Day 9 (Wednesday 5/20) Three Forks MT to St Mary MT

I awoke around 3am to find a cold, shivering beagle next to me. I had put a towel over him to act as a blanket before going to sleep, but he shook it off. I put his jacket on this time, and tried to get him to come next to me in the sleeping bag (because I was plenty warm), but no such luck. We got up around 5:30 since it was light already and I thought moving around would warm us up. Max occupied himself with tracking and chasing the field mice around the tipi (through the canvas walls) while I stored our gear and prepared breakfast. It was pretty cool (mid-40's) and windy still so we both appreciated the heater in the Jeep.

We left the BearTooth Mountains and the Madison River and headed north towards Glacier National Park, which I was really looking forward to. I almost wrote it off as too far to go but am so glad we went.  I really think it will be one of the high points of the trip once it is all said and done.  We just took I-15 straight up through Helena and Great Falls to Cut Bank, then West into the Rockies. There were F-15's flying around doing exercises above Great Falls. While I do not approve of their purpose and use, from a purely mechanical view they are pretty phenomenal to watch. We also passed some pretty large Wind Farms, with more towers on the way up. The way the wind has been blowing the past few days I can't imagine that not being a great source of electricity. There are many permanent signs along that highway (US-2 I think) warning about high cross-winds so I don't think this is out of the ordinary, either.

As they do all up and down the continent, the Rockies sneak up on you out of nowhere West of Cut Bank. You're crossing rolling fields and small hills then all of a sudden you notice prominent, snow-capped peaks rising up ahead. A very ragged coyote crossed the road just in front of us at one point. I told Max he was lucky he didn't live out here year-round. We wound our way up to St Mary, passing through a small snow flurry but seeing much heavier ones up above us in the mountains. The campground did not have our small primitive cabin ready so they gave us "Cottage #1" which was pretty big, with a full bathroom, kitchen area, seperate bedroom, and front porch. This was no tipi. I think Max was relieved.

On a quick walk around the camp we found the remains of a deer just down the hill, with the hoof and leg a little farther uphill. We are immediately adjacent to Glacier NP so there are all kinds of serious wildlife around. They have seen bears on site fairly recently, but I suspect that was the work of either a mountain lion or cayotes.





We have all day tomorrow to explore Glacier, but since we were here and settled in by 1:30 we did take a quick trip up the "Going to the Sun Road" from the East Entrance, which was only about a mile from our campsite. It was only open for about 13 miles, but we saw quite a lot and made it up to pretty high elevations. The scenery in Glacier, like the Badlands, defies being captured on film. Majestic peaks tower overhead while we experienced a pretty heavy snowstorm for late May. Apparently in August or early September a few years ago they got a foot of snow. The temperature went from 44* at our campsite to 33* only a few miles up the road. We saw a herd of bighorn sheep grazing next to the road, and also got a fleeting glimpse of a much larger, much more impressive coyote darting across.  I went I went in the visitor center to get an idea of how much we can see with the whole day to explore tomorrow. The road is not open all the way through because there is still about 50 feet of snow covering it up top, so we'll have to drive around the long way to the West Entrance.

I was talking to the ranger in the visitor center about the wildlife in the park, and specifically mentioned wolves, and she mentioned that they did not have to reintroduce wolves to the park like they have had to elsewhere (Yellowstone). They came down from Canada and repopulated the park on their own. There were 5 packs of them last year but some are in jeopardy because they don't respect the boundaries of the park and venture out and eat cattle.

We took advantage of our deluxe accommodations by picking up some Mahi filets at the grocery store down in St Mary and cooking a proper dinner. We also overcompensated for last night by running the heat pretty heavily. Since I was warm enough, I let Max win tonight's "battle of the blue sleeping bag" and he slept on the foot of it all night. He really loves that thing.

Day 8 (Tuesday 5/19) Dickinson ND to Three Forks MT

We took advantage of the tub at the Super 8 to give my sidekick a bath.  He didn't seem to mind, I guess since he had been itching so much.  That and a fresh dose of flea medicine seems to have cut down on his scratching.  

Today was basically a shot straight over on I-94 then I-90 across Montana.  Very big state, without a lot to mention.  We did experience our second bird strike of the trip.  So much for "do no harm."  Very windy but otherwise a pretty nice drive.  

