Routing problems

I think a big problem I have traveling in a car as opposed to an RV is the fact that I can't always find a reasonably-priced, pet-friendly motel along the way. Motel 6 has very reasonable prices, allows pets, and never charges a fee for them. The trouble is that they are almost always along the interstates.

In doing a search in the area of UP Michigan, the pet friendly motels and inns often charge up to $20 a night extra for a pet. There is bo way I will pay that much for a dog who only sleeps in the room, doesn't bark, doesn't chew on furniture, and stays off the bed.

I am tentatively planning to drive across New York and through Erie, PA, Cleveland and Toledo, OH, and then up through Michigan, west following the shores of Lake Superior, and then passing through WI and MN in the northern part of the states on US highways. When I get to Fargo, ND I will decide from there, but in driving to NY I really liked US 12 and would like to follow it all the way west this time.

I've seen enough of the south and middle of the country over all the years, and as far north as I-80 which I could probably travel on auto pilot. Driving to New York in May I really liked Idaho and Montana, and vowed I would be back. In May I had problems with the wind and thunderstorms, but in August I am afraid I will be hit with the heat. Too bad because there is no way I can get back to avoid the high temps in August.

So I am still left with the problem of where to stay at night along the way. I like to have several possible stops lined up each day so that i have a choice of when and where to stay the night. I could never plan a 3600 mile trip where every stop was already decided in advance - I like to be more impulsive and spontaneous, although it causes me some frustration and worry that I might not find something this time. I did that when I had the 5th wheel, often wondering if I would ever come to a suitable campground. I guess I still have the tent option this trip.

When I wrote yesterday's post I should have clarified my statement about what makes life worth living. I mainly write about my own thoughts and feelings - it IS my blog after all - and when I think about what is most meaningful in my life it is my children and grandchildren at the top of the list. If I was happily married or in a partnership, or if I had no children, my answer might be different. I realized a long time ago that my four children are my treasures in life, and nothing in the world has given me greater joy, satisfaction, grief and heartache than those four. Now I have grandchildren and the feelings are exponentially multiplied. I make no apology for my feelings, nor would I call anyone to task for a different way of thinking. And I certainly didn't mean to imply that there is nothing else that makes life worth living - I was stating what comes first in my life. YMMV! (Your mileage may vary.)