Driving the Open Road

Summer 2019…. followed suit of a lot of other summers. In that it included a LONG road trip. Transcontinental to be exact.

That’s right bloggers! Nattie & Hazel Nut’s Adventures went from the EAST COAST to the WEST COAST! Don’t worry – Firefly also came along for the ride.

After frantically packing up our house (yet again), and piling EVERYTHING in the car, on the car, or on the back of the car… we were ready. And as with every cross country road trip… we packed more than we needed, and condensed along the way.

I keep promising Hazel that she’ll have more room this “next trip” but I rarely make good on that promise. I also keep telling her (myself) that we’re going to settle down. She’ll get a yard… blah blah blah. Needless to say. I have YET to settle on a STATE, let alone yard for my baby girl.

But alas. We set off on yet another journey. This one had family and a different time zone on the horizon. We powered through SIXTEEN states in 6 days. Realistically it was meant to be 15 states in 5 days, but I added a detour. And needless to say… we didn’t do a ton of “fun stops” along the way.

We did make time for friends in Chattanooga, TN! It’s by far my favorite place to detour 🙂

I mean just LOOK at that sunset! So pretty. And the normalcy of being in Chatt is so comforting while on the road. We also made sure to stop for some replacement moonshine. I wasn’t able to find the oatmeal cookie that was SO GOOD, but I did pick up some great alternative flavors. We’re going to have to sort out use for the jars… Because I may have got too much.

After leaving Tennessee the freeway closures were RIDICULOUS! I mean how does it take SEVEN hours to driving across Oklahoma!! Horrible. I was sooo frustrated with the freeway closures. And I’ll be looking for ways to drive to Connecticut without driving through Oklahoma in the fall. Yuck.

After we hit Amarillo, Tx we made the rest of the drive (to Nevada) in one very long, very distressing drive. We did 872 miles in one day. Phew that was a LONG drive. But fun fact… as you move west you gain hour(s) by moving between timezones. So I kept up the daylight for longer allowing for more miles driven. However the last 200 miles were rough. Between the mountain roads, crazy drivers, and setting sun we struggled. But we eventually made our destination. Thank the Lord Baby Jesus.

I did make time to do a photoshoot with Hazel Nut in Winslow, AZ. 😻 As we got closer to our end destination, I reminded myself I need to enjoy this summer just as much as I need to FOCUS. So we started to make pit stops that we could enjoy.

I’m by no means necessary a desert fan. I even roasted my poor ZZ Plant when I left it in the car for half a day. WHOOPS! Don’t tell my friend JP. 😉

It is actually doing pretty okay since this photo. Some stalks are goners. But the seasoned parts of the plant made it through quite well. 🤞🏼 for new shoots to grow… Eek!

My final end destination was California. But the closer I got, the less it felt like home. Which is disappointing for sure. But also eye opening. Time to find this nomads true home. In the meantime here are some tips and tricks to making it across country… from a seasoned (6th cross country road trippers – YES Hazel too!) travelers.

1. Always have a general “plan” in place.

Even if you are a “spontaneous adventurer” please note that being broken down on the highway, or running out of gas… those aren’t adventures. Those are mishaps that should be avoided. You can spin it like an adventure, but really they aren’t.

So plan ahead. Know when to get gas, have a gas budget (keep in mind gas prices vary along your route – NJ was RIDICULOUSLY expensive!), and anticipate hotels. One hotel was booked for the night… we booked via hotels.com so we had a room, but if your plan is to just “show up” you may end up sleeping in your car! In the heat of summer, probably not the best idea.

You can be “flexible”… Lord knows we were. But all I’m saying is have an outline of where you want to go, what you want to do and see, and of course… prepare with ROAD SNACKS!

2. PACK AHEAD!

Just like you will need to pack clothes and outfits for your adventure… you also need to plan/pack meals, snacks, water, and other beverages. Having pets, you’ll need to make sure you pack for them too!

I kept Hazel Nut’s (& Fi’s) food and water handy along the route to make sure they were well hydrated and fed. Having specific dietary needs I would stock up with groceries to negate the need to eat out. This saved the budget, AND my gut. I planned both healthy and unhealthy snacks… EVERYONE eats junk while traveling. Let’s be real.

3. KNOW YOUR LIMITS

With any road trip, or travel adventure, it’s important to know your limits. You may be able to drive all night, but if you’re traveling with pets (or worse – kids!) they may not be able to go the distances you can. I know the last day Hazel and Fi were both very restless in the car after we passed our normal distance.

I also made sure to “check in” with family along the route to help not only keep me updated on the going on’s at “home”, but it also kept me awake.

4. BEAT THE HEAT

When you drive across country in the SUMMER months, keep in mind the heat. To prep for the hot car scenario I picked up sun shades… Both for while the car is parked, but also shades for the windows to prevent too much sun getting in while we drove.

I also kept ice cold waters for keeping all of us cool, parked only in shaded areas, and left the car running if the animals stayed inside. I also always checked the temperatures to make sure that my pets were safe. Don’t forget about burned paws during potty breaks!

Sunglasses to beat the sunshine, and sunscreen (yes, even in the car). I didn’t do a great job of applying so I was a little toasted towards the end of our drive. Ugh.

5. DECOMPRESS

After driving all day, don’t forget to decompress from all that driving. I liked to do NOTHING of importance at the end of the night. I was sometimes even too tired to really walk Hazel too far. Sadly we weren’t very active on this trek. But we worked through it with other stimulation. She was rewarded with puppacinos, dog parks when easily accessible, and treats. I decompressed with movies, shows, or social media.

Driving across the country is no joke. It can be fun, but it’s also a LOT of work. Wherever your travels take you, hope you enjoy the journey 🙂

Happy Travels!

Nattie & Hazel Nut