Travels with Moxie

Feels Like Home

2007-01-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

Last week, Moxie and I met with an agility instructor for an hour-long private session of introduction to the sport. Moxie ran through a tube, jumped through a suspended tire, and pranced over a balance beam like an old pro. But I was struck by the premise here: It was as if the obstacles represented efforts to re-create experiences a dog might have were she lucky enough to, say, cross a stream on a fallen branch, leap through brush in pursuit of some wild beast, or shimmy through the narrow opening between boulders along a mountain trail. Moxie doesn't need the PVC-and-plywood version of these adventures. She's crossed and leapt and shimmied all over the country!

Settling down felt strange at first when we came back to Austin, but our great times continue... with Moxie around, excitement lurks around every corner. We walk nearly everyday to a neighborhood park where she meets up with dog buddies for fetch or chase while I compare notes on walks and kibble with other dog moms. A couple of times a week, we venture to other destinations like Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park, where Moxie runs and I ride my bike to a dog swimming hole, or the dog park off Riverside Drive -- a veritable dog-topia complete with impromptu playgroups and plenty of humans around to throw balls. The city of Austin boasts 206 parks, 12 preserves, and 26 greenbelts, so plenty of exploring awaits us.

Every time Moxie & I get in the car, I remember what it's like to be on the road. There's nothing quite so freeing as having everything you really need in the world packed into the back of a station wagon. We'll taste that feeling again -- our next road trip will take us back to DC in the spring. But until then we're savoring the sweetness of home.

Honky Tonk Puppy

2006-10-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

Tennessee, it turns out, is a very long state. But it's quite lovely: the interstate wends over and around forests and cotton fields. We broke up the drive this afternoon with a walking tour of Nashville, which during our brief visit lived up to its reputation as a music-crazed party town.

We're aiming for breakfast in Memphis tomorrow morning before pushing on through Arkansas, where we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for ivory-billed woodpeckers.

Oh, Shenandoah!

2006-10-12T17:58:00.000-05:00

I could summon a dozen clichés to describe the perfect fall conditions we witnessed today in Shenandoah National Park. But the most original description I could come up with while navigating the curves of the Blue Ridge Parkway was this: If the many-hued forest were a fabric, it would make a skirt my crazy 6th-grade art teacher would have worn. (She was the one with elongated holes in her earlobes presumably owing to years of heavy jewelry.) The clichés might have been better.

Moxie & I hit the road again today after three weeks catching up with family and friends (and blog postings) in Maryland. I'd hoped to camp tonight, but temperatures threaten to drop into the low 30's, which is rather too cold for us to bear. So we're resting our hiking-weary feet in a high-speed-internet-equipped hotel this evening. Tomorrow: Tennessee.

Climb Every Mountain

2006-10-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

As we've come to expect, the Midwest treated us well this trip. S & K and their Australian shepherd Booker treated us to a delightful impromptu overnight in Madison. Then we lunched with A & D north of Chicago and spent a great weekend with M & K to the city's west. We even scaled Mt. Hoy -- which at 150 feet appears to be the highest spot in the county!

Mt. Rushmore

2006-10-10T10:43:00.000-05:00

Moxie in '08?

We Heart Wyoming

2006-10-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

We meandered through the state last month, driving through Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park before camping in Yellowstone, where a coyote sauntered by just meters away from our tent and bison made an obstacle course of the road east. Then we visited a dinosaur tracksite (which was discovered by a friend of a friend) and spent a chilly night camping in the Big Horn mountains.

On the way, I compiled this list of commonalities between Wyoming and Texas: 1) Cowboys 2) Big sky 3) Always-in-season boots 4) Frontier spirit 5) Love-to-hate-them politicians 6) Cowboys

Smoke Got in Our Idaho

2006-09-13T19:42:00.000-05:00

Wildfires burned around Boise last week, and WWII-era planes buzzed overhead as crews worked to control them from the air. Even though the blazes were nowhere near the city, cool evening temperatures trapped air in the valley so even downtown you couldn't forget the fires.

Miles and Miles of Beaches

2006-09-07T10:18:00.002-05:00

In 1899, Oregon's legislature deemed its beaches "forever open as such to the public." Then in the 60's, the state's Supreme Court confirmed un-fence-able even the deep dry-sand areas extending from the high-tide line to the cliffs that hallmark this stretch of coast. Still today, people and dogs can walk for miles along Oregon's beaches, unencumbered by pesky property lines.
K from Austin flew up to join us for five leisurely days of playing in the surf and on the sand. By day we saw sea lions, gray whales, puffins, jellyfish, and even a starfish washed up on the beach. And in the evenings we watched pink sunsets from an oceanfront patio before curling up in front of a fireplace, relishing the coastal August chill and looking forward to the next morning's misty magic.Back to the real world, Moxie & I are back in Boise now for a week before scooting back East for a fall wedding.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

2006-09-01T13:40:00.000-05:00

A 200-gallon vat of lentil chili. An entire city decked out in lentil regalia. A parade and live bands and royalty and even a costumed mascot. All of it honored the homely lentil at the National Lentil Festival in Pullman, Washington, two weeks ago.

Westward Ho: Another I-80 Trek

2006-08-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

Outside of Chicago, we sat in traffic in triple-digit weather and thanked goodness we weren't piglets. This truck was full of them (note the tiny snout at bottom right), squealing wildly in what must have been miserable conditions. Does bacon really taste good enough to justify this?

We turned off the interstate into Medicine Bow National Forest in eastern Wyoming, but had to reason with this crew before entering.

This is Wyoming.

Moxie and her "aunt" Calico (my mom's dog) led the charge through the awesome forest in Medicine Bow. Here aspens quaked in the finger-numbing morning air -- such a relief from the heatwave back East.

All in the Family

2006-07-30T14:45:00.000-05:00

Even for a pack animal, Moxie has an unusually keen love of kin. So her joy was unending this weekend when we attended a family reunion. And the fun didn't stop with fetching sticks thrown by small cousins or licking new in-laws. Since the reunion took place in the Lake Erie resort town of Catawba, Moxie and I enjoyed swimming and boating, as well. Uncle J piloted us to nearby South Bass Island one evening for a tour of Put-In Bay, where we admired the Perry Monument.