To make up for the thoroughly boring drive, I thought we'd liven things up with our lodging tonight.  I had seen online that some of the State Parks in Montana rented tipis, and Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park was one of them.  Apparently I'm the first one to ask about this in a while because when I called the woman I spoke with had to consult with someone else.  When I arrived, though, there was one tipi set up at the base of the field.  It was very windy so we observed it for a while before taking occupancy but it seemed very stable.  Had dinner, watched a bird attack the side mirror of the Jeep, and took a few slow strolls around the campsite while we watched the sun go down.  Got some great pictures of Max (top).

This would have been a great place to watch the stars but it gets dark so late out that we were both asleep before it got completely dark.  It was a little interesting being out in a tipi after seeing signs about rattlesnakes at the rest areas, and of course we were in bear country now so we made sure to put anything remotely food scented in the Jeep, but all we were visited by was the little field mice that seemed to have a ball running around between the two layers of canvas of tipi.

Oh, the drive into the state park from I-90 was pretty dramatic.  It was only on the opposite side of the hill/mountain facing the interstate, but was very different.  This was a very tight valley with a river, a railroad track, and the road crammed in between two very high vertical cliffs.  

Day 7 (Monday 5/18) Hill City SD to Dickinson ND

Woke up and took Max for a walk on the trail.  We came upon some horses and he started running towards them and - notice his red leash handle in the photo - he pulled away from me.  Fortunately if I yell his name with the right amount of panic in my voice he usually stops immediately and sits down.  When we got back by the cabin, I think Max achieved some level of Nirvana when he had a combo roll / sunbath / belly rub / nap all in a few seconds.  

Then I took a 3-mile run the other way, which was downhill first, then up.  Not nearly as enjoyable this way, and I think the incline was steeper on this side of camp.  Talked to a lady in an RV who had checked in right after me.  She asked about the Georgia plates and said that they had a house near Atlanta, but were on the road in their RV full time now.  Her, her husband, a small daughter, and two German Shepherds.  Very nice.  

Loaded up and hit the road, bound for North Dakota.  Had to add some antifreeze to the Jeep, but that is not unusual.  Today was classic rock day.  I have yet to find anything that compliments a drive so well as classic rock, and the Rolling Stones were right on today.  There are some VERY long stretches of nothing out in the Dakotas, which does not make for an interesting story (or drive), other than how remarkable it is that it is so sparsely populated.  We did run out of road at one point.  I guess they were redoing a section of SD-20 and the pavement ended and we were on gravel/dirt/mud for about 10 miles.  

The Enchanted Highway: Not as cool as CarHenge, and way farther out of the way, so I don't know that I can say it was worth it (basically like a complete day's detour, not that we're on a tight schedule or anything).  I'm glad I saw it.  I'm also glad Max peed on one of them.  And I have no desire to see it ever again.  Supposedly they are the biggest metal sculptures in the world, but aren't the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower "metal sculptures"?  The last one, Geese in Flight, is right where the Enchanted Highway intersects I-94, which marked the farthest NorthEast we'll go on this trip.  

West a little ways to Dickinson, North Dakota, which is the rough, rugged, industrial kind of place that I picture in my head when I think of places like North Dakota or Montana.  Lack of interesting or unique pet-friendly accommodations, and a fairly cold night with a strong wind, led us to an unremarkable Super-8 hotel.  We did find a little walking trail that led us by a softball game with some pretty good plays being made, but the whole area looks haggard, like it just dug out from a really brutal winter (which I'm sure they had).

Day 6 (Sunday May 17) Badlands

Badlands Beagle!

Breakfast, then a shorter walk on the Michelsen trail (taking it easy on Max since we had 2 long ones yesterday), then off on a day trip to the east to check out Minuteman Missile National HIstoric Site and Badlands National Park. We went out I-90 East, through Wall, SD, home of Wall Drug. I don't know why it's so famous other than the same reason South of the Border, Ron Jon, and Yeehaw Junction are famous: billboards for miles. We went by if only because it was one more stop Chevy Chase made in National Lampoons Vacation. I've had that Holiday Road song stuck in my head since the idea for this trip came up (and of course downloaded it to my ipod and have listened to it every day, I think).



