Louie and Loona's Travel Weblog

Venice California to New York City

04/15 - 04/25 2004

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(click on any picture or date to read the stories and see photos from that day)

For the third time in as many years, I am driving my dog across the country. This time from LA to New York. Why do I do this?...

On stage, I like to say that I do it because my wife says that the dog doesn't like to fly. I don't think a dog even knows, when it's in an airplane, that it's flying. But I drive the dog without hesitation. Because it is far easier to drive all the way across the country than it is to have that conversation with my wife. That is what I like to say on stage because people then laugh. But the truth is that, last year, I finally put my foot down and said "there is no way I'm driving that dog across again. She has to fly." My wife sadly relented. So I looked into it. I called American Airlines and asked them to run down for me exactly what the dog goes through on an air journey...

First she has to be put in a crate (something my dog hates) and she has to sit alone in that crate in the Cargo hangar for about two hours before the flight. Then the flight is like six hours or whatever, then she's unloaded and taken across the Tarmac to another cargo hold where she sits for another hour or so before I can get her. So like nine hours of sitting in the crate. I just know my dog would hate that. I called American about three times and asked them to go over it with me again. Finally, I just didn't have the heart. I drove the dog again. So now I can't blame my wife anymore. But I can still say on stage that it's because of her, because people in the audience are just strangers and who needs to tell them the truth?

Okay, so this time I am taking eight days to make the trip, which is twice the usual time. So I'm going actually stop and see some things. I will be reporting on that here every day (if possible) and posting pictures that I'm taking as I go along. Feel free to check in here for the next week to see how it's going. Also, feel free not to. I am not the person who controls YOUR life.