East Texas

[Latestarter]

I think she said she's driving in a Volkswagen Beetle with the dogs, kids and some personal belongings... Nah, just kidding, but still, 4 dogs plus in any car is NOT going to be easy or comfy IMHO. Might be OK in a mini van or the like.

 

[Bruce]

With 5 dogs (even if 2 are puppies) and 3 kids??? I would think a 12 passenger van would be required. Maybe a nice rented motor home so everyone but mom can lounge around while she does all the work.

 

[Devonviolet]

Um, what size moving van are she, the kids, cat, parrot and the dogs coming in????? That's quite a pile to live with for how many days on the road??

She won't be driving the truck. ABF will deliver it after she arrives in TX.

Tressa is planning to leave Jan. 16th and arrive in TX on the 20th.

BTW, I forgot to mention, she most likely won't fill the trailer. She will only be charged for the space she uses.

With 5 dogs (even if 2 are puppies) and 3 kids??? I would think a 12 passenger van would be required. Maybe a nice rented motor home so everyone but mom can lounge around while she does all the work.

Yeah, a 12 passenger van would be nice. I'm not sure what she drives, but I'm with you Bruce. A nice luxury motor home would be nice. That way, Mom can lounge in the back while the two 16 year olds drive the motor home to Texas.
NOT!!!

Years ago, my then 16 year old daughter begged, to do some driving when we drove from PA to MN. I was exhausted (and struggling to keep my eyes open) after driving 10 hours one day & we had another hour to drive to our hotel. I was a nervous wreck for the whole hour. Needless to say, I did the driving for the remainder of the trip!

Actually, she didn't realize how stressful that kind of driving can be, and she decided she didn't want to do any more driving.

I'm sure Tressa's boys will be fine to help with the driving. That's a long way to try doing all the driving, especially if you have two other very capable drivers.

 

[Latestarter]

Ummmm not sure I'd go as far as "very capable"... least not at 16... justsayin. And I've rented motor homes for cross country trips and NO WAY would I, or did I, let any of my kids behind the wheel, licensed or not. Absolutely the BEST way to travel! So nice to just pull of into a rest stop, park and sleep till rested, then cook a meal, then back on the road. no hotel fees or packing/unpacking, lugging luggage in and out, etc.

 

[Bruce]

I knew she and her crew weren't going to be in THAT van, just seemed like she about needs that much space for everyone, the animals and their luggage

Didn't know she had twins with driver's licenses. That makes the trip a WHOLE lot easier for Tressa. My wife and I share the duty driving to pick up DD2 from college in Wisconsin. DD2 couldn't help on the way out when she was a freshman nor on the way back that year or the next because she and DD1 didn't get their licenses until summer of 2015. And last year we flew her home instead of going to pick her up. We'll be going out in May this year, she graduates on Mother's Day. No storing of stuff over the summer if you aren't going back in the fall. We'll let her help drive, if I decide I am willing to sit in the back, wife won't because she gets carsick back there.

 

[Bruce]

Hmmm, wonder how much it costs to rent a smaller one for a week. Though I imagine unlike cars they don't come with unlimited miles. That and the cost of gas to run them vs the 50+ MPG in the Prius would suck up a lot of the money saved on hotels and restaurants.

Nevermind! The smallest one I found is 700 free miles (Beloit is ~1,200 miles one way). $1,400 for a week and $1/mile over the 700; that's $1,700 right there. Prius, hotels and restaurants it is.

 

[Latestarter]

LOL it's expensive, but you get what you pay for and the comfort and convenience is absolutely worth it. I'm not made of money either, trust me, but I'm also not as young and nimble either and being cramped up for hours just ruins me. Major reason why I'm still driving a full sized pickup. You could check around as there are always deals available. Consider it a one week vacation trip and enjoy yourselves. I'm sure your wife would travel much better in one as well, and you could even take DD1 along if she wanted to go. Rent a class C cab over type and there is the cab over bed, the dining table or couch becomes a bed, and there's the queen bed in the back. Sometimes it's good to splurge.

 

[Bruce]

DD1 has no interest in going. She doesn't like being in vehicles for short trips! She also said "I didn't go to my HS graduation (nor her sisters) why would I go to her graduation?"

Besides, who will take care of the cats, fish, chickens and alpacas? OK, I have 2 options. I asked those 2 before I agreed to take the alpacas. 1 is the lady across the road who has 2 alpacas, 3 horses and chickens, the other is a lady that takes care of lady #1's animals when they are gone.

We are already considering the expense of driving and hotels and such to be the "splurge" vacation. Also, not sure how comfy those RV beds are. They might be great but with wife's RA, thin mattresses don't cut it.

 

[Devonviolet]

2 LGD Puppies - brother & sister - 13 weeks & 25 lbs. They are Pyr, Maremma, Anatolian X.

I need post some more photos, to correct the previous info I gave on Tressa's two new LGDs, which she finally got this past weekend (I think).

This is Ellie Mae's photo when they were tiny. Isn't she precious?

All of the photos, of a black & white puppy, are Amos.

Here is the most recent photo, of the puppies (Ellie Mae is the longer haired, gray pup), with Tressa's daughter and 2, of her 3 house dogs, Jack & Nadia.

Also, to clarify on the two 16 year old boys: one is Tressa's son and one is the son of a close friend. Both boys will be travelling cross country, with Tressa, and will be living here in Texas.

 

[Mike CHS]

Those guys are adorable.