Okay I've been planning for Rolex for months, but I wanted to wait until I actually bought tickets to say anything. It's taken five years, but I finally bought tickets! Yay! I'm going to Rolex 2015!!! I only got tickets for cross country, so if you are going and want to meet up I'll be there on Saturday. :)
The interesting twist is that.... we're going to camp!! We've booked a campsite at one of the state parks for the weekend. The even more exiting news is Jackal gets to go!!!
Now here is my confession... this will be my first time camping with a dog. My first time camping with my husband. Actually my first time camping as an adult!!! I've been tent camping as a kid, but I've only been in a pop up camper as an adult. We have a really nice tent that we haven't ever even used! So now we're going to use it. :D Don't worry we will do a dry run at home to learn how to set it up and what all we will need.
So if any of you have tent camped with a dog, feel free to share tips. I'm really excited about taking him. He's gone on day trips to the lake, gone fishing, etc. but he's never been anywhere overnight away from home and he's never been out of state. It's going to be quite an adventure!
Here is my list of things I might need for him so far. Let me know if I've missed anything.
Dog bed and blankets because the tent will be on a concrete pad and he gets sore on hard ground.
Benadryl in case he gets into anything or stung by something.
Dog food obviously.
Aspirin in case anything happens.
Leash obviously. He has to be leashed at the campground and at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Tags for proof of rabies and my contact info in case he somehow gets away from me.
Tie out for at the campsite when we're hanging out since he has to be on leash at all times.
Bowls for feeding and watering.
Dog backpack; I'm considering getting one and teaching him to carry stuff hehe. Just for fun.
Treats for any training he might need and to reward him when he's good, calm and relaxed.
Towels to dry him off if it rains before he comes into the tent.
Poop bags to clean up after him.
First Aid Kit just in case.
Toys and bones to play with and chew on so he won't be bored.
Dog raincoat!
Also what vaccination records do I need to cross state lines into Kentucky? Just rabies?
Anyway I'm really, really excited about going to Rolex! Seeing cross country for the first time, camping with hubby and Jackal for the first time and meeting fellow bloggers for the first time! So much excitement. So if you're going to Rolex keep an eye out for both of us and say hi!
I wish Stormy was still here so she could go. :(
I need to find his bandanna so he can wear it!!
Yay! What fun!!! Your pup lis sounds perfect! We took Rio camping with us (I may have blogged about it but can't look right now) and the ONLY problem we had with him was WHERE we pitched our tent. We happened to put it right beside a trail from one campground to another, so all night long, people were walking right by our tent and Rio wasn't happy. Made for good giggles tho, especially when an unsuspecting person would walk by and Rio would bark. LOL
ReplyDeleteEek I never thought of that!! I picked a campsite that is on the outskirts so there will on be one site beside us. None behind or on the other side and none across the street, although that's where the restrooms are I'm hoping they aren't right next to the road. Maybe I'll take a radio to drown out the noise if people start being too loud. Or earplugs haha!! Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteOOOH! You are going to have so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm really looking forward to it.
DeleteWhat a fab adventure you're all going to have! :)
ReplyDeleteI know! I'm so excited!!
DeleteI went 2 years ago and it was awesome. Going for the Dressage day was cool enough but it was more of a shopping/course walk day though because you are also forced to buy a seat to watch dressage and there are only so many times one wants to watch dressage tests lol. Friday was totally worth it for the course walks though, loved the course walk with Peter Atkins and Henny. Try going to the stadium day/Sun too if you can, you will really enjoy it. You will be forced to buy seats there too though. Have fun and make sure you hit the shopping. The free things they give away are totally worth the trip to Rolex! Joint supplements, buckets, bags, hats, shirts, tack cleaning stuff, all kinds of goodies.
ReplyDeleteWow you are full of useful information! Thank you!! I wish you could go again this year. I would love to meet you. :) I'll look into trying to stay for stadium day. I have a feeling one day just isn't going to be enough. Do you know if dogs are allowed in the stadium area? Since we're camping I won't have a place to leave him...
