Traveling with your dog in Alaska and Canada
How to organize a trip with your dog to the other side of the world? Is Alaska a good destination for a vacation with your dog? What is it like to cross Canada with your dog? Find out all this thanks to the testimony of Thomas and Laura as well as their two dogs!
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In a previous episode, I told you about the first steps of the great journey of Diablo, Loukia, Laura and Thomas through North America. After visiting Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, they arrived in Alaska, their promised land! That was the ultimate goal of their journey: to reach the land of Diablo's ancestors, Thomas' husky. Let me tell you more about their adventures through Alaska and Canada.
Alaska with a dog
It was in Alaska that they had the best memory of their trip…. They were on a walk at Catlin Lake with their two dogs. The latter were fooling around on the shore of the lake when suddenly Thomas noticed that they were being observed by a grizzly positioned less than 50m from them. Thomas warned Laura who wisely backed off and they called their two dogs back to get away from the area quickly. They realized later, looking at the photos they had taken just before, that Loukia had noticed the presence of the animal long before them. She must have judged that it was safe for them and had not given the alert…. A meeting that will remain forever etched in their minds. During their various hikes, they have come across black bears, but the grizzly is much more impressive.
They also had a great outing in Valdez where they watched a mamma bear hunt salmon for her cubs left on the shore. They saw sea lions and salmon by the hundred. “It was like on TV, in wildlife reports. A very moving scene!” Thomas told me.
It was also in Alska that they had the coldest… While they had to give up trying to finish the GR20 in Corsica because they were suffering from the heat, this time it was quite the opposite!
Crossing Canada with a dog
After a few weeks of travel, the American immigration services did not grant them an additional visa to continue their journey through North America. They were therefore asked to leave the territory by October 8th. They decided to cross Canada to reach the west coast of the United States. On the way, they took the opportunity to hike in the Canadian Rockies. A magical place where they were once again amazed. And then they went to see Niagara Falls in Toronto and Quebec in Montreal.
I followed their whole adventure with happiness thanks to their Facebook page Traveled with his dog around the world, DiabloLoukia, Laura&Tom. on which they shared photo and video content almost daily. This is how I saw their call for help posted in Montreal. They were urgently looking for a reseller of French sausage and cheese… lol!!! I put them in touch with a friend of mine who lived there for a few months 😉
To cross the Canada-USA border, the dogs' papers were checked at the border. Once back in the United States, they chained New York, Philadelphia, Washington… and went to the studios of the series The Walking Dead. They visited the studios all four. Thomas is a big big fan of the show. He was like a kid in the middle of the sets of his favorite series.
Traveling with your dog to the other side of the world is magical
After 3 months spent together 24 hours a day every 24, they returned home more united and welded than ever. They had an extraordinary experience there. Leaving with a few pennies in their pocket (not a fortune), they rented a car and made their way through their encounters and their desires. They discovered magical landscapes and were able to observe emblematic wild animals from there. Thomas had made a promise to his dog; he took his partner and her own dog on board to experience this four-person adventure. Together, they faced stressful situations and magical moments. They developed an incredible bond.
I asked Thomas HIS final word to conclude our interview and this is what he answered me: “If I had an ending sentence; it would never be without my dog!!! People are afraid to travel long distance with their dog because they are misinformed. They are convinced that their dog will end up in quarantine and that he will travel among the suitcases in the hold of the plane... when all that is needed is a passport in good and due form andan approved cage to travel with his dog (except special legislation for certain destinations). Of course it's always stressful to do travel your dog by plane but we must not cut ourselves off from this experience because of that. It's so crazy to travel with your dog! They bring us so much… if they hadn't been there, our trip would have been very different. They gave us incredible security. With them, we were never in danger. They made us laugh and warmed our feet when we slept in freezing temperatures in our little duvets in the car!”
Besides, the return to France is a bit complicated to manage for these four adventurers… The two dogs find it difficult to stay alone in the apartment. After 3 months glued-tight with their masters, it is understandable. It will take them a few more weeks to resume their habits. And then for Thomas and Laura, reality took over: they are both looking for work in Essonne. On good terms…. They are two motivated young people who are not afraid of anything!
One last piece of information to take into account when traveling so far… If we humans have suffered the effects of jet lag, our four-legged friends are also suffering. Thus Diablo and Loukia woke up in the middle of the night to ask for food or to be taken out for their needs on the first days of their return.
Me, I continue to follow them closely because I understand that one of these days they will set off again for a long-term trip… I thank all four of them for having made me dream by sharing their adventure with me in detail. They prove to all of us that traveling with your dog is possible if you take the trouble to prepare your trip. And to think that there were still 60 abandoned dogs this summer on the side of the roads….