Travels with Maddie: Travel Journal Vol. I

An epic road trip to a new life. My observations along the road.

"I think I'm quite ready for another adventure!" - Bilbo Baggins

John Steinbeck is one of my favorite writers, and the title of his homage to America is Travels with Charley, so I thought I’d play on that title a bit for my own journal of our travels across America. Charley was Steinbeck’s Standard Poodle who shared in his adventures, and Maddie is our Chinese-crested Powder Puff. She is our only girl dog (we have three), and now 14 years old. Needless to say, she has a few health challenges. So, when we decided we were going to move across the country, we were not sure how well she would be able to tolerate the trip. But, Maddie’s a tough girl and a fighter, not to mention she thrives on road trips. When she was younger, we took treks to Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico and she loved every one.

This is her in New Mexico, living her best life after a delightful dip into the Rio Grande.

Of our three, she actually did the best over the 3,500 miles over seven states. She loves the car, and was content to snuggle in her soft bed on the floor while we clocked the miles from California to Arizona to New Mexico to Texas to Oklahoma to Arkansas to Mississippi to Tennessee and finally to Alabama.

September 5 will make three months in Alabama, and Miss Maddie Gumdrops is hanging tough and enjoying the Alabama life. No matter how much longer she has to give us joy in this life, it was a delight to be able to give her joy and an adventure that brought her thrills and contentment. The simple pleasures are often the best.