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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Is Appalachia calling your name? Check it out!
Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a popular destination for tourists between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. The Great Smoky Mountains are so aptly named after the natives saw the immense amount of smoke-like fog coming from the mountain range, and the name stuck. Many communities had settled with what are today's boundaries, resulting in controversial land purchases around the time of the Great Depression to create the park. Today, visitors are able to drive, hike, and camp within the park as weather permits.
The Great Smoky Mountains, although being a national park, does not honor the National Parks pass used in several other locations across the country. Similar to Mount Rushmore, it is dependent upon parking fees to fund the location while allowing visitors to drive through at no additional cost to them. One can enter along US Highway 441 from either Cherokee, North Carolina to the south, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee to the north. The Newfound Gap at nearly a mile high in elevation serves as the midpoint of the highway through the park, as well as the border between the two states. Stop to experience the wonderful views of the Great Smoky Mountains. While along the route, perhaps make a stop to view the elk from a distance. When at the southern end, you can also find the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
One of the features of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the BARK Ranger program, where your pup can become a sworn ambassador of the park. Completing this program is fairly simple, as you'll do a sort of scavenger hunt along one of the two pet-friendly trails near the visitors' centers of the park. Take a number of pictures of your dog along the way, and submit to the ranger on duty. They will help your dog to take the oath of BARK (Bagging waste, Always leashing, Respecting wildlife, and Knowing where to go), and receive a certificate with his or her paw print. As of the writing of this, Miles the Chug Terrier has become an official BARK Ranger at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We are proud of his accomplishment.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to the southern Appalachians, be sure to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
WRITTEN May 19, 2024 at 12:10 PM
TAGS: trip 18, north carolina, tennessee, nps, pup
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Did It Work: Traveling with your Fur Baby
When starting this RV adventure, we knew it wasn't just going to be a happy couple. We were going to have a pup with us. With one year behind us, it's time to look at Traveling with your Fur Baby in this installment of "Did It Work?".
When we first began, we had a lovable American Staffordshire Terrier named Maggie. She was with us on the Shakedown and first two trips before losing her to health issues. Looking back to our travels, as much as it would seem selfish that our location abilities would have been limited by her, it is a sad and uncomfortable truth. We've been spending a great deal of time in an area that discriminates against certain dog breeds colloquially referred to as "pit bulls", and her well-being and safety from local bureaucrats would have very much been in jeopardy. The nature of this breed makes matters even more difficult if you think about starting an adventure like this, because the dog becomes very attached to its first recognized "owner". As much as a new owner would be very happy to have this companion, along with a reciprocal feeling possibly being mutual, the dog will always long for its first.
Fast forward a bit, and in comes Miles to the picture. The original strategy was to crate train so we could workamp. Needless to say, he grew a bit too large for the crate, and there isn't exactly a good spot for a larger one, so he now enjoys close company while respecting our needs. He's still a relatively small breed, which not only makes finding places to stay very easy given a 25-pound limit that seems to come up often, but also allows for a little more room for our living needs. The carrying of food and water transferred very well, as he enjoys a good national brand that keeps him healthy. Being on his own is starting to get better as the separation anxiety doesn't seem to manifest.
If there's one thing where we've found quite the swing, it's vet visits. Once we made it to the first workamping site, we found a terrific vet that was not only more concerned about the true health of the pup, but was much more reasonable in price. Fast forward to the next spot that has many ranches around, and the service is even better. We know we aren't going to get that lucky everywhere we go, but at least transferring his records from place to place is a breeze. Changing environments can be rough on the pup, though. This is where you have to really pay attention to what sort of things go around the area, from minor illnesses to allergies. Work with the locals, and try to stock up on the "essentials" before moving on to the next place.
When following your internal compass, remember to re-orient and adapt if necessary. That includes with the fur babies.
WRITTEN Jul 03, 2022 at 09:54 AM
TAGS: pup, did it work
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Happy Birthday
As of the day this is published, we celebrate yet another birthday. However, which host is it?
Miles the Chug Terrier has completed one full revolution of the sun on this earth! For the uninitiated, "Chug Terrier" is a portmanteau of his mix of breeds: Chihuahua, Pug, and Rat Terrier. He became a part of the Freedom Rolling family in June of 2021, just after completing Trip 1. Our other fur baby at the time, Maggie, was feeling a bit depressed and lonely, needing a friend in her life. When we first acquired Miles, he was all of two pounds, and you could hold him in the palm of your hand. Watching him hop around the front yard brought joy to our lives as he trained himself up for our upcoming adventure. Maggie was a great teacher to Miles, as he was able to learn life skills, including the service which he continues to provide our hosts to this day.
Miles' first adventure came in the form of Trip 2, the only trip involving all four of us. Although still a little small to be able to get in and out of the trailer on his own, it was his first encounter of what "home" would be. By now, he was able to be collared and leashed, with everyone enjoying walks on the grounds. As he grew, he started to become a sensation on Freedom Rolling's Social Media pages. Many flocked to our sites to see the Chug Terrier in action. He really became a TikTok star! More training and growing, and with finally being able to get up our old porch on his own, he was now ready to be on the road! Even the first time we went "home" for good, the start of Trip 3, he made it up and down those trailer steps.