Tomorrow we'll follow the westbound interstate yet again to continue our exploration of the Pacific Northwest.

"The Good Life"

2006-07-25T21:35:00.000-05:00

That's the slogan touted by Nebraska on its border welcome sign. Other things we learned about Nebraska on this trip? Henry Fonda was born here to a Christian Scientist family. And National Arbor Day started here in 1872.

But before we left Wyoming, Moxie posed for this shot with a memorial to Abraham Lincoln. I'm not sure what his importance was to Wyoming, specifically (and I was too busy shooting my model dog to read the plaque), but I guess all states can agree he was a pretty important guy.

Cascade in the Cascades

2006-07-25T21:11:00.000-05:00

We hiked up a hair-pinned, hamstring-burning trail to arrive at this magical fall in the Columbia River Gorge, which we traveled to arrive in Boise for S's birthday last week.

Helen of Washington

2006-07-17T14:09:00.000-05:00

Nothing sparks up a weekend like an active volcano. Moxie and I hiked through old-growth forest along the southwestern flank of Mt. St. Helens on Saturday. Climbers will again have access to the rim starting on Friday for the first time since the mountain awoke in 2004. She's still awake, though -- and belching forth lava at a rate of about a cubic meter per second. Moxie and I were content to enjoy the view from a good distance.

Summer in the City

2006-06-30T22:24:00.000-05:00

The "Portlandia" statue was one of many wonders Moxie & I encountered on our reconnaissance mission to Portland today. She (the statue) is the second-largest copper repoussé (that's "hammered copper," roughly) statue in the country (number one being Lady Liberty).

We spent only a couple of hours in the "City of Roses," but my, oh my, we were impressed. It's a real, live city, complete with excellent retail, restaurants, and more ground than we could hope to cover in a day. But it has a funky vibe, embracing vegetarians, dogs, Goodwill shoppers (there's a second-hand store just blocks from Nordstrom), and even geeks (the largest independent bookstore in the world resides here).

As usual, Moxie made lots of friends on this sojourn, starting with a male malamute right out of the car. Moxie just loves cities. She walked the whole thing with the low-crouching, ears-back, tail wagging saunter she does when she's really happy. People ooh-d and aah-d at her appropriately, and this very small human even made acquaintance. (Note that's not a muzzle on her nose; it's a halti, a leash-training device.)

There's a poem by Ronald Talney on a plaque that accompanies "Portlandia:"
She kneels down
and from the quietness
of copper
reaches out.
We take that stillness
into ourselves
and somewhere
deep in the earth
our breath
becomes her city.
If she could speak
this is what
she would say:
Follow that breath.
Home is the journey we make.
This is how the world
knows where we are.
I've never much understood poetry, but I certainly won't forget where Portland is. Moxie and I plan to return.

Another Shining Sea

2006-06-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

If you haven't drowned in the mid-Atlantic, you might be aware that the Northwest has experienced a record-setting heatwave in the last few days. Moxie & I were roasting in Kelso's near-triple-digit temps yesterday. She couldn't stop panting and I stopped working for fear my computer, which had become hot to the touch, was going to melt! Fed up around four, we took off for the coast.

It was downright chilly in Long Beach, our closest coastal town at only about an hour and a half away. A roadside digital display registered only 60 Fahrenheit degrees! We bee-lined for the beach on arrival and had a great walk there. Moxie ran around exuberantly, carrying empty crab shells and dried seaweed as she went.

The heat had been appetite-stifling back in Kelso, but in Long Beach I was suddenly starving. Driving the town's main drag, there were lots of restaurants to choose from. (Long Beach looks like it draws lots of beach vacationers, perhaps later in the summer.) "Surfer Sands" looked just right, but I pulled in just as the gentleman running the place was, literally, walking out the door. He insisted it would be no trouble to make me a sandwich before leaving, and I'm so glad he did! The "Goofy Foot" (provolone cheese, cream cheese, raisins, cashews, pineapple, onion, apple, & mixed greens on French bread) really hit the spot.

It seems worth noting that Moxie has now frolicked in more of this country's seas than I had until recently. She's splashed in the Atlantic, the Pacific, and Great Lakes Erie, Michigan, and Huron.

The Other Washington

2006-06-24T19:13:00.000-05:00

We've landed in Kelso, Washington, where some generous friends have offered up their home for the summer in exchange for some light house-sitting. The plan is to use Kelso as a launch pad for exploring the Pacific Northwest: Seattle, Portland, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, the coast, the rain forest in Olympic National Park... There's much to see!

So far, we've determined that things are bigger in this Washington. The ferns, the trees, the mountains, the slugs (that's my lip balm in the picture for scale) -- they're all supersized compared to those back East, giving an air of majesty to this part of the world. (Okay, maybe the slugs aren't so majestic!)

Back to Boise

2006-06-19T09:55:00.000-05:00

We opted to visit Boise for a day before the last leg of this trip to Washington. The drive from Shelby was long but lovely. Here are a few highlights from our travels on Friday:

purported claim to fame of Cut Bank, MT: "coldest spot in the USA"
population of Clayton, ID: 26
population of Stanley, ID: 100
pieces of gum chewed to quell queasiness on winding highways: 3
turkeys flushed out by Moxie: 2
cheapest gas price: $2.83
hours in the car: 13

Today we travel through Oregon to Kelso, Washington.

Changes in Latitude

2006-06-17T07:25:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about traveling with Moxie is the natural sleep cycle we fall into, often dozing off not long after dark and awakening with the sun. I couldn't figure out why the two were seeming so close together lately... then I realized we're at 48 degrees north latitude and the summer solstice is nearly upon us! Sure enough, my sources indicate that Shelby, Montana, experienced more than 17 hours of daylight yesterday. That explains it!

The Hi-Line

2006-06-16T20:24:00.000-05:00

That's what they call this northern region of Montana. Craving a break from the bugs and noticing an absence of tiny tents on the map, I opted for a motel tonight. It's nice to relax without the constant threat of having my blood sucked.

