Gypsy is a GPS convert

I am planning to leave on Tuesday morning for the drive to Greencastle PA. The GPS gives the estimated time as 5 hrs & a few minutes, but I'm sure it will take me at least 6, and maybe more. I have been taking my things over to the rv today and loading them - I really don't have all that much but more than you might think. I can't use the area behind the front seats because that is where the dogs have to ride, so I'm limited to the passenger seat & pickup bed to carry everything.

I tried to introduce the dogs to their new home today and Lady absolutely refused to go up the steps. Since she weighs 85# I can't really lift her, and she can be contrary enough to twist out of her collar. I think I will tighten the collar when I get to the campground, and drag her! I don't know what else to do. When I was carrying things to the 5ver I just attached her leash to the big handle, and she went under the 5ver to hide. When I came out she was lying out in the sun.

But the real story today is that I have become a convert to the cult of GPS! You may recall that I have sworn I would never buy or use one, and then when I bought one I said I would only use my maps and the GPS was just for show or in case I got desperate. Well this morning I got the google directions to the kennel in Hyde Park to pick up the dogs. I usually drive up the Taconic Parkway and know that route pretty well, but NY has signs posted at every entrance to all parkways that only passenger cars are allowed. I know for sure that in the past they have ticketed drivers who tried to take a pickup truck on the parkway. I have heard that they relaxed the rules somewhat, and I have seen many pickups on a couple of the parkways, but my son said that my F-350 with duals might be borderline, so I decided to take an alternate route.

The alternate route took me into Poughkeepsie, and I must have missed a critical turn because I found myself on the Mid-Hudson bridge going across the river into Ulster county! When I finally got to a street that I could turn into, with a traffic light to help me get back out, I pulled into a parking lot and got the GPS out, and got directions from there to the kennel. It was perfect and the nice lady gave me excellent directions. When I got the dogs I programmed in the return trip, but decided I'd had enough with Poughkeepsie so I drove the way I always have in the past - the nice lady kept having to recalculate, but I don't think she got as upset with me as I thought she would. The bottom line is: Gypsy is sold on the GPS! I will still look at my paper maps, and I may change the route on my own, but the Goddess of GPS is going to be my principal guide from now on.

So all those who told me I "must have" a GPS, you can go ahead and say "I told you so".