The Minuteman Missile NHS was closed on Sundays, and incredibly hard to find (thanks, google), but it was right on the way to Badlands so it didn't really cost us any wasted time. Badlands National Park is one of those places that really does not come across in pictures, you have to actually be there to experience it. The grassland turns into the Badlands incredibly quickly, and the whole place just leaves you saying "wow" a lot. We drove through pretty much the whole northern unit of the park, including about 20 miles down the unpaved Rim Road. There were more Bison and Prairie Dogs for Max to check out. Other than that, I think he was tired from his two long hikes yesterday so we took it easy, seeing most everything from the car.

We made our way back to Rapid City and down to Mt Rushmore, since we had to see that since it is probably the most well known attraction in the area and we were staying only a couple of miles from it.  It was pretty impressive, but I think we were more entertained another mile or so down the road where we got to watch a mountain goat climb about 40 feet up a sheer cliff because there was a little patch of grass he wanted to eat.   

Picked up some groceries, back to the cabin, dinner, laundry, blogging, packing.  Max is still on East Coast time, so around 7pm here it is doggie bedtime. It occurred to me tonight that this is probably the first time he has been in a different time zone so, while he notices it is light out much later, I'm sure that really means nothing to him.

Tomorrow: North Dakota's Enchanted Highway.  

Day 5 (Saturday May 16) Devil's Tower

Since we actually had a home base for a few days, and since it was quite cold out with a heavy frost, we slept in. There was a nice trail that ran right behind our cabin: the George S Mikelson Trail.  We took a 1.5 mile beagle walk, where there were lots of horses and other animals for Max to sniff.  The lady in the office said that it is not unusual to catch a glimpse of mountain lions if you're out at first light.  Then breakfast, followed by my taking a run down the other way for around 3 miles.  It was great weather, scenery, everything.  A huge motorcycle convoy went by on US385; it had to consist of a couple hundred motorcycles.  It just kept going and going.  

Max lounging by the cabin. Rough life, right?

After lounging around our campsite some, we took a day trip through Deadwood and Sundance over into Wyoming to Devil's Tower National Monument. The tower itself was pretty cool. We hiked the 1.3 mile Tower Trail that encircles the base. Technically dogs are not allowed on the trails but we barged and no one said anything (other than some kids who wanted to pet him). We had very good views of the rock climbers and could hear them talking.



Prairie Dogs! On the way in and out of the park, we passed the Prairie Dog Town. I stopped at a couple of spots for Max to check them out. They were fun to watch, very animated.  I can't even imagine how long it would take to get him back in the Jeep if he had gotten out. It would have been like a real-life Beagle version of whack-a-mole as they dove down a hole and popped up another one. It was almost tempting, but they don't mess around with the fines for harassing wildlife in the National Parks.

Then a scenic drive back through Sturgis and, after only a brief wrong turn, back to camp. There is NO data capability for mobile phones out here and hardly any phone signal either, so we were going off our Atlas to get around. Fortunately I had gotten an up to date one before we left.

Saw lots of wildlife today, from the Prairie Dogs to elk, lots of deer and even some mountain goats. On the way back to camp deer crossed the road in front of us in a couple of spots, forcing us to slow down.

Day 4 (Friday May 15) North Platte NE to Hill City SD

We awoke in North Platte, Nebraska after a comfortable night in back of the Jeep, had breakfast, went for a walk, and hit the road. We only had a 6-hour drive to our cabin in South Dakota and we had some sights to see. Once we got off I-80 at Ogallala to go North on US-26, the landscape changed rapidly into rolling green hills and lakes. A powerful wind had swung around and was coming out of the north, blowing through the fields. The birds had to fly incredibly fast to make any progress against the wind, building up speed then closing their wings and darting ahead like little bullets. We also passed trains seemingly as often as cars. Not surprising, since North Platte is the largest railroad yard in the world, handling over 10,000 railroad cars per day. As I was letting my mind wander back to the original settlers who had come into this area without roads or bridges, thinking about how difficult that journey must be in comparison to my own, I passed a guy on a bicycle loaded with camping gear heading south. That is definitely a different experience from my own, but I don't know that I'm up for that challenge just yet. I think it's safe to say that Max would have to sit that one out.