One year after being born, and he is the bona fide star of Freedom Rolling! He is coveted in person by people in at least eight states, and potentially more with his online following. He's absolutely in love with playing in the water, whether it be the streams at Franconia Notch in New Hampshire, the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, or his own personal play pool we got him in Missouri. Just seeing his joy when using the hose at our workamping job in Arkansas is such a happy moment. He has since grown to 15 pounds, and we are blessed to have a healthy fur baby with us on this adventure. He gets plenty of opportunity to interact with other pups, whether it's customers stopping by at the workamp, or at the dog park in town. This playful little boy has a great life, and he seems to be very much enjoying it himself.
So happy birthday, Miles the Chug Terrier. You help to orient our Internal Compass just as much as the natural world around us, and here's to many more years of joy and happiness.
WRITTEN Apr 10, 2022 at 10:27 AM
TAGS: pup
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Miles the Chug Terrier: An Update
As some of you are reading ptomes of us rambling about our lives, we all know what you're really wondering: What's going on with that fur baby of ours? Is he still with us? Did he get run over by a fifth wheel?
Rest assured, Miles is doing just fine. For those that don't know, because of his breed mix (Chihuahua, Pug, and Rat Terrier), we've come to refer to him as a "Chug Terrier". As of when this article is being written, he's about nine months old, and we've had people try to claim him from several states, including Iowa, South Dakota, Georgia, Florida, California, and Arkansas. He's also become well trained in cardiac abnormality detection, allowing him access to many places and more fawning from the public. Needless to say, he has remained an integral part of our adventure, and even now has his own TikTok channel for you to see him!
Bringing a puppy with you on the road comes with its own challenges. First, although many governments require preventive measures against rabies, you may want to also be concerned about the parvovirus, which runs rampant in many areas. There may be other diseases, so do a bit of research. As they grow older, you may also take the advice of Bob Barker and choose to "alter" your fur baby. As you travel and find vets, use your mobility to your advantage. Some parts of the country will charge an arm and a leg to even so much as see your pet let alone treat them, while others are more reasonable. Work with them as best you can to get a good deal.
The best thing about Miles' life thus far is that he's spent the majority of it on the road, so he understands "home" to be where we park it, and not necessarily a physical location. He has since outgrown the crate, and now freely enjoys our company both at home and in the office. He's grown an affection for noses and feet, and guards us at every moment, even the most inopportune. Oddly enough, his favorite word isn't "treat", "walk", or "ride", but rather "Bible", as that's when we all come together to enjoy the teachings of our past.
Our internal compass would not be well oriented without Miles. That little Chug Terrier keeps us well centered as we enjoy this beautiful country.
WRITTEN Jan 16, 2022 at 09:25 AM
TAGS: pup, rv living
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Traveling with your Fur Baby
RV living or camping with a pup can be difficult sometimes. In this article, we will give you some helpful hints and tricks that have been successful for us. Even the pup needs to be comfortable when it comes to traveling and sleeping.
Our pup is spoiled, but also what they call an elderly dog. If you meet her, you wouldn't even realize how old she is. She also has separation anxiety, which gets worse when we start to travel. She needs to be right next to us, which used to pose a problem when we had the Trailblazer. She is six years old, and we knew that it would be easier if she could be next to us. That problem was fixed when we purchased our truck. A bench seat works like a charm. When we took our first long trip in the truck, she did fabulous. No CBD chews were needed. She fell right asleep before we hit the second block. Yes, that is right, we use CBD chews for her. We try to be all natural with our pup.
Making the pup comfortable in an RV or tent will be quite different. When we had the tent, we needed to make sure that she couldn't escape out of it. We still made sure she was comfortable. We bought her a bed that is raised off the ground so she wasn't sleeping on a hard surface. Face it, no one wants to sleep on a hard surface, so why treat your pup any different? Now she will have her own bed, which is the couch. Of course, she will still have her raised bed for chilling at the campsite. Make sure they have their all time favorite toy. She has a dragon. She has had it for two years and hasn't wrecked it. We take it everywhere with us. It keeps her calm, and of course she plays with it, which keeps her occupied and out of trouble.
We make sure we carry two different foods for her. We carry her standard dry food, which is a limited ingredient diet food. She has massive allergies. Then, we also have soft food that has actual chunks of meat and veggies with us. Without soft food, we have noticed she will go days without eating if we let her. So that soft food is there for when we first arrive. Remember to have fresh water for them, and here is a hint: DO NOT let them drink out of the river, or any body of water, especially if they are not used to it. They could get sick, which is something you do not want to have to worry about.
Have your vet's number on file, and also the closest emergency vet's number. Our pup has some health issues, so I always make sure to know where the closest emergency vet is. You might be thinking, “Wow, she treats her pup like a child.” Well, she is like a child. She depends on us as a family to take care of her needs, whether it is us making sure her nutritional needs are met, or making sure that her health needs are met.
The other big thing to think about, when taking the pup or any pet to a campground, is making the reservations. Make sure 100 percent that they take the type of pet you have. Some campgrounds only allow dogs and cats, but not exotic pets, like birds or something along those lines. The other piece is making sure that they take your pup's breed. We as a family unit have to be careful with where we book, and make sure we are looking in the pet section of the policies. Our pup's breed is widely subjected to discrimination, so while looking at campgrounds, we need to make sure we really read the fine print.
Hopefully this article will help you and those fur babies. Remember to follow that internal compass!