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    92 Days of Summer

    Even the worst day on a summer family road trip can be the best

    Dawn McMullan
    Jul 28, 2013 | 10:21 am

    We’re on a two-week road trip right now: Dallas to San Diego, Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon, ending in Sedona.

    Good times have included 70-degree temps in Southern California, surfing lessons, sushi (twice), the polar bears at the San Diego Zoo, leaving the back of my Mazda 5 open and discovering it several miles down the highway (all was recovered and intact back in the Yucca Motel parking lot), singing together, inside jokes, and in-room wrestling matches. (I sit those out.)

    At about mile 1,570 — day seven — we lost it.

    At ages 13 and 16, the boys are a gang, more often looking like they’re going to cut us instead of each other.

    It was the day we drove from San Diego to Vegas, or, as I will note it in the vacation photo album, the day we drove from 70 degrees to 102, trading beach for desert, family fun for can’t-stand-the-sight-of-you bickering.

    My Mazda 5 was so incredibly small at this point.

    My husband must play music while in the car. Always. Nonstop. No silence. And he must sing along. Always. Nonstop. No silence. I am a fan of quiet. He sang Purple Rain. That should never be done by anyone but Prince.

    He drives too slow. I drive too fast. I have all sorts of advice on his driving. And he on mine. All clearly offered with love yet, shockingly, heard with malice. He freaks out when I get out my iPhone to use as a GPS, offering — with malice, of course — to do it for me.

    I stubbornly explain how easily I can do it. What does he think I do when he’s not in the car? When he does the same thing, I ask — with malice, of course — if he needs help navigating. The voice is sing-songy. I’m so helpful.

    Then we have our dear offspring in the backseat. At ages 13 and 16, the boys are a gang, more often looking like they’re going to cut us instead of each other. This is new this year to the family road trip. They head butt each other to get a rise out of us instead of each other. The 16-year-old thinks he has no rules. The 13-year-old thinks he’s 16.

    Somewhere near Riverside, California, I begin to have apartment fantasies. Just me and a dog in a two-bedroom place with a whirlpool tub.

    Somewhere along Highway 215 near Riverside, California, I begin to have apartment fantasies. No more Jets and Sharks feuding. Just me and a dog in a two-bedroom place with hardwoods and a whirlpool tub.

    My bedroom is lavender, the dog sleeps with me, Harry Connick Jr. is always playing in the background, and the apartment looks exactly as it did when I left it every time I return. If the milk carton is still in the refrigerator, it has milk in it.

    Fresh flowers, always. I answer only to the dog, who does not leave his towels on the floor, does not sing along with the radio, and most certainly does not head butt anyone in the room. We take long walks before dinner. And when we return, the house still looks the same. And when I vacation, I do so alone. In Paris.

    Back in the shoebox on wheels, driving on Highway 15 along the Mojave Desert, south of Death Valley, those cursed red dashes showed up on our iPhone GPS. Traffic. Insane amounts of it. Apparently people in California like to go to Vegas on a Friday afternoon. I judge anyone who willingly leaves those temps for the desert, but whatevs.

    My husband is a patient man and a rule follower. He would’ve been perfectly happy to sit through that traffic — singing, singing, singing — for as long as it took. I am ridiculously impatient and take rules as suggestions.

    We took a husband-sanctioned detour and cruised along. “It sucks to be them,” I thought, as I looked over at the poor saps sitting on the highway. Then the cars on our detour started to turn around, spotting a “road closed” sign up ahead.

    Encouraged by the boys, who are always up for an adventure, I turned toward a detour off our detour. Soon, the road was mere tire tracks in sand. But it was still on the GPS, so it must count. Husband was no longer singing. It was 101. But we had more than half a tank of gas, food and water. We press on.

    Ten minutes of abandoned desert road later, we came to a dead end at the train tracks. No worries. Another detour. Hubby is in quiet panic mode. But hey, at least he’s quiet, I figure. The sandy tire tracks lead us to a paved road. And then another “road closed” sign.

    When we made it to Vegas — seven hours later, instead of the five it should’ve taken — the room they gave us had only one bed in the room instead of two.

    The Mazda 5 has started to expand. At least three of us are enjoying the adventure.

    “Go, Mom!” my 13-year-old says. “We never give up!”

    We gave up. We backtracked, got on the highway, sat in some (but not all!) the traffic in our way. This 30-minute, off-road journey has us back on track. It was us against the world. Or at least the traffic and the desert.

    We finally find a gas station. Gas is $4.95 a gallon. The line to the bathroom is at least 30 deep. We skip the gas, and I pee on the side of the desert. We press on.

    When we made it to Vegas — seven hours later, instead of the five it should’ve taken — our ridiculously plush hotel pool closed at 7, two hours earlier. The room they gave us had only one bed in the room instead of two. (“I’ve stayed in Motel 6s that can keep my reservation for two beds” did not sway the front desk.)

    Beaten down but not defeated, we headed to the strip, stopping at a Jack in the Box along the way. Sixteen tacos, one breakfast plate, a large order of curly fries and four large sodas later ($19.78, thank you very much), we happily drove down Las Vegas Boulevard. We laughed, told inside jokes, and had much togetherness in the king-sized bed (the 16-year-old quickly claimed the rollout bed) when we got back to the hotel.

