Pups on the Go + Giveaway

Happy Tuesday! When you take a trip do you usually bring your pup(s) with you, leave them with friends, or board them? I recently had a chat with leading dog industry expert and professional dog trainer Kimberly Marie Freeman and she has some great tips on how to make traveling with your pup easier and safer.

Before You Leave

___  Get health certificate from vet

___  Refill prescription medications your dog needs

___  Immunization Records

___ Create a folder on Google docs (or similar) with a picture of your dog, vet records, microchip number, etc… that you can access from     anywhere online)

For Journey

___  Food Bowl

___  Water Bowl

___ Enough food for the journey

___ Water

___ Blanket

___ Collapsible crate

___ Dog restraint with seatbelt clips or crate for car travel

___  ID on collar with Cell phone number and e-mail address (also put your cell number directly on the collar in case the tag falls off)

___ Collar and Leash

To Pack

___  clip-on water bowl for hikes and days out

___  dog backpack for hikes

___  Food, portioned out for trip duration

___  Bottled water

___  Bed

___  Crate if your dog needs one

___  Favorite Toys

___  Training Treats

___  Extra Collar, ID and leash

___  Poop bags

___  Dog life vest if you’re headed to the beach or lake

___  A photograph of your dog in case he is lost

___  Your dog’s microchip number

___  Your veterinarian’s phone number

___  A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) or health certificate if crossing state lines

___  Shampoo and dog brush

___  2 or 3 old towels for cleanup

___  Sheets for covering hotel beds

___  Wipes for cleaning your dog’s muddy paws

___  First aid kit including antihistamine for allergies, motion sickness medicine, anti-diarrhea medicine

___  Blanket

City Dog Expert founder, Pro Trainer, and Rescue Advocate Kimberly Marie Freeman has been a leading dog industry expert for 8 years both in the UK and USA. She started her first company while living in Scotland, http://sit-stay.co.uk, when she realized that there was a shortage of people to assist pet owners in need (i.e when or if you were to get sick and couldn’t walk your dog). The company became so popular that it grew to be the largest companies of its kind on the East Coast of Scotland.

With the success of her business Kimberly was ready to pursue her second passion, acting, so she moved to the U.S after getting accepted into a prestigious acting school in NYC. Her love of dogs and helping those in owners in need remained near and dear to her heart so she decided to bring Sit and Stay to NYC and began, City Sit Stay, where she provides private and group training lessons for all ages of dog.

Last year she launched City Dog Expert after realizing the tremendous difficulties dog owners in NYC  and other big cities have in finding products, events and things to do that are specifically designed for a dog in the city. Visit her website for more tips and check out the work she is doing with her team to support dogs, cats, and families affected by the tornado in Oklahoma – Operation OK Dog

A Special Giveaway For You and Your Pup!

On the Go Water Bowl by Sturdi Products

Organic Dog Treats from

Low Calorie, Low Fat Snack Bits from Dog Slim

Waste Bags

Organic Dewormer

Organic Flea Repellant

Shampoo from Organic Oscar

Hydration Pouches from Troff

Wet Wipes

The Bed Time Book for Dogs by Bruce Littlefield

And a little something for you :)

‘Erick’s Hope‘ by Andrew Chilcote and Sara Burden

How to Enter: Leave a comment below telling me your favorite trip taken with your dog and when you have completed the following

• Follow me on Twitter and tweet “Check out this amazing giveaway from @agirltravels!”

The winner will be randomly selected on Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Until Next Time -xo AGT

A Moment in History

MLK weekend I took a roadtrip to Washington D.C to visit friends and participate in events for the 57th Inauguration. We registered for National Day of Service, purchased tickets for a pre-inaugural gala, and signed up to get tickets for the inaugural ball. Unfortunately, Ticketmaster released the inaugural tickets the night before they were suppose to go out and we were unable to get tickets to the inaugural ball because they were sold out :(

I packed up the car Friday morning and got on the road. It took about 3hours and 45min to get there since I left early and was able to beat the Friday traffic. When everyone arrived in town we met up on U Street for drinks and danced the night away.

Saturday we went down to the National Mall for National Day of Service excited to volunteer. “In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”” – mlkday.gov

It actually turned out to be an expo with local organizations involving Health, Education, Environment, Veterans and Military Families, and Faith.

