GoPetFriendly.com Completes 15,000-Mile Ultimate Pet Friendly Road Trip, Achieving Pet-Friendly Travel, Education, Inspiration and Pet Adoption Goals
Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) January 09, 2018 -- The GoPetFriendly.com team achieved their goal of completing The Ultimate Pet Friendly Road Trip during 2017, visiting the Top Pet Friendly Attraction in each of the lower 48 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., co-hosting adoption events with local animal shelters and rescues, and raising awareness about the #pawsomememories that can be created when traveling with your pet by RV, car, train, boat and more.
Co-Founders of GoPetFriendly.com, Amy and Rod Burkert, have been traveling full-time for eight years with their two dogs, Ty and Buster. In addition to sharing their adventures and pet travel tips on the Take Paws blog, they also provide “paws-on-the-ground” research on pet friendly destinations, and much more.
The Burkerts decided to take their lifestyle to the next level, challenging themselves to travel with Ty and Buster in their Winnebago to all 48 contiguous U.S. states and Washington, D.C. in 2017. Beginning in Carmel, California in February, the couple completed the Ultimate Pet Friendly Road Trip, 10 months later in Portland, Oregon.
Some of the highlights of GoPetFriendly.com’s incredible achievement…
• Traveling nearly 15,000 miles in their RV, spending approximately 300 hours behind the wheel
• Co-hosting 17 adoption and fundraising events with local animal shelters and rescues, helping more than 30 families find their perfect travel buddy
• Giving away more than 800 goodie bags and prizes worth $9,000+
• Meeting up with more than 1,000 GoPetFriendly.com fans along the way
• Taking Ty and Buster go on their first canoe trip on the Buffalo National River in Arkansas, catching a perfectly clear (and very rare) clear day atop of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, and playing in the snow on the Beartooth Highway in Montana.
“Taking Ty and Buster on the Ultimate Pet Friendly Roadtrip, visiting 49 of the most pet friendly attractions in the U.S., and connecting with hundreds of pet owners to promote pet travel and pet adoption along the way, has truly been a dream come true,” states Amy Burkert, co-founder of GoPetFriendly.com. “Many people think traveling with pets means being limited to dog parks and takeout food. We hope that by sharing our experiences, people see that the options are endless. From beaches to mountaintops, canoe trips to train rides, bustling cities to quiet retreats – pet lovers are limited only by their imaginations! Perhaps our adventure will inspire other pet owners to get out and make #pawsomememories with their furry travel companions.”
Burkert continues, “It was a joy to help the dogs and cats find their forever homes at our events along the way - it’s fun to think about the adventures that await them! And it was such an honor to play a small part in connecting those families, meeting the men and women working so hard to promote animal adoption, supporting shelters and organizations like the American Humane Society, and discussing the benefits of pet travel with hundreds of pet lovers all over the U.S.”
GoPetFriendly.com’s Ultimate Pet Friendly Road Trip included stops at the following pet friendly attractions:
1. California – Carmel’s Dog Beach
2. Nevada – Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
3. Arizona – Grand Canyon National Park
4. New Mexico – White Sands National Monument
5. Texas – San Antonio River Walk
6. Oklahoma – Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
7. Arkansas – Canoe the Buffalo National River
8. Tennessee – Shelby Farms Park Off-Leash Area
9. Alabama – Little River Canyon National Preserve
10. Georgia – Rock City Gardens
11. Mississippi – The Natchez Trace Parkway
12. Louisiana – State Capitol Gardens in Baton Rouge
13. Florida – Fort De Soto Dog Beach
14. South Carolina – Magnolia Plantation & Gardens
15. North Carolina – Biltmore Estate Gardens and Grounds
16. Virginia – Colonial Williamsburg
17. Washington, DC – The National Mall
18. Maryland – Cruise on Chesapeake Bay
19. Delaware – Walking Tour of Historic New Castle
20. New Jersey – The Jersey Shore at Wildwood Dog Beach
21. New York – Central Park
22. Connecticut – Mystic Seaport
23. Rhode Island – Newport Cliff Walk
24. Massachusetts – The Freedom Trail
25. Maine – Acadia National Park
26. New Hampshire – Mt. Washington and the White Mountain National Forest
27. Vermont – Dog Mountain
28. Pennsylvania – Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway
29. West Virginia – Monongahela National Forest
30. Ohio – The Holden Arboretum
31. Kentucky – Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park
32. Missouri – Gateway Arch Park
33. Illinois – Chicago Lakefront Trail & Navy Pier
34. Indiana – Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
35. Michigan – Mackinac Island and Arch Rock
36. Minnesota – Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
37. Wisconsin – Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge
38. Iowa – Effigy Mounds National Monument
39. North Dakota – Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
40. South Dakota – Custer State Park
41. Nebraska – Fort Robinson State Park
42. Kansas – Monument Rocks
43. Colorado – Telluride Gondola to Mountain Village
44. Utah – Dixie National Forest’s Red Canyon
45. Wyoming – Bighorn National Forest – Medicine Wheel
46. Montana – Beartooth Highway
47. Idaho – Lake Coeur d’Alene
48. Washington – San Juan Islands
49. Oregon – Portland’s Parks and Gardens
Burkert is now working on a book about their experience on the Ultimate Pet Friendly Road Trip, which she hopes will be available for the 2018 travel season.
A debt of gratitude is owed to these partners who helped make the Ultimate Pet Friendly Road Trip possible: Winnebago, PetGuide.com, The Bark, Sleepypod, 2 Hounds Design, Alcott, The Honest Kitchen, Red Roof Inns, PetHub, RV Pet Safety, and goDog®.
Pet lovers everywhere can follow GoPetFriendly.com online and continue to share their #pawsomememories on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
PHOTOS/ASSETS: TRIP FAVORITES – ALBUM CLICK HERE
About GoPetFriendly.com:
With information on more than 65,000 pet friendly hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, beaches, off-leash dog parks, pet supply stores, veterinarians and more across North America, GoPetFriendly.com has everything you’ll need to plan a memorable trip with your pets. Not sure you’re ready? The GoPetFriendly.com team has been traveling for 8 years in their Winnebago motorhome and provides all the insights, tips, and advice you’ll need to make your trip a success. Rely on the 200+ pet friendly destination guides, and use the pet-focused Road Trip Planner to make traveling with your pets easy, safe, and fun! http://www.gopetfriendly.com
Erin Terjesen, Propel Communications, http://www.propelcommunications.com, +1 6026252871, [email protected]
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