After a very scenic 4-hour or so drive, we arrived in Alliance, NE, the home of CarHenge.  This is one of those can't miss sights on a cross-country trip.  Max loved it.  It is a reproduction of Stonehenge created from vintage American automobiles, with some other "sculptures" having been erected since it's creation in 1987.  It was a great place to stop and walk around. A very cold wind was blowing across the field. At one point Max looked at me and we took off running to check out another sculpture. He seemed very curious about the whole site.



Off to one side, a small 80's Japanese care was planted like a tombstone, and in fading letters on cracking paint was inscribed: "Here lie three bones of foreign cars. They served their purpose while detroit slept. Now Detroit is awake and America is great!" I guess that falls under "Irony".

After a quick lunch in downtown Alliance (Taco John's eaten by the little courthouse in downtown), we were back heading North. We passed through Chadron; that was the site of a store Wallace's had and now NBC runs. I remember Jeff Wright hated to go there because it was so remote. Into South Dakota, stopping at a roadside park in Buffalo Gap National Grassland for a quick walk and break.



In Hot Springs, we stopped at the Mammoth Dig Site. In 1974 they were building a housing development there and stopped when they noticed something the bulldozer had turned up. I didn't really know what to expect, but was glad I stopped. This was a sinkhole where the warm spring (90 degree water) drew these huge animals, but the slippery mud and their large flat feet prevented them from escaping. They have drilled down 67 feet and found evidence of fossils all the way down. The area that has been excavated contains many nearly complete skeletons, which have been left in place with the building erected over them. I did a very quick tour then back on the road.



Heading North, we entered Wind Cave National Park, which boasted signs stating "Large Wildlife on Road". Just after that, we spotted our first Bison, then around the next bend there were many of them. At a couple of points they were very close to the road. I slowed down at a couple of places where they were close for Max to check them out. He got pretty agitated, snorting and huffing and shifting around, letting out long low whines. We moved on through Custer State Park and the Black Hills National Forest and went right by Crazy Horse Monument before arriving at the Crooked Creek Resort campground in Hill City, SD. Crazy Horse is a work in progress but the next big blast is not scheduled for another couple of weeks so we will miss that.

We had a camp cabin reserved for the next 3 nights that was pretty basic (but nicer than I imagined).  It did have electric and heat, which was fortunate (and well planned) since it was supposed to get down to 31* that night. For the first time we unloaded the car and settled in to our new accomodations. This campground was not very crowded and looked very new. We had dinner, had a walk around the area, then I started blogging and Max slept. It was a very enjoyable day.

Day 3 (Thursday May 14) Missouri to North Platte NE

Woke up and saw that our deluxe sleeping facility was a little shabbier than it appeared last night. However, they did have a surprisingly clean restroom. The weather had cleared up nice, so we cooked a leisurely breakfast outside on our camp stove, then hiked down the road a bit, seeing nothing of interest. We packed up and hit the road for one more pretty long day. I wanted to get pretty far out west before we slowed down and started seeing more sights. Besides, there was nothing in Southern Illinois or Missouri that I knew I wanted to see anyway. So, on around Kansas City, up I-29 into and across the bottom SW corner of Iowa, then over into Nebraska.

We stopped at a quaint little gas station East of Lincoln, in Unadilla, NE. I was befuddled when there was no place to put a credit card in the gas pump, then when it would actually pump gas without prepaying. To a stranger. Wow, this was like Back to the Future, only with a Jeep instead of a nuclear-powered DeLorean. We bought some chips and a drink and sat down on the picnic table next to the gas station and ate our lunch of tuna fish (with chips or dog food, respectively). We walked around a sweet little neighborhood that looked like where you picture your grandmother living when she was young.

You might be a redneck if: the school bus that picks up your kids is lifted.

I followed NE-2 into Lincoln, passing within blocks of the main office of the company I used to work for (Nebraska Book Company). I swear that was completely unintended, they're just right there off SR2 a few blocks. I looked it up on my iPhone and saw it on the map. Then out of Lincoln and straight down I-80 all afternoon. Not much traffic, clear skies, a good day for driving. We passed under the Great Platt River Road Arch:

We stopped because I thought Max might want to pee, or some water, or something. Nope, Road Dog just wanted to keep on trucking. He found a spot where he could nap in the sun while watching the road unroll behind us.