I really like what I've seen of Montana. It's green and rolling with huge sky, true to its fame. I had trouble finding places to hike with Moxie, though, so she's restless tonight. We stopped several times at parks to play with her ball, then took a walk through town upon arrival in Shelby, a classic Western town known for once having hosted a pro-boxing-match-turned-comedy-of-errors. But there's nothing like a good hike to tire a puppy out. It looks like this frustration will continue tomorrow... Glacier National Park prohibits dogs on ALL of its trails! I can't very well drive by without stopping, but I also can't see leaving Moxie in the car while I go play.

Miss Center of the Universe

2006-06-16T07:55:00.000-05:00

[Thursday evening]
Moxie loves being the center of attention, so imagine her delight at being at the geographical center of North America. We thought the monument worthy of a photo op in Rugby, North Dakota.

Somewhere in this state today, we crossed into the West. The sky got big, the landscape got hilly, and I got out my Stetson. Tonight we rest at Lewis & Clark State Park. It’s a dozen or so miles out of Williston, but there’s no other town closer.

Making Amends with Mother Nature

2006-06-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

[Wednesday evening]
Who can hold a grudge after fresh flowers are offered? Ma Nature wowed me with wildflowers and warmed me with sunshine across Minnesota today. There’s not a lot up this far north in the way of attractions or… people. But the scenery was lovely and the roads fast. I only encountered a half dozen or so ticks, too. Yesterday was like an immersion class in tick tolerance – I’m far calmer around them (and more efficient at destroying them), now.

Moxie’s First Bike Ride
Lake Bronson State Park has such lovely wide, groomed trails that we decided to pull my mountain bike off the car roof and go for a ride. The vet says not to do anything too strenuous for Moxie’s first year, after which point her joints will have firmed up. So we took it easy, varying speed and taking lots of rests. We both look forward to more rides together!

Bugged

2006-06-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

[Tuesday evening]
I have never before wanted so desperately to tear off all of my clothes as I did today. Moxie and I had hiked through a marsh on a trail, then played fetch on a nearby grassy road. Minutes after we got back in the car, I saw a tick crawling up the front of my sweatshirt. I threw the bug out the window. Then I looked down and saw three on my jeans. I pulled off at a gas station and must have pulled a dozen off Moxie in a few short minutes. Then I went into the ladies’ room and found so many more… on my legs, my waist, clinging to the inside of my pant leg, even. Back in the car not five miles later, I peeked down to my previously bugless ankle and saw a lone climber. So I stopped at a carwash and vacuumed the rug, then administered Moxie’s monthly systemic pesticide a day early. All day I continued to find them, mostly on Moxie. All told, I’m sure I handled more than 30 ticks today.

So I’m questioning this whole nature-loving thing. The fashion’s great. But the spidery blood-sucking bugs? Oy vey. Far gone are the Egyptian cotton sheets and Turkish masseuse I encountered when traveling in my old life. Now I sit at a campsite in Wisconsin in a stinky soup of chemical mosquito repellents. I even dabbed a little deet on the insides of Moxie’s reddening ears in an effort to derail the plump biters swarming around them. Am I really up to all this nature?

Fun on the Sunrise Coast

2006-06-12T20:04:00.000-05:00

[I wrote this post last night, 6/12, but the internet signal at my campsite was too weak to post. Thank goodness I stumbled across Tyelene's Restaurant and Internet Hotspot this morning!]

Today we shimmied up Michigan's index finger then sailed over the Mackinac bridge to land on the upper peninsula. On the way, we visited several state parks since the pass we purchased at the first one was valid for the day at all of them. And they were many! Dog-friendly state and various other types of parks litter the coastline here.

The east coast of Michigan, dubbed the "sunrise coast," suprised me with its beachy-ness. I'd imagined it more woodsy. But while there's no shortage of trees, it's in many ways similar to the east coast shoreline -- sandy beaches, grassy dunes, beach houses by the dozen, even lighthouses. And all that exists without the ominous shadow of hurricanes! There is a dark threat here for trees, though, in the form of an insect pest. The Department of Agriculture has issued a ban on carrying firewood over the border.

Tomorrow: Wisconsin!

Really Great Lakes

2006-06-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

To Moxie, there's nothing like a beach -- buoys to bark at, seagulls to chase, waves to splash in... What more could a puppy want? We enjoyed a stroll along Lake Erie in Ohio's Crane Creek State Park this morning. More specifically, Moxie enjoyed carrying around dead fish over my objections. (What's up with all the dead fish here, anyway? Any relation to the nuclear power plant down the street?)

We drove this morning from greater Cleveland, where we spent a day catching up with family and hiking city parks. Before that, we spent two days in State College, PA, where I grew up, catching up with old friends. And hiking, of course. In "Happy Valley," we visited all my old trail haunts... Indian Steps, Shingletown, Bear Meadows.

Today we arrived in Ann Arbor -- a natural follow-up to State College, both being small towns anchored by Big 10 universities. The weather has been cool and sunny, just right. After a few moments' rest in the hotel, Moxie and I are off to a nearby dog park, then to meet a friend this evening. Tomorrow we'll continue the trek north, then hang a left just shy of Canada.

Draw of the East

2006-06-01T12:26:00.000-05:00

Moxie & I spent a month in the greater DC area working out an answer to the question I posed back in Wyoming, "Why would anyone choose to live back East?" Our data set may be incomplete and our methods unverified. But barring personal factors like family and funding, two disparate sources of magic stand out here: the buzz and the forest understory.

The buzz kept me high for the first week I was back. In DC for the annual meeting of a client, I schmoozed like the old pro I am, drinking cocktails on the roof of a posh downtown hotel, trading business cards, talking fast about politics and international strife. Sure, I drink and chat when I'm out West, too, but there's something electric in the air here that I haven't yet observed west of the East Coast.

