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Why are taking I-10 to the west coast in July..That is monsoon season and its hotter than hot all the way across..Just look at the temps now..Its not the route to take to California with 2 kids and a dog..
Talk to Triple A about hotels that will take a dog and take I-80 it will be cooler and far prettier trip..
Nicer rest stops for the dog and kids to run off steam too..Check chains like Super 8 and motel 6 and be prepared not leave your dog in the car for long or unattened for sightseeing...
Keep in mind too that an 8 hour day is the max you should do with dog and kids...
We full timed with a cocker and always kept our travel day to 8 hours and he did fine...
Where are you going in California..
Have a safe trip.
I used to travel a lot for work. I drove with my 2 babies from state to state. Every time you stop for gas, take a good 15 mins to play with them, walk them and give them some water. I would only drive 8 hrs/day and then check into a pet friendly hotel with them.
I've driven cross country with my dogs too many times to count. We try to stay at the Drury Inns if possible, no weight limit, no pet fee, free cocktail hour and hot breakfast. Mine are seasoned car travelers so we usually do about 10-11 hour days with stops about every 3 hours for gas and a leg stretch. Many rest stops have dog areas, but mine are always too distracted by all of the scents to do their business. I look for Home Depot type shopping areas and pull behind the store where the trucks unload, usually there is a good sized grassy area to run around and burn off some energy. Blacktop can be outrageously hot in the summer so be mindful of their pads.
Great advice already given...we travel with our four dogs all the time and I've made trips with two dogs and 2 grandkids alone. Wish I had my doggy travel list handy but off the top of my head...
first aid kit for both skin and fur kid..dog one should include Benadryl in case of bee, spider or insect bites that could cause facial swelling or hives and compromise airway, plain saline to flush eyes or a wound, bandages and an antibiotic ointment, current tags and info on your dog. Also, do a quick google search for E-vets along your route and print it out. Make sure your dog wears his/her collar 24/7, keep your lead handy and accessible, and if possible, tethered while riding in the vehicle. A couple of small snacks or long lasting chew too, and even their favorite blanket for security.
Kids? Pretty much the same...entertainment, drinks and snacks, first aid items...
I've driven cross country with my dogs too many times to count. We try to stay at the Drury Inns if possible, no weight limit, no pet fee, free cocktail hour and hot breakfast. Mine are seasoned car travelers so we usually do about 10-11 hour days with stops about every 3 hours for gas and a leg stretch. Many rest stops have dog areas, but mine are always too distracted by all of the scents to do their business. I look for Home Depot type shopping areas and pull behind the store where the trucks unload, usually there is a good sized grassy area to run around and burn off some energy. Blacktop can be outrageously hot in the summer so be mindful of their pads.
We just got back from a trip from Oregon to Maine and back again. I agree with all of the above!
Esp. the Drury Inns - I would go out of my way to stay there with my dogs. They were beautiful rooms, lovely lobby, wonderful free breakfasts and exceptionally nice people. After we found the first one by accident (got in a town late, every hotel we stopped at was either full or wouldn't take dogs), we stayed at Drury Inns each night until we picked up our trailer in Ohio. We had our truck bed packed with rubbermaids (filled with stuff planned to put into the new travel trailer we were coming to pick up), and asked if it was alright if we brought it all to our room (like 15 of them or so, plus igloos, etc - I felt like one of the Clampetts from Beverly Hillbillies doing so, but they were so gracious about it). They laughed, said absolutely and even gave us the suitcase luggage cart to carry it in with.
Can't stress enough what a great chain of hotels the Drury Inns are - hope you can make them a part of your trip. We didn't have kids with us, but there were tons there at the D.I.
We've taken trips with our dog (and 2 boys) that involved stop overs at pet friendly hotels. We use a travel crate for her to ride in as opposed to her much bigger regular crate. She also sleeps in the travel crate in the hotel room and we crate her if we need to leave the room without her for some reason (ex: to go to a restaurant).
On the road, we bring a gallon jug of fresh water to fill up her dish at rest stops. We probably stop every 3 to 4 hours to stretch our legs/visit the restroom and if we get food, we either eat it outside with her or in the van with the AC on.
She's been on quite a few trips now, and she's a good traveler. We're hoping that our new puppy will enjoy traveling with us, too.
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