We made it to North Platte, Nebraska, right around 5:00 or so. We drove over to Lake Malone State Park where I was planning to spend the night tent camping.  We got there, and there were signs up saying "Reduced Services due to Budget Cuts" or something like that.  The wind was really picking up and coming off the lake, and there was an active gun range right next door.  After considering this briefly, we went back towards the interstate to check out an RV Park we passed.  It got very good ratings online, and there were some very nice rigs in there.  I did not see any other tents so I didn't think they even allowed tent camping but went in to ask.  Sure, no problem, and we had a spot to stay.  However, the wind was really picking up.  By the time I got the tent put up, a gust of wind came and slammed into the tent.  It held and popped back up into shape, but I could easily envision coming back and finding it blown away, or ripped to shreds.  So, packed up the tent and looked forward to another night of truck camping (but in better surroundings and weather).  

We took a little drive around North Platte, specifically to check out something I had seen on the map given to me upon checking in to the Holiday RV Park.  It was called the "Waggin Tails Dog Park" and was only a few blocks from our campsite.  We found a new, clean, somewhat deserted trail along the South Platte River and took a walk.  The temperature was nice but with a cool strong wind coming out of the South.  We went back towards the hotel, first driving around North Platte.  It looks nice now when the weather is perfect, but I bet it was pretty brutal a few months ago in winter.  

I gave into temptation for an easy dinner and picked up a pizza on the way back across the street to the RV Park. We had a pleasant dinner on the picnic table next to the Jeep; the wind had died down some as darkness approached. We took a stroll around the park and looked at all the different RV's then settled into bed. They had WiFi access so I researched some further destinations and my plan for the next few days on the road became clearer.

Day 2 (Wednesday May 13) Tennessee to Missouri

We awoke to a pretty nice morning, just a tad cool, but with some grey clouds starting to appear overhead. First I broke down camp (so the tent and gear wouldn't get wet if it rained) then we went on a walk.  Max enjoyed exploring the campground and tracking the dogs of the other campers (mostly RV's).  He even ran for a little while, which has been unusual lately.  Apparently that is more due to the heat than his arthritis, so the cool weather made him feel pretty good.  I was glad we were heading north and also happy that this seemed to reaffirm that he would like this trip.  There was plenty of cool weather left to be had where we were going.   

Then we cooked breakfast and hit the road.  We took a scenic route back to I-24 (Cummings Hwy,  US64) which allowed us to see a little bit of the real South: no mobile phone service, lots of trailer homes and poverty, but also nice lake views and winding country roads through the hills. 

This was our long driving day at about 12 hours.  We went clear across Tennessee (through Nashville and Clarksville) on I-24 and into Kentucky.  I have a little soft spot for Kentucky since I lived there in Lexington for most of 1998.  We stopped at a really nice rest area and had lunch and walked around a bit, then just up the road we jumped off I24 for a scenic detour.  The only place that intrigued me in Kentucky, and my original idea for where to stop after day 1, was Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.  It also was not very far out of our way at all, maybe just slowing us down by a few minutes.  It was nice scenery, but what really occurred to me there happened when I realized that they were clearing the way next to me to widen this from a 2-lane road to a 4-lane divided highway.  That seemed very destructive and unnecessary considering the lack of traffic and the fact that it was supposed to be protected lands.  Anyway, I realized that part of why road trips are special is that you can't really recreate one.  Things change, be they roads or buildings or towns, or experiences along the way.

We continued up US68 for a while, eventually coming back into I24 near Paducah.  Then we entered Illinois, which I didn't even expect to drive through.  Actually our route took us through it quite a bit of Illinois, illustrating my lack of awareness regarding midwest geography.  That may be bad for this trip.  Had a nice walk at a rest area that had some wooded trails for dogs to go down.  A really nice gay guy petted Max.  I guess there is something about gays hanging out at rest stops.  