But Moxie was far more smitten with the magic of the forest understory. When we hiked in Indiana, mayapples and trillium greeted us in their peak glory. In Maryland, the ladies slippers bloomed and Moxie waded through spring fern fronds, her tail like a flag waving above the green sea. The lushness, the endless palette of greens, the cool saturating air -- these are reasons to love the East. (But, I wonder, will we find them this summer in the Pacific Northwest?)

But what I really learned about East vs. West is this: There's no reason to pit them against each other. We humans seem to have an overwhelming desire to categorize things: black or white? Jewish or Muslim? stars upon thars or none? Categorizing makes us feel like we understand. But does it really help? Every place has unique characteristics that don't fit so well into neat boxes. Perhaps we can understand better by focusing on these instead of common denominators.

On that note, today Moxie & I are in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. This small town was founded on a lovely spring (or belle fonte) that then powered iron and lumber works. Today it's charming with Victorian-style houses nestled into the mountains, trains still running through town, and vibrant Spring Creek flowing through. Best of all, old friends M & M live here. We did some hiking yesterday and will do some more of that together today.

"Summon up your moxie..."

2006-05-12T17:20:00.000-05:00

That's what my horoscope says today. I'm advised to fearlessly face something I've been avoiding. So I'm finally updating this blog.

Moxie and I have been back in the DC metro area for nearly two weeks. But flashing back... In Indiana I generously offered my laptop a few drops of red wine. Turns out that PC couldn't hold its alcohol. Two days later I bought a new Mac. Now I'm tallying the myriad glitches that switching platforms can engender. So far my camera and my MP3 player remain unintroduced to the new Powerbook.

So I have no pictures to share, I'm sorry to say. I've been investigating the question I posed in Wyoming about the draw of the East. I have some thoughts on that, but can better convey them with the assistance of photos when all systems are "go" again.

I haven't decided when we'll hit the road, though Moxie says she's getting antsy. Our departure will most likely be sometime during the month of June, and we'll most likely head to the Pacific Northwest. As soon as we release the parking brake, regular posts will resume. Because this blog is about traveling with Moxie -- and moxie.

Wild West

2006-04-26T21:09:00.000-05:00

Driving through awesome landscapes today I kept wondering, "Why would anyone choose to live back East?" Perhaps being back there next week will remind me.

Tonight Moxie & I rest in Rawlins, Wyoming.

Stranded at Spa Boise

2006-04-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

It's kind of like the time I was snowed-in at a ski resort... decidedly STUCK, but that's so not a bad thing. I took the Subaru in for an oil change last week, then received that dreaded call. "Well, we found a couple of things..." The good news? The mechanic was impressed. My car's front axle and knuckle had become so firmly joined that the shop's hydraulic press bent when trying to pry them apart. A replacement axle had to be ordered up from a neighboring county. So Moxie & I have enjoyed a couple of extra days chez my parents, which - with a hot tub, a 24-hour open bar, a bottomless tin of gourmet dog biscuits, and lavish grounds - we like to think of as Spa Boise.

Texas Surprise

2006-04-17T13:43:00.000-05:00

K says that the true heart of Texas beats in Austin. Houston smacks too strongly of Louisiana and Dallas of Oklahoma. If that's true, I'll confidently confess to being a newfound Tex-o-phile. While in Austin, Moxie & I watched a million bats take flight from under the Congress Avenue bridge. I ran past scores of turtles along vibrant Town Lake and ate tacos and drank aqua fresca at omnipresent taco shops. Moxie got to know the locals at one of six dog parks. K hosted us graciously, treating Moxie to a fenced-in backyard with an open compost heap (a.k.a. 24-hour salad bar for dogs) and me to top-shelf espresso each morning.

Of course, one doesn't see only Austin when traveling to and from there by car. Coming west via Houston we drank a glass with mom's artist friend J, then tackled the swamp-thing layer of grime we'd acquired from camping for two nights in southern Louisiana, Moxie at a groomer and I at a spa. (If you happen to be in Houston, the pedicure with the mint leg masque at Beautique is worth experiencing.) And the Hill Country of west Texas didn't disappoint. Endless expanses of scrubby terrain set off the biggest sky I've ever seen.

In Austin I decided to take a quick detour back to Boise for some r&r&r. This meant passing through Tucson, where we spent two very fun nights with K & S and their tough kitty Henry, in addition to enjoying a meal with geographer friend J. We look forward to returning to Tucson after summer has passed to enjoy more of these fine people and their wild landscape. K & S live just adjacent to a wash where lots of dogs walk their people each day, and J tells us there are many great hikes to be had not far from town. Moxie may even take a rattlesnake awareness course when we return. It's something savvy desert dogs do, we're told.

Before my journeys began, a friend and Idaho native told me, "Utah is magic." The drive between Arizona and Idaho confirms it. Moxie & I camped a night on the bank of Lake Powell then spent a day driving through sculpted red rock formations and steep dark green hillsides. We'll return here, too, when the temperatures descend again.

But for now, being back in Boise is having the desired effect. I'm rejuvenating by catching up on sleep while Moxie plays in my parents' park-like backyard. We're renewing ties with friends, from the nextdoor neighbors with wine in the hot tub to the vet with the ear scope in her office. On Easter we performed our unique set of family rebirth rituals, beginning with rich baked goods and chocolate candy for breakfast, continuing with a cold and wet hike, pausing for a nap, then closing with a decadent dinner out. Rejuvenation. Renewal. Rebirth.

New Orleans

2006-04-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

After witnessing the desolation left by Katrina in Gulfport, the shocker in New Orleans was that the flood waters here seemed to have subsided only days ago. Desolation follows devastation on the path to storm recovery, wrecking balls and debris haulers clearing the way for rebuilding. But in New Orleans' ravaged neighborhoods destroyed houses still teeter and makeshift stop signs guide drivers through intersections where traffic lights remain defunct. The hole in the roof of the Superdome still gapes sickly. Folks at the campsite adjacent to mine north of Lake Pontchartrain evacuated to the state park for the hurricane and live there still, having lost their home and its contents. Yet contractors from Tennessee can't seem to get any work. They'd hoped to do every sixth job pro bono, but they haven't had the chance in the two months they've been in town. Mayoral campaign billboards vaguely champion rebuilding, but my sense is that no one really knows where to start.

