La Quinta-scent-ial Ace
Ace has another road trip under his collar – this one to North Carolina, where he attended a barbecue party, dallied in a dog park in Carrboro, met a hairless little dog at a retirement community in Winston-Salem, and stayed at two different La Quinta hotels.
(La Quinta being Spanish for “we allow dogs and aren’t so greedy as to charge you extra for them.”)
Our first stop was Chapel Hill, so we stayed at a La Quinta across the line in Durham. We were given room 607, which Ace remembered every time we came back inside, walking directly up to it and sticking his nose in the crack.
After two days, we moved on to Winston-Salem, where Ace made several visits to Arbor Acres, the retirement community in which his (human) grandmother resides. (He always remembers her room, too.)
There, he renewed some old acquaintances, and made some new ones, including a Chinese crested hairless named Truman (above), who had been recently taken in by a woman who lives down the hall from my mother. At first, I think Ace, judging from how excited he got, thought it was a cat. After a little sniffing he realized Truman – though hairless and only about 1/20th of his size -- was a fellow dog.
In Winston-Salem, we stayed in another La Quinta, cut from the exact same mold, but this time in room 604.
During our two days there, Ace would get off the elevator and go first to room 607, stand there for a few seconds, sniff the crack, then walk across the hall and stick his nose in 604, then look up at me as if to confirm the selection: Yes, I’m quite sure now, it’s this one.
It’s a trick that comes in handy since hotel room keys rarely have the hotel room number on them anymore.
There may be some inconveniences when traveling with your dog. To me, though, the benefits far outweigh them. You're more likely to meet and connect with people. You have constant companionship and protection. And if, like me, you have trouble keeping a room number lodged in your password-cluttered brain, it's good to have someone who, via the scent of La Quinta, can lead you to your room.
Comments
We love traveling with our dog! We don't leave Abby alone in our hotel room, so that can add some challenges. However, we've found that restaurants (even quite nice restaurants that I would typically not ask) will serve complete meals to go. We've also found towns that are, overall, dog-friendly, and will allow well-behaved dogs in stores that don't serve food ... Gloucester, MA is the first one that comes to mind. Do you know of any resources for people who travel with pets who would like to board them for just a couple of hours while they go to a museum, for example? That's really the only challenge we've found.
I'm always amazed at Abby's memory. Not only does she remember the obvious places near home, like Lucky Lucy's and Doggie Style, but she also remembers the treats available at Zelda Zen and Earl's Beauty Salon/Ice Cream Parlor, which rowhouses our friends live in and which rowhouses have dogs in the windows to provide some barking, and is very opinionated in terms of which direction she wants to walk if she's feeling "Federal Hill Park" or "Riverside Park" on any particular day.
Posted by: Michelle | April 20, 2008 8:30 AM
These two beautiful dogs, Ace and Truman, beat the hell out of that robo-dog thing, don't they?
The azaleas in the earlier photo are stunning.
What's the word on the Dem primary from the residents of Arbor Acres?
Posted by: Mary Schmidt | April 20, 2008 8:48 PM
our dog grew up on the road, first companion to hitchhikers, and then back seat king to our wanderlust. We were worried about the lack of routine, but he turned out an incredibly well adjusted dog, friendly with people and other dogs. And he still loves the car.
Posted by: K9 Amiga | April 21, 2008 10:00 AM
At one point I had it on good authority from a Texan friend that "La Quinta" really means "Next to Denny's." I think your translation is much nicer. Spencer always travels with us, but we mostly camp. I'm working on a list of camping areas that are dog-friendly.
Generally, Maryland state parks aren't so good. Neither are Pennsylvania's. Neighboring West Virginia, though, gets an A-Plus. They not only have a huge selection of scenic state parks that welcome dogs, but they also have a few dog-welcoming rustic cabins in some of their state parks. Blackwater Falls can be amazingly fun with a dog, as can a long walk or hike at Dolly Sods.
Assateague Island National Seashore (as opposed to the state park) tolerates dogs, but does not welcome them with open arms. They're completely banished from the wildlife area at the lower end of the island (accessible through the town of Chincoteague, VA). The heat and lack of shade at Assateague can be tough on a dog, and you have to make careful plans for shade and water. But if you can get through those logistics, a walk with your dog at the water's edge on the non-lifeguard beach is not to be missed.
Posted by: Anne | April 21, 2008 11:21 AM