After we swung onto I64 to go West, we're just driving along midway through the state when I see this old Winnebego-style RV start to veer right (already in the right lane).  I was getting ready to pass but hung back since I thought hitting the bumps would wake him up and he might swing back too hard, overcorrecting.  Nope, apparently he was sound asleep, because that thing went right off the road and down the embankment.  I grabbed the phone to dial 911 and prepared to stop, thinking that I was going to watch this thing EXPLODE when it hit the trees.  It did not look like it would take much for this thing to shatter apart anyway.  So just before he hits the big trees, he swings it around, goes parallel to them for a while ripping branches off and throwing leaves everywhere, then makes it back up to the road and stops.  I slowed down to a crawl next to him to see if he was OK, and he looked fine, just embarrassed.  There were limbs and leaves sticking out everywhere, the side door was swinging open, but it seemed pretty much intact.  I really regret not stopping and getting out under the cover of checking on if he was alright but really to take a picture of the RV.  It was a sight. 

Onward through Illinois.  Big storms ahead of us but they split and went around us.  There is one problem with going from Illinois into Missouri: St Louis.  I got my token picture of the Arch and thought I had slipped through before rush hour.  Wrong.  What an awful place to drive through between 4 and 5 pm.  This convinced me to avoid major cities in the future regardless of what google maps says.  

After somehow escaping from St Louis, we were running behind schedule.  There were storms up ahead with tornado warnings coming through Kansas City ahead of me.  Our campground was up I-70 another couple of hours and then down south another 45 minutes or so.  I did not remember it being that far out of the way, either.  I must have picked this place based on the name: Knob Noster State Park.  I'll jump at the chance to stay at a funny named place. We still had a ways to go and needed gas so we got dinner at Subway, gassed up, and found a nice place to eat behind the Chamber of Commerce or something which had a clean empty parking lot to stop and eat at, a large field next to it to take a walk, and a nice memorial to all the firefighters who had died in Missouri.  There was a cool, strong breeze blowing ahead of the rain and we were on kind of a rise watching the weather come at us.  

We went as far as we could.  We made it almost to KC, actually to the exit where we were supposed to turn to drive another 45 minutes to the south to reach the campsite.  The sky was black and flashing with angry lightning ahead.  There was a sign for a campground/rv park right off the exit.  We got off at the exit then doubled back maybe half a mile and came upon this RV park that probably used to be pretty nice until the new owners bought it but didn't have the money to keep it maintained.  I'm gathering some of this from a really nice aerial photo of the place hanging in the "restaurant"/office.  Thinking about ordering something to eat in there makes me feel ill even now.  Anyway, I didn't see all that until the next day.  I just saw darkness setting in, raindrops starting to splatter, ominous lightning, and an RV park with a some unoccupied slots.  There was an "after hours registration" box, fill out the little form and place with $13 in the mailbox thing and we had our place to stop.  This was, apparently, going to be "truck camping" night.  No problem, that's why we've got it and we may as well try it out.   

Max's surprise was apparent when I started to crawl into the back.  Just like when I set up the air mattress in the Orlando house after the furniture was gone to Savannah, he thought it was a nice big doggie bed for him.  There was really plenty of room for him, which he would concede the next night, but he didn't like it so he went up and curled up in the front passenger seat.  I settled in to a surprisingly comfortable air mattress.  I had removed the back seats to allow more room in the back for a twin air mattress, and had been smart enough to already have inflated and made with sheets and a blanket, with the sleeping bag and pillow within easy reach.  I hung my towel across the windshield for privacy and to block the lightning from Max, and settled in to watch the lightning show.  We didn't get too much heavy weather, but just to the south of us did based on the lightning over there.  Compared to a tent in this or some random cheap hotel, we were sleeping in style.  Well, in comfort at least.  

Day 1 (Tuesday May 12) Savannah GA to Chattanooga TN

As I mentioned, there was not a whole lot of planning done prior to leaving other than a general direction, which is easy when you're in Savannah and have spent most of your life in Florida: North and West it is.  I did want to get a lot of miles under us in the first few days, and I saw that the weather was pretty nice up in the upper midwest, so that was our target.  I found a cheap cabin (with power and heat but still pretty basic) near Mount Rushmore in Hill City, SD, and reserved it for nights 3 to 5 of our journey.  Now we just had to get there with ourselves and our vehicle in one piece.  By then, we'll know if this long-distance road tripping is for us.  