But the bon temps still roll in the French Quarter. After beignets and café au lait at Café du Monde, Moxie & I took a mule-drawn carriage tour of the neighborhood. Then we took in more scenes on foot and savored lunch and live jazz at an outdoor restaurant.

Gulfport, MS

2006-04-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

Farewell to Florida

2006-04-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

We'll push off through Alabama and Mississippi today, hopefully spending tonight in Louisiana. I've decided to go ahead and drive through New Orleans. I've always wanted to see the French Quarter, which is rumored to be largely intact, and I must confess curiosity about the devastation elsewhere. I've heard that you don't really get it about how seriously Katrina demolished the city until you see it close-up.

Hurricanes touch every life in these parts. Moxie & I spent last evening catching up by candlelight with J & J on the porch of their house on the water just west of Pensacola. They're still rebuilding from Ivan, who caused the water to rise man-high in their house in 2004. I plan to take I-10 across Mississippi today. Tracing it along the map my finger skims Gulfport and Waveland -- names I remember from Katrina news coverage. I wonder how far they've recovered.

This small green friend hung inside the electrical box when I went to make my tea this morning. We enjoyed our stay at his home here at Big Lagoon State Park. I've realized, though, that the state of Florida isn't a place we'll call home. It's fun to visit, but we prefer cooler climes.

Tallahassee Lassie

2006-04-02T20:06:00.000-05:00

They'd told me their neighborhood in Tallahassee was rural, but I didn't really believe it. Sure enough, the two days Moxie and I spent with family there were like a country retreat. We walked among horses on a dirt road and drove many miles over winding numbered roads.

While Moxie napped yesterday, B took me to Wakulla Springs State Park, where I saw my first real-life alligators. The park sits over a deep freshwater spring that we were lucky enough to view from above through the floor of a glass-bottomed boat. But in spite of the catfish meandering peacefully about underwater, I can't shake my angst about the 'gators languishing at the surface. Thank goodness Moxie was safely sleeping at the house! (Puppies are reputed to be an alligator's favorite snack.)

Tonight we're planning our next moves from Destin, on Florida's Gulf Coast. It's looking like campsites will be hard to come by as we inch west along the water due to the lingering devastation from recent hurricanes. We may move quickly if we can't camp, arriving in Texas before week's end.

Alarming Armadillo

2006-03-31T10:26:00.000-05:00

The night before last Moxie & I camped in tropical Tomoka State Park, just north of Daytona Beach. It was good to be back on the road and great fun to set up the tent again. But a few hours after I fell asleep, Moxie went berserck... barking, growling, jumping against the screened back of the tent. I quieted her down long enough to hear footsteps outside. They were slow, seemingly deliberate -- not the scurrying I'd associate with a harmless animal.

As I lay wondering what do next (and allowing Moxie to bark!), two men were dispatched from the family tents next door. I heard them talking... look at it! it's huge!... and called out from my tent, too nervous to open the flap. "It's a big armadillo," one of them called out. And I still didn't know if we should go back to sleep or run for our lives. Fortunately my Treo was in the tent with us and a quick Google revealed there was nothing to fear. Armadillos are primarily insectivores that will feast on flesh only if they're lucky enough to stumble upon something already dead (which fortunately we were not). The men chased it away and we went back to sleep. My only regret is missing the chance to see a huge armadillo myself.

Yesterday we explored St. Augustine's historic downtown area, then hung a west. Whereas the drive up the coast from Tomoka to St. Augustine was beautiful in a beachy way, the journey westward was beautiful in a green way. The rolling scenery of farms and forests made it feel like driving through Pennsylvania... except with palm trees. We set up camp last night at Suwannee River State Park, which claims to represent "the Real Florida." I'm not sure what makes it more legit than the rest of the state, but it's a nice place. We'll do some hiking before pushing off today.

Tonight we're looking forward to meeting up with family in Tallahassee, where we plan to spend a night or two. Then it's off to Pensacola and beyond. Please note the destinations list that I've added on the right side of the page. I'm hoping it will inspire you to offer tips about these places, or other ones nearby. (I'm also working on enabling a way to comment directly on that list about specific places... stay tuned.) Some of our best experiences so far have been based on such insider tips!

Passing by Jupiter

2006-03-29T20:33:00.000-05:00

It turns out the place to be if you're a dog in South Florida is Jupiter Beach. Dogs play in the surf with their humans there -- and Moxie joined the fun today. Her towel etiquette leaves something to be desired, though. We'll work on that.

Tonight finds us at a campsite north of Daytona Beach. Yes, I'm blogging from my tent.

Flashing Back

2006-03-28T12:48:00.000-05:00

We're fired up to resume traveling today. But before we do, here's an update on the internet-starved days leading up to our arrival in Lake Worth. Also, this is the launch of my new star rating system. From here on out, I'll rate each place I visit with between 0 and 5 stars based on its "livability" for Moxie and me. 0 stars means it's definitely not a place we'd like to call home. But if a place gets 5 stars I'll start looking for a lease.

Charleston, SC
This city really is as beautiful as everyone says it is. I didn't get any decent pictures due to the steady rain that fell as we walked through the historic downtown, but I took plenty in my mind. There's something so statuesque, so graceful about the houses here. It's easy to imagine the town in its antebellum heyday, ladies in girdles and hoop skirts adorning the porches. (And enslaved Africans waiting on them, but who wants to imagine that?)

At the suggestion of a sales clerk at a surf shop in Carolina Beach, we detoured from Charleston to Folly Beach. What a fortuitous turn! The tiny town borders a long, dog-friendly beach where we played ball along the water before dropping in at the Lost Dog Café for lunch. Our waitress there treated Moxie to plenty of pets and biscuits and me to a tasty salad of spinach and strawberries while we chatted with a nice couple of Canadians.

While lovely historic Charleston isn't the kind of place one lives in (at least not before making one's first million), a suburb like Folly Beach has potential.

