I’ve been to Mexico, Ireland, Britain, the Bahamas, and several states but one thing I realized this year that I had not done in my entire life was a road trip. Coming to that realization, I began making ambitious plans at the start of the year to go on a grand road trip immediately after school let out and my requirements as a teacher for the school year were over. I had never been on a road trip but I loved all the traveling I’ve done so I believe my lack of travel recently got the best of me. I planned originally on just visiting the Grand Canyon but that desire of travelling again was infectious. By the end, I planned on leaving my home in Middle Tennessee heading towards Mount Rushmore, then to Yellowstone, eventually the Grand Canyon, maybe Las Vegas, and then who knows what. From January until about the last week of May my plans seemed to expand more and more. It was during that last week after a discussion with an older and road trip experienced colleague that I realized just how long road trips could be. Weeks. I planned for days. This was when reality set in, for I had only ever driven four hours at onetime and that was just to Gatlinburg, a place I had visited many times. So, I began the sad process of narrowing my first road trip’s itinerary. Through this process I discovered some places I wanted Indy and myself to go weren’t very practical or welcoming for him, which made difficult decisions much easier. Eventually it was narrowed down to just the Grand Canyon with a few side stops on the way and now that I’ve had the summer to recover and reflect, that was a decision made for the best.
We left on a Monday night and returned the following Monday morning. One ambition I was stubbornly reluctant to let go of was the idea of “roughing it” the whole trip, just me and my dog in my mom’s car for a little over a week. I figured since I had been camping plenty that I could easily survive living in her car, a Chevy Equinox. We found ourselves stopping in Little Rock, Arkansas the first night and the following morning my aching body told me why sleeping in the back of her car was not going to go how I expected. Still excited, Indy and I swung by a Starbucks for a quick breakfast and headed out to our first real stop in Oklahoma City. I had originally planned to stop at a park or two to stretch my legs but the weather was too rainy for that. Once in Oklahoma City we stopped by Big Truck Tacos for me to eat a gluttonous lunch of chili queso and some specialty tacos while Indy enjoyed the snacks I packed for him. We made a quick trip by the stockyards before heading out once again. Our next stop was interesting and fun for it was in Shamrock, Texas. Shamrock has it’s own little piece of Blarney Castle in Ireland in the town plaza. There was also a very old gas station, the Conoco, that looked liked it jumped right out of the Cars movie. This was a fun spot to stretch our legs, enjoy history, and take a few pictures. I also thought it funny that I could now say I kissed both Blarney Stones, the one in Ireland and the one in Texas. Perhaps now the gift of the gab is doubly strong with me!
Next, after a few stops to see the changing geography of the West compared to home and to stretch, we made it to Amarillo, Texas. By the time we got here it was already getting dark so we mostly just rode around, but one interesting spot was the Cadillac Ranch. It was a neat little spot on the side of a field where anyone could make their mark on the cars in the ground. I enjoyed simply looking at all the art while walking my dog. The next day we made it to Albuquerque, New Mexico where I was determined we would do our first little hike so Indy had some experience before the main event. The Piedras Marcadas Canyon Trail suited us nicely. I made sure to bring plenty of water and his bowl even though it was only a mile hike, Indy being a Miniature Australian Shepherd with a thick coat made me anxious. All in all, the hike went very well. I enjoyed the weather, exercise, and the sites with all the cool petroglyphs to be seen whereas Indy enjoyed the walking, lizard and bird chasing, and time away from our current mobile home. On our way back I had a bit of a scare, we had a curious coyote near us stop and watch us leave. It was so close I could make out all it’s features and knew he could get to us quickly if he wanted. Poor Indy was too tired of the fun to even notice so I cautiously hurried us out back towards the houses and our car nearby. The encounter took me by complete surprise because the trail we were on was not secluded, we were basically still in town and there were plenty of houses right next to the trail. I grabbed some tacos at a restaurant on our way out of town and we continued on to our stop for a night’s rest in Gallup, New Mexico. At this point, sleeping cramped in the back of the car was getting really old. It was also around this point that I realized just how far from home I was and that it’d take more than a day for me to get back. I brushed the thought off but I had always flown on my trips and the thought that getting home depended on my endurance for driving was new.
The next morning I swung by the Gallup Coffee Company shop for a coffee and scone before heading out to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Before entering the park I realized it had been a few days since Indy played with his frisbee, his favorite toy, so we took time in an empty parking area to enjoy some playtime and water. Once inside, I paid and we were off on our site-seeing drive. The twenty-eight mile drive ended up having many stops so that we could take it all in. I enjoyed every stop but after awhile Indy preferred the air-conditioned car. He especially enjoyed it after we took a twenty minute hike in the park down in a spot called the Blue Mesa. I knew it was hot in that part of the country but we were not accustomed to the style of heat. It was down in the Blue Mesa I realized I needed to look after my dog more than normal. The Petrified Forest National Park was certainly a sight to see with much more to see and experience than just a new view. We headed from here into Flagstaff, Arizona where my first stop was to PetSmart to get Indy the best little walking boots I could buy. After that necessary stop we both grabbed a good burger from Diablo Burger where I called and reserved a pet-friendly room at the Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel for the next two nights. My body and Indy had decided that “roughing it” in my mom’s car was not worth it if it was going to take away from the experience of the Grand Canyon in any way.
