Memorial Day weekend is here. This is the unofficial start of adventure season. I have a checklist.
I’m Jasper, and Memorial Day weekend is significant in my household because it usually means an RV trip, extended outdoor time, and the kind of weekend that I will think about for the next few weeks. I’ve done a few of these now. I know how to do them right.
Pre-Adventure Checklist (From the Dog’s Perspective)
Before any big weekend trip, there are things that need to happen.
My gear goes in first. My bed. My food. My water bowl (not the camping one, the good one for the RV). My leash — the long one for campgrounds and the regular one for trails. My favorite toy, which is important for camp morale. My humans sometimes forget one of these things. This is why the checklist exists.
Water supply confirmed. I have mentioned water several times in previous posts. I’ll keep mentioning it. Memorial Day can be hot. We bring more water than we think we need because we usually need more than we think.
The route has dog-friendly stops. Rest stops for bathroom breaks. Not just for me — my humans need to stop too, but I need to actually get out and move around every couple of hours. Sitting still in an RV for five hours is not my optimal state.
I’ve been brushed. This sounds like a vanity thing. It’s not. Camping means burrs, ticks, grass seeds, mud, and various things that end up in fur. Starting clean makes the end of the trip significantly less complicated.
What Makes a Great Memorial Day Weekend (Dog Edition)
A campsite with space to exist. Not a campsite where I’m on a two-foot tether between two other RVs. A place with room to do a sniff tour, establish my perimeter, and have some opinions about the area. Big sites. Trees. Ideally some kind of nature in view.
Water nearby. Creek, lake, river, pond — any of it. One of the best Memorial Day weekends I’ve had involved a campsite about a hundred yards from a creek. I was in that creek every morning. The water was cold and perfect.
Other dogs to observe (from an appropriate distance). I like seeing other dogs at campgrounds. I don’t need to meet all of them. But I enjoy watching them do their thing, and it’s good environmental enrichment.
Evening campfire time. I love the campfire. The smell is incredible. I have a specific spot I take near the fire that is close enough to feel the warmth but not close enough to worry anyone. I stay there until it’s time for bed. It’s my favorite hour of any camping day.
A good morning. Camping mornings are different from home mornings. Waking up somewhere different, first thing out the door to new smells, cool morning air, birds I don’t know, tracks in the dirt from animals that were moving while we were sleeping. I could do camping mornings every day.
Memorial Day Specifically
Memorial Day weekend tends to be busy. Campgrounds fill up. Trails get crowded. Everyone is out doing what I want to do.
My humans have learned to either book early or go to less-traveled spots. The famous places are crowded for a reason — they’re great — but so are the less-famous ones, with fewer people.
My preference is fewer people. More space. More quiet. More wildlife. But I adapt.
Ready for Summer
Memorial Day weekend is the starting gun. Summer is officially here. Pool season, RV season, trail season, adventure season — all of it.
I’m ready. I’ve been ready since March.
Let’s have a great summer. 🏕️🐾