Savannah, GA
Savannah disappointed us, but it really wasn't her fault.Unlike Charleston, Savannah feels like a real city complete with... traffic. So far Moxie's herding instinct manifests itself uniquely but forcefully with moving cars, so it's very difficult take a peaceful walk with them zooming about. We did enjoy a walk along the water and posing with the statue of the waving woman and her dog, though. We also lounged about a city park that was overflowing with blooming azaleas. And of course, Moxie made new friends.

[While a big city with beautiful flowers has appeal, we just aren't cut out for southern summer heat.]

St. Simon's Island, GA
Three cheers for serendipity! Feeling directionless, I decided to follow a tip in my guidebook and visit this somewhat remote island. Free of Savannah's bustle, it retained the southern lush beauty -- Spanish-moss-strung palm fronds overhead and azaleas around the feet. We stopped at a pet boutique to pick up some fresh kibble and a tip for dog-friendly lodging, then walked and walked to enjoy such a beautiful place. At the Sea Gate Inn we lounged in oceanfront luxury and awoke to an awe-inspiring sunrise.

[The summers would surely be too hot here too, but we'd return in a heartbeat for a vacation retreat.]

How I Almost Lost $20.08
Continuing on the next day, we struggled with a string of booked-solid campgrounds and no-dogs-allowed beaches before landing at a bland motel off the interstate. But then our luck seemed to change the following day when we stumbled on an inland campground with vacancy.

It was early in the day when we set up camp, leaving plenty of time to pitch the tent and let Ocracoke's dew evaporate while Moxie chewed a bone and I read and wrote. Before we'd booked the site, I'd given Moxie a drink in the campground parking lot and thought nothing of it when a red car pulled up and paused near us. But a couple of hours later the same car pulled up in front of our campsite, then inched into the driveway of the site next to ours. I hurried toward the car, motioning "stop" with my hands to alert the driver to my clear tarp drying in that driveway's sun. An older fellow, he stopped, rolled down his window and said, "I won't go any further. I just want to watch you. You're beautiful." Foolish in my discomfort, I said, "thanks" and walked away. When he didn't leave (and Moxie chewed her bone under the picnic table, oblivious), I walked the short distance to the camp office. "Back at 1," a sign in the window said. My watch read 11:30. The red car pulled away.

I worried and wrote and worried some more. I called the local sheriff's office, hoping that if I recited the red car's registration someone would tell me, Oh, that's our crazy old man. He's kooky but harmless. No such luck. I decided to wait until the manager's return at 1 before deciding what to do. But then the red car came back. He drove by slowly, then left again. The tent was back in the car by the time the manager returned and kindly reimbursed my $20.08 in site and firewood fees. Moxie & I spent that night off the Interstate in a Motel 6 with no broadband.

Party Animal

2006-03-22T09:27:00.000-05:00

It's a dog's life here in Key West, with chickens to chase by day and bars to hop by night. Moxie napped during our tour of Hemingway's house, but she didn't miss Sloppy Joe's, where Papa notoriously spent his evenings.

Today we're headed back north to Lake Worth to enjoy a few more days of Florida sun and fun with W and Penny.

Keys That Please

2006-03-20T17:53:00.000-05:00

We arrived at cousin W's house in southern Florida on Saturday after a frustrating few internet-starved days. W's pooch Penny, a beagle, accepted Moxie graciously in spite of her energetic puppy ways. We've enjoyed lots walks through beautiful neighborhoods ripe with new treats like coconut shells to chew on and lizards to chase.

The four of us piled into the Subaru and drove down to Key West today. I like to think Moxie found it fun to have a canine friend with her in the backseat. By the end of the ride Penny had joined Moxie in her bed and the two were sound asleep against each other.

W & I had trouble finding accommodations here and discussed giving up and driving back north tonight. Resort towns like this one are generally packed right now due to spring break and dog-friendly lodgings here are sparse. After driving around and asking lots of people for advice, though, we finally found our perfect spot: a guest house in the heart of town that openly accepts well-loved dogs (as opposed to those who are neglected for days on end while their owners play without them). Our room is perfect: two twin beds, dark hardwood floors and walls, simply lovely white trim and furniture. (It's at the charming Casa 325 guest house, in case anyone out there is planning a visit.) We're considering staying on an additional night.

W's waiting for me... We're going out on the town with our pooches tonight! We're told that despite the lodging difficulty, this town is really quite "doggie," as my grandmother would have said, welcoming canines at most outdoor restaurants and bars.

Ferry On

2006-03-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

Moxie & I have ridden four ferries in the past three days. (That's a ferry for every month of her new life!) On the first ride, she quickly found safe haven under a bench. But by ferry number four she acted like an old sea dog, heading straight for the front where the restraining net was conveniently sized to accommodate her head. I half expected her to bark out "I'm king of the world!"

It's been a lovely ride down the coast of the Carolinas. I can't say I ever considered the coastline between the Outer Banks and Florida. Perhaps that's why I'm so surprised. Carolina Beach State Park, where we stopped for a hike yesterday, impressed me especially. The visitors center and campgrounds appear to be immaculately maintained, and the ecosystems within the park range from beach to forest. We hiked through both, lollygagging to enjoy the wonders of the shoreline. (Note the tiny crab just below and left of center in the picture.) This would be a great spot to camp for a few days on our way back up the coast.

We pulled into Myrtle Beach after dark last night, having read that lodging prices there plummet in the off-season. Sure enough, for $33 we crashed at the Sea Banks Motor Inn on the Strand, across Ocean Boulevard from the beach. The Sea Banks reminded me of a motel in the movies -- the kind in which people do hard drugs and get shot. The outdoor common areas were carpeted in blue astroturf (a la Boise State) and the rooms all shared long balconies. The furnishings were sparse but clean, and the staff couldn't have been friendlier. The other guests were friendly, too... Here's a snippet from a conversation I had with a neighbor:

room 222: Where are you from?
me: Not really anywhere, just traveling.
room 222: Me, too. But I used to be from North Carolina. I came down here with my wife. Guess I'll leave without her.
me: Oh---
room 222: That was three years ago.
[pause]
room 222: But that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Was this some kind of cosmic warning about dwelling in the grief of a breakup? (No, well-meaning friends, he wasn't my type. And that's all I'll say about that!) One final note about Myrtle Beach: with the disclaimer that I only saw it in the dark (we lifted parking brake at 0600), it surely doesn't seem as bad as everyone says it is. I wouldn't mind coming back for a weekend sometime.

