Carole is a retired 64-year-old wife and mother navigating the next chapter of life. While figuring that out, she keeps busy by reading, hiking, knitting, and braving the ocean a few times a week—year-round!
Have you ever wanted to drive from Kelowna, British Columbia, to Pensacola, Florida? In someone else’s car? With someone else’s two dogs? Yeah, me neither… but that’s exactly what I did in September 2022!
Two months after I retired in July 2022, I spent a month visiting family in Ontario. One day, my sister and I were dropping off her daughter’s car at a dealership for a university transfer to Thunder Bay when I met Terry from Safetravels64. He asked if I’d be interested in driving a car with two dogs from Kelowna to Pensacola.
Naturally, I thought, “Sure, what could possibly go wrong?” I needed time to think it over, but after a few days of talking it through with my husband—who was thrilled at the thought of me driving across North America with two random dogs (not!)—I called Terry and said, “Yes.” Why not?
A few weeks later, I found myself packing for the long trip to Florida, where my adventure would truly begin. I flew into Kelowna, where I met the car owner, who delivered her Hyundai Kona and two dogs: Gus, an anxious Doberman, and Gracie, a calm Pitbull. After a minor paperwork hiccup regarding the dogs and a few border crossing attempts that seemed straight out of a travel nightmare, I finally made it into the U.S. and kicked off the journey south.
Traveling with dogs, especially ones with special diets and medications, is like running a mini health clinic on four wheels. Each day involved packing and unpacking not only the dogs' food and meds (which was like managing a pharmacy) but also making sure to walk them regularly while trying to keep my own luggage in check. It was an art form.
After several days of navigating my way through Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, and Tennessee, I stopped at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Because of the heat, I couldn’t leave the dogs in the car (hello, animal cruelty), so I took them to the motel. Then, I dashed into the Opry to take a few photos and buy some souvenirs like a sweaty, dog-wrangling tourist.
After over 8 hours of driving each day, I finally rolled into Pensacola, where I handed over the car and dogs to their owner with a big sigh of relief. I grabbed an Uber to my Airbnb cottage, exhausted but happy.
The next day, I rented a VEO scooter to explore a little farther and stumbled upon the charming Seville Quarter—nothing beats discovering hidden gems! Later, I took a taxi to Pensacola Beach to dip my toes in the ocean, letting the cool waves wash away the travel fatigue. Afterward, it was back downtown for a seafood festival, where I could practically hear the ocean calling me to indulge in one last feast before heading home.
Since that trip, I’ve done two more. One took me from Toronto, Canada, to Scottsdale, Arizona, in an older Mercedes Benz station wagon with an easygoing Aussie Doodle named Chico, who definitely got more sleep than I did. That trip was a true test of endurance, with crazy rainstorms in Oklahoma and Texas (I’m talking torrential rain that made me wonder if I’d accidentally driven into a hurricane) and a surprise snowfall in Arizona. Yes, snow in Arizona!
Most recently, I drove a car from Stockton, California, back to its owners in Sooke, British Columbia. On the way, I had to make a quick stop to get new windshield wipers—apparently, they disintegrate after a year of baking in the California sun. Who knew? I needed them badly when driving through Washington State and British Columbia in December—because, apparently, Mother Nature enjoys playing practical jokes on me. Two days later, I successfully completed the trip with zero car breakdowns and only mild road rage.
And just recently, I got a text asking if I’m available to drive a car from Mesa, Arizona, to Calgary, Alberta. I mean, why not? I’m beginning to think the universe is secretly preparing me for some kind of cross-country, dog-wrangling, road-trip championship. Stay tuned! Who knows where my next adventure will take me!
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