Traveling in Vans with Dogs

If you want unwavering loving support, even more of an excuse to go outside, and a guaranteed cuddle partner, traveling in vans with dogs is the way to go! Who wouldn't want to be able to hang with their dog 24/7? The constant companionship far outweighs the smells and mess from your dog.

My dog Noah is such a joy to have around, he has a constant smile on his face. When I was living in San Francisco, it was so difficult leaving my pup at home. Now that I live in my van full-time with my partner Theo, we get to see Noah all the time, and the memories that we've created traveling around the U.S. and Canada will be cherished forever. I never thought that my big 'ol Rottweiler would one day see so much of this world, 26 states and 2 countries to be exact! I can't say if Noah loves the actual travel (he hasn't told me yet) but I think he's a lot more at peace getting to be with his Mom and Dad, aka: the loves of his life, full time.

So I'm going to share some of my favorite dog-friendly places that we've been to along the way, and also offer up some advice on traveling full-time with your dog. 

Favorite stops on our road trip

“What have been your favorite places?” is the second most asked question we (Alisan and Theo) get when people hear that we’re living on the road, traveling North America in our VW van. 

I’ll give a broad overview of where we’ve been one year into our journey… We started in California, then went north to Oregon, spending time on the coast, Eugene, Portland, Bend, and then we drove east to explore more of the American West: Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Utah. We even drove way up north to Banff, a 16 hour day’s drive that I will never forget. 😝

Allow me to introduce you to my favorite places that I've been along the way. And the winners are...

Favorite national park: Yellowstone, WY
Favorite campground: Devils Garden, Arches National Park, UT
Favorite public lands campground: North side Snake River, Twin Falls, ID
Favorite drive: Oregon Coast
Favorite detour: National Bison Range Scenic Byway, MT
Favorite small town: Jackson, WY

"Why do you live in a van?"

First day of our journey was to Quincy, CA
High Sierra Music Festival 💃🕺. instagram

Quick facts to start you off!

Me: Alisan Amrhein, 31 y.o. traveling across North America

Start Date: July 4, 2018 

Where we’ve been: 2 countries, 29 states, 2 Canadian provinces

Travel companions: my partner Theo and our dog Noah, a long-haired Rottweiler

Driving: 1983 VW Westfalia Vanagon

Howdy! Hello! How’s it going?! I am super glad that you (yes YOU) are here reading my new blog about my van travels across the U.S. and Canada. I have been living with my boyfriend Theo and our loyal pup for a little over a year, traveling to iconic destinations, exploring cute small towns, and seeing the country from the comfort of our Westy home.

Three Days in Nova Scotia

 

Canada is awesome! If you haven’t yet visited, I urge you to go. We always have the most fun crossing into the Great White North. The natural scenery is otherwordly, expansively gorgeous, and makes you want to cry with joy at the fact that you are witnessing that view right then. 

Now, for transparency's sake, I’ve only been to Banff and Nova Scotia, and my travel partner has also been to Whistler, so we’ve only seen a small fraction of this beautiful country. Still, I’d like to share one of my journeys with you, a fairly short one, of our three day road-trip through Nova Scotia. We loved this country— the scenery, the friendly people, the cute cafes and small towns, and oh yes, we loved the poutine as well.