    I remember two similarly bad moments in two family vacations of my youth, both to this part of the world. When I was very young, we drove across Death Valley one summer. The air conditioning went out in my parents’ Vega. If memory serves, the seats were made out of black lava. On another, a trip to the Grand Canyon, my mom made me wear red plaid pants. And my toddler sister got pneumonia.

    Every day, even every summer vacation day, can’t be the best. Some — maybe the most memorable — are the worst. And I would miss them all in my clean, quiet apartment with lavender walls. Most days.

    The day before the worst day (I hope) of our summer road trip, happily taking surfing lessons off Pacific Beach in San Diego.

      
    Photo by Dawn McMullan
    The day before the worst day (I hope) of our summer road trip, happily taking surfing lessons off Pacific Beach in San Diego.
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    Heat Wave News

    Dallas pet owners should take these steps with oncoming heat wave

    Teresa Gubbins
    May 13, 2025 | 10:31 am
    Dog drinking water
    SPCA
    Keep your pets hydrated. Consider putting out a kiddie pool.

    Dallas weather is about to take a serious turn, and the SPCA has valuable advice on what steps pet owners should take. It's easy to forget that animals get hit hard by the heat, and especially in Texas: A report by Veterinarians.org found that Texas was No. 1 on the list of states with heat-related pet deaths. Based on data they compiled from 2018-2022, Texa had 40 reported heat-related pet deaths — more than six times the national five-year average.

    In a statement, SPCA of Texas Interim Chief Veterinarian Valarie Tynes, DVM, DACVB, DACAW reminds pet owners that their pets have very few ways to cool themselves down.

    “As a veterinarian, I’ve seen far too many cases of dogs and cats suffering from heatstroke, often brought into the emergency room when it’s already too late," Tynes says. "Our pets have very limited ways to cool themselves down. They can sweat a small amount through their paw pads, but their main way to release excess heat is by panting. Panting helps pets cool off through the evaporation of moisture, but it only provides limited relief, especially during extreme temperatures."

    Tynes says that, when the body can’t shed heat fast enough, serious internal damage begins to occur.

    "The proteins and chemicals that keep the body functioning start to break down," she says. "I’ve seen heat affect the kidneys and brain—organs and processes that are incredibly sensitive to high temperatures."

    Breed, overall health and environment all can influence how at-risk a pet is, but one thing is always true: prevention is critical. Please don’t underestimate how dangerous heat can be.

    Tynes advises pet owners to keep pets in cool, shaded areas, provide plenty of fresh water, and avoid walks or outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day.

    Here are some proactive measures to keep pets safe and comfortable during these sweltering days:

    Keep your pets hydrated
    Make sure your furry friends have access to fresh, cool water at all times. Consider placing multiple water bowls around your home and refill them regularly. If your pets must be outside during the day, make sure there are plenty of shady spaces throughout the day and several shaded, nontippable water bowls filled with ice water. Do not use metal bowls outside.

    If possible, a small wading pool filled with cold ice water and placed in a shaded area outside is preferred. This not only allows pets to drink but also to cool off in the water when overheating.

    Schedule exercise with your pets wisely on warm days
    Give your pet plenty of water before and after walks or playtime. Be sure to avoid strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day. Early mornings (before 10 a.m.) or late evenings (after 5 p.m.)—when temperatures are lower—are ideal for walks or playtime.

    Hot pavement can burn paw pads, so opt for walking on grassy areas. Consider using paw wax or booties to shield sensitive paws from hot pavement, rocks or sand that can cause burns and blisters. If you cannot hold the back of your hand on the pavement for five to 10 seconds, the pavement is too hot for your pet.

    Make sure your pets have plenty of shade
    If your pet spends any time outside, be sure it has plenty of shade so he or she can get out of the sun. This is where the ground or grass will be coolest—under a tree, an umbrella, or a simple, open structure. Do not tie or restrain the pet so that it cannot move between shady spots as needed.

    If it is really hot and humid, bring your pet indoors and into air-conditioned areas.

    Never leave your pet in a locked car
    No matter what, even if you think you will be away from the car for just a few minutes, do not leave your pet unattended in a parked car. The car can absorb enough energy within minutes to become a death mobile. A cracked window or two is not enough to prevent heatstroke when it’s hot, or even warm. It is also not enough to park in the shade on a hot day and leave all the windows and even sunroof open.

    While weather in the 70s may seem harmless, a Stanford study showed that in just an hour, a car’s temperature rose to 116 degrees internally when left out in 72-degree heat. It is not recommended to leave the air conditioner running in a car for your pet. Oftentimes the air conditioner malfunctions, leading to overheating inside the vehicle.

    Heatstroke is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can affect pets when they are exposed to high temperatures and excessive heat. Dogs and cats cannot regulate their body temperature as efficiently as humans, making them more susceptible to heatstroke. It can occur in as little as 10-15 minutes, especially in hot and humid environments or when an animal is left in a parked car.

    Symptoms of heatstroke in pets include excessive panting, drooling, rapid breathing, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea and collapse. It is crucial to act quickly if you suspect your pet is suffering from heatstroke. Move them to a cool and shaded area, offer fresh water, and use cool (not cold) water or damp towels to gradually lower their body temperature.

    Then take the pet directly to an emergency veterinary clinic. Heat stroke can be fatal and can come on very quickly, so it’s best not to take any chances.

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