driving, and several pit stops later, we arrived in Socorro, New Mexico. We were planning to join the church service where my parents’ friend was pastor. (They meet on Saturday, the Sabbath.) The original plan had been to leave the dogs at our friends house during the service, but since we were late we went straight to the church. It was cold and the wind was picking up. We went into the church service, but after an hour I decided to check on my dogs. The church service went on for over an hour more, and after making several trips in and out, I decided to just stay out with the dogs.

Lesson 1 of traveling:

Either trust your dogs in the car for long periods of time, or have a place where they can run without supervision. My dogs actually would have been fine – with the weather turning cold there was no danger of them overheating, and they had always behaved well in the car before. More than anything, I just felt bad leaving them.

After church, we went to our friends’ house where we were to stay the night. They had a large fenced in yard, which Aurora eagerly explored, and a semi-hyper Spaniel, Gracie, which Aurora did everything she could to avoid. Zahara, on the other hand, was skittish, and stayed as close to me as she could. After a while both dogs settled in, made peace with Gracie, who had calmed down, and set about exploring the house.

Training Needed:
The first need for extra training became obvious as we sat down for dinner. At home, the dogs are not allowed into the kitchen-dining area. But here, there was no set boundary to keep the out of, so they wandered freely, coming right up to people to try to share dinner. The best I could do was have them lay down, but as no foundation for “don’t beg” had ever been set, they weren’t at all sure why they weren’t allowed to participate.

Tomorrow we will be up early again and headed for White Sands National Park.

I had long been promising my mother a trip to see some of the National Parks. There were several on our list to see, but it happened that my spring break at school coincided nicely with a much needed vacation on her part, we were in need of a good spring vacation site. That limited our choices to the Southwest, and being that we live in Arizona, we decided it better to venture out of state to new and “uncharted” territory.

Having just resolved to take my dogs on my next vacation, I immediately began searching for dog-friendly parks and hotels. And so the following plan was formed:

Day 1
We would travel first to Socorro, New Mexico, to visit some friends of my parents. (At this point, my father decided to join our party). Our hope was to join them for church on Saturday, spend the evening with them, and head out the next morning. They also had a dog, and my two were welcome at the house. With a fenced back yard, that should simplify Day 1.

Day 2
From there we would head south to Alamogordo and White Sands National Park. We would spend the night in White Sands at a dog-friendly hotel I’d found online, the Satellite Inn, and spend Day 2 at White Sands.

Day 3
Day 3 would see us traveling up into the mountains near Alamogordo to Lincoln National Forest, which among other things boasted trails where you could have your dogs off-leash as long as they were under voice control. We would return to Alamogordo for the night, before heading out the next morning.

Day 4
Early on Day 4 we would head southeast to Carlsbad, New Mexico and Carlsbad Caverns. While the dogs can not go into the caves, the park claimed to have kennels where you can leave your dogs while on the tours. Exactly what this would look like we weren’t sure, but it sounded promising. I was also hoping to find trails outside the caves where I could hike with the dogs. I found another dog-friendly hotel in Carlsbad, where we would spend that night.

Day 5
The last day of our vacation was to be spent driving home through the Permian Reef and Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwest Texas. We’d just learned about it in Geology class, so that was the crowning touch on our adventure plans.

Plans in place, dogs more than ready to be out and about,

Bored Aurora, ready to see the world

we packed our bags to travel….