Now we're at a Starbucks just a few miles north of Charleston. Moxie is angelically working a rawhide chew at my feet and I'm basking in the luxury of a caramel macchiato and modern technology. (The internet here is fast and strong, just the way I like it.) I'm not sure how far we'll get today. We'll definitely spend a few hours exploring Charleston, which receives only the highest marks from everyone I ask. The outdoor market and Folly Beach are on our list. And then, either today or tomorrow, on to Savannah!

On the Outer Banks

2006-03-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

Moxie & I spent last night in a tent on Hatteras Island. That was a major breakthrough -- now that we know we can camp we don't have to be quite so reliant on hotels. However, the downside of tents is the lack of internet access... I'm now typing from a computer terminal in a surf shop on Ocracoke Island! (Sorry about the lack of pictures! I'll update later when I can use my own machine.)

We haven't decided yet if we'll camp out on Ocracoke for the night or push on. It's pretty deserted here. Not even the Ocracoke Coffee Company is open! (Don't the locals drink coffee?!!) But the island is tranquil as ever. Something about this place is just so lulling.

On the Road Again

2006-03-10T19:34:00.000-05:00

Moxie & I pushed off around noontime today and put in some 250 miles to end up on Virginia's Eastern Shore. We couldn't have asked for a prettier day to do just about anything... temperatures apparently soared into the high seventies in suburban DC and an electronic sign in breezy Ocean City registered 64 degrees. What a great day to introduce this puppy to the Atlantic coast!

We stopped in Ocean City with hopes of playing on the beach and roaming a deserted boardwalk, then crashing in town for the night. But among the hundreds of hotels and motels in that gauds-ville, only a half dozen accept dogs according to the local Chamber of Commerce. We called or visited three of them. The first one is closed until April, the second could only offer a smoking room, and the third wanted what seemed like too dear a price for a far-flung location. (This last one also stipulated that a guest dog must weigh less than 25 pounds. Moxie weighed in at 25.1 pounds at yesterday's vet appointment!) So we opted to push on in search of room at a more dog-friendly inn.

We did park and enjoy the sights before leaving, though. Moxie seemed overwhelmed by all the new on the beach. Sand underfoot, crashing waves, salty water, screaming seagulls... all required urgent sniffing/watching/tasting/barking. A kite that looked like a black shark merited a particularly ferocious response -- barking and lunging toward it as if it were some attacking bird of prey. The boardwalk, too, provided much entertainment for my puppy. All the people and dogs to greet and sniff... a day in paradise for Miss Mox.

Geographically speaking, the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia is quite lovely. The land lies low and flat, and today many fields were a bright shade of spring green. Houses lining the highways are Tara-like in their stately statures -- lots of pillars and porches. While Virginia's part of the peninsula would be an unfortunate place to be a chicken -- we passed sprawling complexes of both Tyson and Perdue -- it seems a lovely place to live as a person. But besides those poultry plants, there wasn't much evidence of an employment market. I did grab a local newspaper in the hotel lobby... the Eastern Shore Post touts itself as the only locally-owned rag. I don't think the climate here would work for Moxie & I in the long-term, though. With each day she seems to favor cold weather more clearly. And I'm no fan of southern summertime's hot humidity.

Tomorrow we'll aim for North Carolina's Outer Banks. If we can find acceptable (read: cheap with fast internet) lodging, we may spend a few days there. Please share your suggestions!

Our Ports are Safe with Moxie

2006-03-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

We zipped east to Baltimore to visit C in Fell's Point on Saturday. The windchill was brutal, but we enjoyed exploring the historic port neighborhood just the same. C's new house really wowed us. Like many in her neighborhood, she has a roof deck! We think she should have a 4th of July party there to take full advantage of the free fireworks in the harbor. (Hint! Hint!)

Moxie charmed her way through this city, as usual... C was an easy sell, having once loved a border collie herself. But from the bums to the cute coffee shop guy to the transvestite dog walker, everyone whose path we crossed can now call Moxie a friend. That's just the kind of dog she is!

Return to Neverland

2006-02-26T07:42:00.000-05:00

Seeing D again was the best of times and the worst of times. Reunion with someone you love swells the heart, but remembering that he's out of reach gouges said heart all the way down to the toes. Returning to 17th & M, however, was flat-out fun. Moxie was warmly welcomed into the IE sisterhood, and I felt renewed by the contact with old friends.

But this blog is about traveling. Regular entries will resume next week, when Moxie and I hit the road again.

Moxie Takes Chicago

2006-02-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

Temperatures rose slightly as we drove through Iowa and Illinois on Friday. But the chill remained, rendering brief a visit to Davenport's charming Credit Island Park. Bodies must adjust to these climes: Whereas I could endure barely 20 minutes outside of the toasty car, others rode motorcycles on a frozen inlet of the Mississippi River! I wish I'd snapped a picture of that. (My fingers were too numb to manage the camera.)

The town of Davenport itself seemed charming, too. I swung through only briefly to grab an egg-salad sandwich at Lagomarcino's, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, candy store, and diner. But it would have been great to have luxuriated over a rootbeer float. (When WILL restaurants allow dogs inside?!) This seems like it would be a nice place to spend a weekend in warmer weather.

Yesterday Moxie and I paused to enjoy a day of seeing old friends and a new city. We officially LOVE Chicago! Moxie played in the sand along frost-fringed Lake Michigan, then we met AB for an informal walking tour through the city's Lakeview neighborhood, stopping for a great cup of coffee along the way. It turns out that Chicago is quite a "dog town." Even in the unusually chilly weather, dogs and their people filled the streets. And AB may soon join those ranks! She and Moxie hit it off like old buds.

