Our First Road Trip

On March 10th, 2018, my husband and I packed into our little sedan with our two pups for a one week road trip. We started from our home in Indiana and drove all the way to Hilton Head, South Carolina and made some stops on our way there and our way back. On this road trip we visited Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Kentucky

We didn’t spend much time in Kentucky, but we stopped to do some hiking to stretch our legs and release some energy. The pups were so happy to get out of the car and sniff around. We hiked a trail in the Daniel Boone National Forest where we stomped through leaves and explored a small cave. It wasn’t the most amazing view, but it was definitely a needed escape from the car!

North Carolina 

When we got to North Carolina, we typed in the address for a hike on part of the Appalachian trail called the Max Patch Loop. It said it was about an hour away from our current location, so we began driving because hiking was definitely what we needed. Little did we know, this hike actually started quite a ways up the mountain so the drive up was very sketchy and we realized we had less than a half a tank of gas. We didn’t realize this until we were already driving up the mountain so it didn’t really matter if we drove back down to get gas right away or hiked and then found a gas station. So we decided to have a bit of faith in our little sedan and continue our journey. We got to the start of the trail and it didn’t look like much. We were wondering if we chose the wrong hike to take, but once we got to the top, it was well worth it! The views of the mountains were beautiful and the pups were so happy to be out in nature. After we were done exploring, we drove back down the mountain and found the nearest gas station just in time! Then for dinner we stopped at a local brewery and sat outside with the pups. The cook even made the pups some plain bison burgers for dinner! We absolutely loved our short trip in North Carolina, but that’s not where the journey stopped!

South Carolina 

At last! We finally made it to Hilton Head! My mom flew down to visit with us for a couple of days and the pups had a blast! We walked through some nature trails, ate at some fun restaurants, and the pups visited the beach for the very first time! The pups also went on their very first kayaking trip! South Carolina had a lot of new experiences for Maxwell and Declan and they had so much fun! Maxwell found out that he loved rolling himself in the sand. Declan found out the hard way that he isn’t the best swimmer. He jumped out of the kayak at one point and we had to rescue him. We promptly bought him a life vest when we got home! South Carolina was full of sandy fur and relaxing. It was definitely what we needed, but after a few days it was time to head home to Indiana. 

Tennessee

On our way home from Hilton Head, we stopped in the Great Smoky Mountains. Dogs are only allowed on one trail throughout the national park, so it made our trail decision very easy. We explored the Gatlinburg Trail which follows a creek and ends in Gatlinburg. We explored through leaves and water and then stopped in Gatlinburg for some lunch. It was a relaxing day and a great way to end the trip! The pups had a blast on their very first road trip and my husband and I had a blast sharing our love for traveling with them! This road trip sparked several others and many more yet to come!