DeleteI do not believe they are allowed in the bleachers/seating area however you should be able to stand (or bring your own stool to sit on) and bring the dog into the space where you can see. You still have to have a seating paid for though. You can board Jackal in the Humane Society booth that is set up right by the arena too, mentioned below. OR you can sit and watch and send your hubby to finish your shopping and he can keep Jackal hehe! Either way it should be listed on the Rolex website where you reserve seating or just call or email them. They are really helpful and fairly prompt in responding to questions.
DeleteI have mentioned going to Rolex and there is interest from K and possibly even RB4 to go with me but I not sure I can swing the trip so soon after our trip to Vegas. I will let you know if I go!
Cool I will talk it over with hubby and see what we want to do. I don't mind leaving Jackal at the booth for a little bit to go check out the shopping, but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him for the whole stadium part. He gets whiny and anxious. I'll email them and see what they suggest. We might just have to do like you said, pay for the seat, but sit somewhere we can see and still have the boy with us. I have my fingers crossed you can go. That would totally make the whole trip even more awesome!
DeleteI have camped with my dogs before and didn't have much of an issue. Bring a quart sized, well sealed container for the dog water and carry a jug of water to fill the smaller container. It can get chilly at night, especially for you lol, so bring lots of blankets and use layers to keep warm. Make sure Jackal has your phone number/address on his collar/harness and bring a spare leash just in case. The park/Rolex usually has a humane society booth set up with a babysitting spot where you can leave your dog (for a donation) for a short time if the dog is tired or if you want to go somewhere that doesn't allow a dog. Good luck, lots of pics needed!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all of the information. So helpful!
DeleteOne other comment? The food (and drink) there is outlandishly expensive. Expect $7-15 per person per meal, lower price for for crappy fair food, higher for better quality (not great quality lol) food. What I did last time was stop in Subway and get a $5 footlong and pack it in. You can bring in coolers and back packs, there is no problem with bringng your own food. Do not expect to find a cheap food vendor around in the park. WalMart is your friend!
DeleteI have to take all of my own food anyway because of the celiac disease (no gluten), so that's already planned for. Thank you!
DeleteOh and good to know I can actually take the food in there with me. :D
DeleteOh wow, that's so exciting! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a great list of dog camping items. Make sure to bring a few water bowls and a few big jugs of bottled water specifically for your pup. I'm sure rolex camping is fancier than my last hillbilly camping experience but the water pump was suuuuper far away so I was happy we brought some spare jugs.
Good idea!! Thank you! I will be bringing lots of bottled water for me to drink, but I'll bring extra for him too. :)
DeleteI just looked up the weather for the past several years and rain is definitely a possibility so adding Jackal's raincoat to the list!
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm going to Rolex too. We'll have to meet up.
ReplyDeleteI've camped with dogs before and it's really not too big a deal. Don't over-stress or worry about it. Try to just enjoy yourself. Since you're car camping and not backpacking out in the wild, you can always run to the store if you find out you forgot something. Always keep a collar on even at night when you're sleeping. You may wake up to use the bathroom and have your dog bolt out of the tent.
Yay!!! I hope to see you there! :D Don't worry. Have fun. Great advice! Yes his collar will be on the whole time. I leave it on whenever we are away from home. :)
DeleteThat's awesome I am hoping to go this year, no tickets yet, we'll see
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed! I hope you get to go. I would love to meet you too!
DeleteWhoo-hoo! I am so jealous. :D You are going to have a blast! I can't imagine seeing all of that in person, live, real-time. So awesome. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited! I've been wanting to go for five years and I thought it would never happen. So happy!!
Deleteso coool!! you guys are going to have so much fun! i want to go so badly... tho honestly i don't think it's going to happen this year :( but i am seriously looking forward to seeing all your pictures - please take a million!!
ReplyDeleteAwww I wish you could go. I will take tons of pictures! Even hubby will be taking some. Or video. Or both. :D
DeleteAwesome! Hopefully see you there!
ReplyDeleteI hope so!!
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