One of the highlights of my trip to Chicago turned out to be the Chicago Diner. AB recommended it enthusiastically, so I popped in for a to-go box while Moxie slept off the day's activities in the car. The whole menu at this place is vegetarian! Needless to say to those who know me well, I was paralyzed re: choosing something to try, so I went with a recommendation from a waitress. She didn't disappoint. The Seitan Caesar Salad was out of this world! I'll have to swing back through Chicago again to try something else there, and to pick up the groovy "Kiss A Vegetarian" t-shirt.

And the day just kept getting better. Generous friends AR and DB invited us to sup at their Libertyville home, where DB whipped up a ratatouille-and-polenta feast with outrageous chocolate cake for dessert. It was so nice to retreat to a home for an evening. We slept well last night, hearts and bellies filled to the brim.

Today's driving was easy, blessedly free of the snowy conditions that opened our trip. We took a walk in Indiana's Pokagon State Park. The wildlife there reminded me of the East... a bluejay crossed our path and the sounds and smells evoked childhood walks in Pennsylvania. Tonight we rest in eastern Ohio, ready to hop onto the PA Turnpike in the morning and arrive at my grandmother's house in Maryland by lunchtime. Once there, I'll scramble to meet a Thursday deadline, then get to work organizing and packing for our next trajectory -- this time toward sunny Florida!

News Flash!

2006-02-20T09:06:00.000-05:00

The wireless signal in the hotel we've called "home" Friday and Saturday nights is frustratingly weak and intermittent. We'll hope for better luck from tonight's lodging and plan to post then!

Heart(less?)land

2006-02-17T20:08:00.000-05:00

BRRR! The temperatures have been unforgiving across Nebraska and into Iowa today. I was prepared to face dog-walking obstacles like lack of time or scenic places. But, being a cold-weather fan, I never imagined we'd be limited by the temperatures. But so it was. After only a half hour or so in Nebraska's Gallagher Canyon State Recreation Area, my toes were too numb to continue walking. I'm more convinced than ever that Moxie is part winter breed (malamute? samoyed?), though, because she seems wholly unfazed by the arctic chill.
Tomorrow we'll head for the outskirts of Chicago in plenty of time to meet friends there Sunday. I'm thrilled to be making such good time. The sooner we get off the Interstate, the better! Today the Burger King we stopped at was out of veggie burgers and the Subway didn't even stock them. What's a veggie girl to eat, anyway? Tips on road-food would be much appreciated! I can only eat so many Luna/Balance/Clif bars...

Another Reason Not to Watch Television

2006-02-16T21:20:00.000-05:00

Moxie and I would still be in Logan had we heeded the sky-is-falling reports about today's driving conditions. True, there were slick spots. But in our trusty (and now filthy) Subaru we covered some 500 miles to blow in to Cheyenne by dinner time.

I realized today that the real trip hasn't started in my heart. I'm too focused on the work to be done in DC to really enjoy the journey just yet. I did focus on appreciating some scenery today, though. The mountains in northeastern Utah seem torn from the pages of a fairy tale. Wyoming's not so remarkable along the Interstate, except for the red-faced hillsides along the western border. But I'd still consider moving here just to get the cool cowboy license plate.

Snow Place Like Utah

2006-02-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

I cried happy/sad tears leaving Boise this morning. In spite of the pain that drove me there, it's a town I love all the more now for the friends made during the past few months. I think it's safe to say both Moxie & I look forward to returning.

But onward!

Well, sort of. We may be stalled here in Logan, which might not be a bad thing. Moxie's thrilled about the foot of fresh powder on the ground here. But it looks like Wyoming might be a little more slippery than we'd like tomorrow... We'll keep an eye on conditions and make a decision in the morning.

Logan appears to be a charming town with a classic Old Western Main Street. We surely wouldn't mind exploring it more! But if the roads look clear we'll push off early. I haven't yet decided in which town we'll aim to crash next. Does anyone have suggestions for southeastern Wyoming or southwestern Nebraska? We'd also appreciate suggestions about places to walk/pee/eat along I-80.

Burn, Baby, Burn

2006-02-15T08:23:00.000-05:00

While packing, I'd found plenty of mementos that hurt too much to remain in this world. A receipt for a wedding ring (5 mm, 18 karat, size 6.5). A book of checks from a shared account. A button from a bridal show. So we called some friends and gathered 'round the fire pit under a Valentine's full moon. K burned a magazine that revealed she shares her birthday with a celebrity she finds insufferable. M burned a long-expired marriage certificate. Thank you, friends, for such a touching, festive send-off.

Next stop: Logan, Utah

6 Days 'till Takeoff

2006-02-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

Moxie & I are gearing up. We've got an Outback, a tent, a few thermoses, a converter so we can charge electronics from the cigarette lighter. I even booked a motel for our first night, which we'll spend in Logan, Utah. We are raring to go.

Suba-who?

2006-01-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

Before we can scour the country, of course, we need a trusty chariot. The '93 Saturn I rode in on seems ready to retire Out West. I considered a light pick-up for its hauling and camping capacities, but Moxie shuddered to think of roll-over potential across windy Wyoming. Then we weighed the uber-practical mini-van option but decided we're not ready for our soccer-mom period just yet. [But if Mom asks, the real reason is the reduced fuel efficiency of a loser cruiser (thank you ALG!)] Then we got the Subaru bug... renowned handling, 30 mpg highway, and an acceptable we-can-handle-anything persona.

But which Subaru?

We were all set to purchase a silver '99 Impreza Outback Sport reasonably priced at Bluebook standard... but then we stumbled across a far-cuter burgundy Forester of the same vintage for 2K under Bluebook! The seller "needs cash ASAP." Does that make us too nervous? Stay tuned.

T-28 Days

2006-01-18T16:16:00.000-05:00

Moxie and I are aiming for a launch date of February 15, 2006. First stop: Washington, DC, where we'll fetch and store my stuff. Next stop: the rest of the country. There's no firm itinerary, but we plan to see the States.