We went out in Savannah the night before since my old friend Tristan was in town for work.  Dinner at Tantra Lounge followed by drinks at Molly MacPhersons until way too late for me having a road trip the next day and Deri having to open her store.  Still, Savannah is a friendly town and we had a great evening.  So, a few short hours of sleep, then get up and load the Jeep.  I found someone on Craigs List selling one of those cargo platforms that goes in the trailer hitch receiver for $30 so I had picked that up and put a lot of our camping and cooking gear in there, leaving room in the back of the truck for an air mattress and the rest of our stuff.  That way, we would have the options of A) Tent Camping, B) Truck Camping, or C) cabins or hotels.  

We got on the road just after noon, which is about what I had expected so I was not overly ambitious with the first day's destination.  I wanted to get out of the South, but that would take a while so I settled for out of the state.  I found a campground online that looked nice called Racoon Mountain just outside Chattanooga, TN.  I got there right around 6, I guess, after narrowly dodging some traffic in Atlanta.  I appreciate those electronic signs they put up saying "bad accident, 4 lanes closed by airport".   Of course, turning off on the little mountain road to get to the campsite was another story.  There was an overturned car and the cops were directing everyone down a small side street without much further instruction.  Every time we turned down a different street to get back on the main road, we kept coming out on the same section that they had closed off.  Finally, we figured it out (or probably a local came by so everyone followed them).  

Oh, somehow we were getting 20 mpg when I budgeted for 16, so despite it's creaks and clicks and other alarming sounds, it seemed to be running pretty smooth and efficiently.  

Anyway, our first night was great weather (partly cloudy, low in the high 50's) so we were trying out tent camping.  I had always wanted to take Max camping but never had so I didn't know how he would do.  Now we were going to find out how he liked it.  Basically, it is being in his bed in a really small room with me, so he's fine with it.  I apparently remember how to camp from doing it so many years ago, and we successfully set up camp, cooked dinner, went for a walk, and went to bed.  

The Idea

I should have started this a week ago.  I had very good intentions to start this blog in a timely manner a week or so ago, but at least I followed through with actually taking this journey and slacked off only on blogging about it.  

I'm 33, recently "temporarily retired" (as I like to call it), just relocated to Savannah from Orlando, and my best friend is a Beagle named Max who is going to turn 12 next month. I read somewhere that the average lifespan of Beagles was 12, which may have been the genesis of an idea of taking him on a grand adventure.  Of course, since then, I've read that the oldest dog was a Beagle who lived to 28 so he's got that going for him (which is nice). 

I realized about a week ago, no, maybe it was rattling around in my head longer ago, anyway, that I basically had the opportunity to do ANYTHING.  I have no job, a little money put away, good health, a dog with good health, and a Jeep Cherokee that has been running pretty well despite being a Chrysler product with 90,000 miles on it.  I'm not saying Chryslers are functional autos, they're not, but I have spent enough on maintenance to keep it running so far.  Max and I went to visit my Aunt Arlene in Albany, GA, which is maybe 5 hours each way.  I realized how much he liked riding in the car and seeing (and sniffing, and peeing on) new places.  Actually, he just likes being in the car any time.  If he gets scared- thunder, smoke alarms, etc- he wants to go get in the Jeep because he thinks it is safe, I guess.

Well, it was all downhill from there.   After a few days of mulling it over, I discussed it with my wife (Deri) and she said that she thought I should do something for myself while I had the time to do it.  I think she knew that taking a cross-country trip was something that I had intended to do after college, but of course I was in debt and had no money then, so it did not happen.  Now it was on.  The "planning" stage was intentionally abbreviated- maybe 5 days- and mostly focused on what equipment to take.  The itinerary did not even get started until a day or two out.  But, I had a list of some things I wanted to see, a time frame to be gone (roughly a month), an iPhone, some camping supplies, and... well, I guess a desire to hit the open road and see what was out there.  

Blogging about it is mostly intended to be for me to have something to remember this trip by, but there may be some funny/interesting/stupid moments that would be entertaining for others to read about.  What did Kerouac say at the beginning of On The Road?  "The things that were to come were too fantastic not to tell."  I'm sure that is a little much, but what the hell.  How about this for my token On The Road quote: "Then came spring, the great time of travelling."  I think we can live up to that.