The next morning felt amazing waking up in an actual bed and that went for both of us. As soon as we were inside the park I grabbed a coffee and blueberry muffin to enjoy for breakfast before heading out for the day and Indy was given a light snack since he had already been given his breakfast at the hotel. This was the big day and it consisted of one big walk from start to finish. I was very proud of Indy because not only was he wearing his boots well but he was doing very well behaviorally with the other dogs and people. One of the main reasons for this trip was for Indy to get back in the groove of being around people again because most of his life consisted of the same people thanks to COVID-19. Even with how protective he is of me, he let anyone who wanted to pet and scratch him have at it the whole trip and that in itself I took as a win and something to be immensely proud of. With lots of water stowed away in my backpack and plenty of time, we set out to get our money’s worth of the Grand Canyon. Me being accompanied by my dog meant I could only do so much but that was fine by me, the entire point of the trip was me and my dog bonding over a cool experience of a lifetime sort of thing. Being on the Southern Rim we walked from the Visitor Center to Mather Point towards Yaki Point, back to the car for lunch and rest, and then all the way as far on the other end at Kolb Studio before trekking back to the car to return to the hotel room. As hot and tiring as it was, I enjoyed the entire day from start to finish seeing the canyon, people, other dogs people brought with them, and being in the moment with my little buddy who always found the best shade and was actually making friends with people we passed more than once. His favorite family was a family of four we met four of five times and he became so friendly with them he let them walk up and pet him like they were me or my family. It was a great coincidence to discover on our last run-in that they were from the state of Indiana! As always I made sure to grab a few souvenirs for myself and those back home. I was happy with a cool shirt but grabbed some smaller items for the family and couldn’t forget the traditional refrigerator magnets my granny required of me while on my trips in college. By the end of the day we ended up walking about fourteen miles and our bodies felt it! When it came to Indy, his showed it. I had never seen him covered in so much dirt! I grabbed a quick supper and gave us both a shower at the hotel as quick as I could because it was obvious we were crashing hard. Indy was so tired that by the time he was dried off and I got the call through to my parents he was fast asleep and wasn’t coming up!
The next morning we woke up reluctantly, check out of the hotel, and made our way back to the Visitor Center on the Southern Rim. I got my coffee and blueberry muffin, found us a place to sit, and enjoyed the morning at the Grand Canyon one last time while I ate. Indy enjoyed a snack, water, and guarding me while letting the passersby give him attention. After, we returned to the car and began our exit of the Grand Canyon by way of the Desert View Drive. The stops were enjoyable with different vantage points with a more clear view of the Colorado River compared to the previous day. We met some more nice people, took some pictures, and Indy’s behavioral issues I was told about by a veterinarian when he was a puppy came out full force before noon. Like me, Indy had never been on a road trip, at most he had spent the night with me at my sister’s house. At this point in the trip Indy was over being away from home and it was clear he was ready to be back. He was so mad at me he began jumping in the back of the car in an attempt to avoid having to get out at the stops and then even after we left and headed home he wouldn’t lay with me in my lap like he likes to or even look at me! We stopped outside Amarillo, Texas for the night because I couldn’t drive any further. I woke the next day, a Sunday, began driving, and only stopped when necessary. I realized that I, like Indy, was ready to be home. It wasn’t long before Indy picked that up and he warmed back up to me. It was a long day but we made it home by one o’clock in the morning on Monday.
After barely making it home, again at one in the morning, I barely had the front door opened when Indy busted through and bolted to my parents’ room and proceeded to make it very aware how homesick he had been. Once calmed down, we both went to bed and I believe it took at least two days for us to recover fully from the long trip. Now that the summer is almost over for me with it being time for school to start back up and I’ve had time to reflect, I’m glad it turned out the way it did. I enjoy learning and our road trip was definitely a learning experience. Meeting new people is fun, seeing new places is very fun, trying different food and buying souvenirs is also nice parts of traveling. On all my other trips I enjoyed those, but just like when I took my Dad to Ireland I will always cherish how special this little trip was because I was on the road with just my dog. My bestfriend. With that being said, I think I can speak for Indy when I say that I will never “rough it” again or attempt such an endeavor on my own. If there is to be a next time, and I think there will be, I believe company will be a requirement.
