In June of 2021, we once again found ourselves relocating to another part of the United States — this time from Florida to Colorado. We were excited for this adventure after spending four and a half years in Florida, and over a year under COVID.
This time around, we had two dogs in tow. Sadly, our babies Ava and Otto had passed away. So we prepared for the move with Ginger, our eleven-year-old Jack Russell mix, and the newest member of the pack, Ellie. Ellie was still a pup at the time and this was a huge adventure for her. Ginger, on the other hand, said, "This isn't my first rodeo", and slept most of the journey.
"Ginger said ‘This isn’t my first rodeo’ and slept most of the journey."
The Silverado — plus a Karmann Ghia on the back
We were pulling a trailer with our classic Karmann Ghia inside, so that added a new layer of stress. A week before the trip, my husband traded our 2-wheel drive GMC Sierra for a 4-wheel drive Silverado. He knew it would be next to impossible to trade in a 2-wheel drive when we reached Colorado — a smart move.
The Plan
Planning the Route
The route overview
After relocating from Washington to Florida in 2016, I knew the steps to take to get started on a plan. The last trip was a success by limiting ourselves to 10 hours of daylight driving, so we followed the same formula. I calculated the miles we needed to drive and marked potential stops on the map.
For finding pet-friendly hotels, back in 2016 I used Rand McNally to plan the drive. Unfortunately, that online tool is no longer available. I did some research and found Furkot recommended by people who previously used Rand McNally. It took some getting used to but I did find it useful.
The stops for this journey were:
- Mobile, Alabama — 8.5 hours driving
- Van, Texas — 8 hours driving
- Amarillo, Texas — 7 hours driving
- Amarillo to Colorado Springs — 5.25 hours
- Total Miles = 1,902.
We avoided staying in big cities due to the trailer we were pulling. We were pretty lucky on hotels this time and did not have to make a lot of calls to confirm we could stay.
Where We Slept
The Hotels
A scene along the way |
Check out the day-by-day posts for pricing and details about each hotel and area. |
If this is your first time planning a cross-country drive with pets, check out our Washington to Florida series where we cover all the steps for finding and booking pet-friendly hotels for multiple large dogs.
The Journey
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