Traveling to Alaska from the lower 48 is the ultimate road trip. If you enjoy a trip in your car, RV or van, you should definitely include the Alaska-Canada Highway (Alcan) on your bucket list! Since I’m now living with dogs and flying is not an option, I’ve made the trip several times. The first time, the puppies were only 5 months old. At 15 months, they are now veteran travelers!!
Making the trek with pups requires much more planning. Hotels that take dogs are not as plentiful so mapping out your route is wise. You also may need to stop more often to get their energy out. But I look at it this way, being retired, I have more time. This itinerary is focused on dog-friendly travel on the Alcan.
Day One: Getting your Road Feet Under You
Today’s Itinerary –
Morning visit to home dog park
1st Stop: Mt. Shasta, Shastice Dog Park
2nd Stop: Springfield, Oregon, Armitage Dog Park
Lodging: La Quinta Springfield Oregon
As always, I’ve underestimated the time I need to get everything ready for our trip. But unlike always, I’ve scheduled in my procrastination. Our first stop is 465 miles away, around a 7-hour drive according to Google. Since I don’t like driving at night, as long as we are on the road by noon, we should be fine.
Packing the car takes a bit of forethought and, with experience, I’ve perfected what works for us. The pups, Buster & Lily, are 92 and 70 pounds respectively so there isn’t much room for anything else in the car. I lay the back seat down to provide the most space possible in my Honda CRV. Remember when station wagons were a thing? Well, that’s what I’m trying to recreate to provide the pups with plenty of room to spread out. For details on how to set up an SUV for travel with big dogs, click here.
Before I leave the house, I program in my first stop, a dog park about 4 hours away and our second stop, the hotel. I am using Apple maps, but Google maps is also a good choice. I do recommend bringing along a paper map. The Milepost has a great map and includes a lot of information about the sites along the way once you hit Canada. If you are a member, AAA has free maps for the asking. There are sections of Canada and the Yukon where you will not have service. Apple maps has also had a routing error for at least the last year between Watson Lake and Haines Junction. If you rely solely on Apple maps for that stretch, you’ll be rerouted 12 hours out of your way!!
My criteria for a dog park stop are a stop about half-way to my destination and easy on/off from the freeway. We are starting from the Sacramento, California area so Mt. Shasta is our first stop. In Mt. Shasta, the Shastice park has a fully fenced dog park tucked away between the high school baseball field and the city gardens. It is a bit hidden but is worth the find. Shaded, the dog park stays cool on hot days and has running water for the pooches. There are a couple of picnic tables for humans, plus ample space to throw a ball and have a run. The closest parking is by the baseball field, then head up the hill a short walk to the east and you’ll see the park. The fence has a large silhouette of a dog running!
With our dog park stop, we fill up on gas. We won’t have to stop again until we arrive at our destination for the night, Eugene-Springfield, Oregon. Tonight’s hotel is a La Quinta by Wyndham — I’m a big fan of the La Quinta’s for dog stays. They have rooms that are dog friendly, and some don’t charge extra. Even if they do charge, it is usually minimal and one cost for all pets.
My standard routine is to check-in to the hotel and then head for our evening dog park visit. The La Quinta in Springfield Oregon is conveniently located to the Armitage Dog Park. This city dog park charges for day use parking but in my opinion, it is well worth the $5.00. You see, while I have been driving, the puppy dogs have been sleeping so when we get to our destination, the dogs are raring to go while all I want to do is relax and go to bed early!! Spending $5.00 to tire out my dogs, let them run and run, chase the ball, play with other dogs, etc. is money well spent. Bringing them back to the hotel for a solid night’s snooze, priceless!!
The next morning we’ll visit that same park for some morning poop and pee as well as ball chasing and general running around. They have a separate small dog area and running water. When we were there, they had pools filled with water so the dogs could cool off. Stopping at the park in the morning takes less than 30 minutes, and the day goes so much better. The ChuckIt! is my go-to ball thrower. Buster approved, this ball launcher is designed to send the ball sailing much, much further than this girl can throw. The long (25-26”) version enables you a slobbery ball pick-up without bending over or touching the ball. I’m all about the “minimal effort with maximum distance” this brilliant product provides!
The big adjustment for the pups is to sleep in a new environment. For more on dog proofing your hotel room, click here.
Day Two will take us through the big cities and over the border. For notifications, subscribe to the Retirement Monkeys Newsletter.