I signed my pledge card to volunteer in 2013

We stopped to write letters to veterans

Red Cross was present, giving mini CPR classes to attendees

After walking around we headed out to check out the monuments and grab dinner

Saturday night we attended the J.I Group’s Pre-Inaugural Gala

Sunday was a very relaxing day…we slept in, went to brunch, and watched football at a local bar. Monday, the alarm went off at 6am to give us enough time to layer up and grab a quick breakfast before taking the train to the National Mall to view the Inauguration Ceremony

We arrived around 9am and the first few sections were already filled. Some people had been camped out since 6am.

We found a spot and settled in, the ceremony wasn’t scheduled to begin until 11:30

After a pictures and a little nap it was time for the ceremony to begin

I love history and I think that it is truly a special moment in history to witness and experience an inauguration. It has been witnessed by American citizens for more than 200 years, the first being George Washington’s in 1789, held in New York City.

Check out more pictures on my facebook page

Love AGT :)
Photos Taken With: Canon Powershot A2300

Visiting Beautiful New Hampshire

Last week I took a road trip up to New Hampshire to see the beautiful Northeastern fall foliage I’ve heard so much about. I drove 7 hours from NYC to visit the town of North Conway at the recommendation of a co-worker familiar with the area. I’d originally planned to visit North Conway, Portland, and Newport, but I decided to spend my entire trip in North Conway instead, and I’m so glad I did. The trip was incredibly relaxing and seeing the foliage at it’s peak was breathtaking.

I packed up the car and left with Cosmo Tueday at midnight to avoid all of the commuter traffic and had a pretty nice drive up to New Hampshire despite the rain and fog. When we got to the New Hampshire Welcome Center rest stop it was around 5:30am so we took a 4 hour nap then finished the drive up to North Conway. When we arrived, it was too soon to check in so we walked around the Village of Conway browsing in the cute shops and we took a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad.

Zeb’s General Store was our first stop and where I picked up a little something special to giveaway to one my lucky readers :)

Then it was off for a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad, where we took the 21 Mile, 1 3/4 hour roundtrip Bartlett excursion. I optd against the dinning car option for dinner because I wanted to have dinner in town, and there are no dogs allowed in the dinning car.

After the train ride  I decided to forgo dinner because I wasn’t feeling well and we headed to our room at the Yankee Clipper Inn. I opted for a Bed and Breakfast because I wanted a more cozy, close to home feel plus it had free wifi, fire places, and indoor/outdoor pool, and a hot tub. Kelly helped set me up with accomodations for my stay, gave me recommendations on places to eat and things to do in the area.

The next morning I had breakfast at the Blueberry Muffin Restaurant and it was absolutely delicious. A great way to start the day. I had the vegetable omlet, a side of grits, and of course a blueberry muffin.

The omlet is one of the best veggie omlets I’ve had in a long time. Packed full of fresh veggies it had broccoli, onions, red bell pepper, tomatos, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese inside. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

I was still feeling a bit achy after breakfast so I scheduled a massage at Cut Off Salon and Day Spa at the recommendation of Kelly.  When I called to schedule my appointment I asked the receptionist if there were any special packages or services available and she informed me that they were offering a special on their 60min Thai Yoga Massage. I normally get a swedish massage, but after she explained to me what a  Thai Yoga Massage is I was immediately intrigued and scheduled an appointment. Unlike a traditional massage you are wear loose clothing during your session and you are on yoga mat on the floor instead of a massge table. It was such a relaxing experience, so much so that I fell asleep 30min into it.

Thursday afternoon we checked out of the room and took a scenic drive up route 302. Look at how bold and bright the colors are!  I’m so glad I had a chance to drive up and check it out. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

I really enjoyed my stay in North Conway, and I’m thinking of I going back during ski season.  Everyone was so warm and inviting, and it was a great vaca to bring to the pup along with me.

Bring New Hampshire to your table for breakfast with this giveaway from Zeb’s General Store sponsored by me :)

Apple Pancake Mix from Apple Hill Farm in Concord, NH, White Mountain Blend White Mountain Pre-ground Gourmet Coffee, and Pure Maple Syrup from Sunnyside Maples, Inc in Gilmanton, NH.

To enter (you must do both and leave a comment here for each):

“Like” A Girl Travels on Facebook.

Tweet “I just entered the @agirltravels latest #giveaway, you can too!”

The deadline to enter is Wednesday, October 17th at 5:00pm

Love AGT :)