Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

As many of you may already know (via Instagram and Facebook) I packed up and headed out on a little road trip this past weekend in celebration of my mom’s Birthday!

Just a little weekend getaway, we didn’t travel far (staying in my home state of Pennsylvania), but boy did we pack in as much as we could!

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

My first stop was a cute little flea market in Kutztown, PA. You might recall I’ve been here before, and while it’s usually much bigger in the warmer months it was still fun to browse around at.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

I even had my eyes on this electric face off hockey game – which unfortunately mom and dad wouldn’t let me bring home since I already have way too many toys!

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

Next stop was the Kutztown University Bookstore (since mom and dad went to school there). I waited in the car while mom and dad shopped, and I’m still a little bit peeved they didn’t bring me back one of these fun KU dog jackets.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

After spending some time in Kutztown, we headed up towards the mountains and stopped in at Centralia. For those of you that don’t know Centralia is the site of an underground mining fire that started in 1962. The now long since abandoned town still continues to burn underground, and remnants of the broken highway and burning can still be seen today.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

Unfortunately most of the area was still pretty snow covered, so it took me a bit of hiking to find some remnants of the fire destruction.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

Most of the old highway has been vandalized over the years – but it’s still an interesting site to see.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

I’m pretty sure my middle name should be explorer, because it’s one of my favorite things to do!

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

After my visit to Centralia we headed further North to my accommodations for the night in Dushore, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

The Endless Mountains Motel was full of log cabin charm – and I even had my very own fireplace! Looks like I wouldn’t be needing all the jackets I packed after all!

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

The next morning I kissed my new bear friend from Dushore goodbye and headed off to the Ricketts Glen State Park for some hiking!

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

While most of the hiking trails at Ricketts Glen were closed due to the snow and ice, that didn’t stop me from finding some safe trails to spend the day exploring.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

Don’t worry the conditions weren’t quite as extreme as this photo may make it seem (it was a posed photo), and most of the trails we hiked were pretty flat.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

After sufficiently wearing myself out with several hours of hiking I was ready to make my way back home.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

But before we pulled into my driveway mom and dad made one last stop at Cabelas – the super store for all outdoor adventure activities. And not to be forgotten, the mecca of all hunting dog toys! Which seriously, am I not a hunting dog…..where was my shopping bag full of toys?

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

And to make things worse, mom and dad even got to see one of these furry fellows up close and personal in the Cabelas wilderness display.

Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Ammo the Dachshund

After we all got home I had fun reminiscing with my family about all the fun we had had (despite this being the best photo we took of the three of us!) and I can’t wait to go on a weekend road trip again!

Have you taken your dog on any fun road trips recently? Ammo the Dachshund

P.S. I’ve been nominated as Best Pet Blog of 2014! And if you have a second and don’t mind voting for me I’d be forever grateful! You can vote once per email! Just click this link and then scroll down to the Best Pet Blog section, check off the grey circle under Ammothedachshund.com, and scroll to the bottom to enter your email. Thanks for voting!

Road Trip with Ammo – Hiking Graveyard Fields in Asheville, North Carolina

My pet-friendly shopping adventures last week in Asheville, North Carolina were quite fun, but as much as I love scoping out a good deal, I enjoy being out in nature so much more.

I made sure to do my fair share of hiking while I was in North Carolina, and one of my favorite hikes was the Graveyard Fields and Waterfalls along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

This particular 3 mile hike led me over bridges, up mountains and through scenic waterfalls.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

Most of the time I led our pack of 6 humans and 2 dogs (me and Trooper), mostly because I’m a natural born leader, and also because Trooper was too concerned with herding our pack into a tidy little group than telling us which path to take (I blame his Australian Shepherd mother).

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

I’m an adventuresome hiker, and took to the unbeaten path when possible – climbing rocks and jumping streams are my kind of fun.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

When we reached one of our waterfall destinations I wasted no time in urging everyone to climb the cliffside and reach the top.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

It was glorious from above, but I quickly realized the decent down wouldn’t be quite as easy.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

Not to worry though, because even with my shorter than average legs I’m an excellent climber – not to mention I’m in peak physical shape – and I made it safely to the bottom.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

I wish I could say the same for my pal Trooper, but he ended up taking the fast track down the mountain over a sheet of ice.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

Luckily he has spider legs, and quickly recovered after splashing into the water at the bottom. I only wish I had caught it on film, because I probably would have won the grand prize on America’s Funniest Videos.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

3 miles of hiking felt like a breeze to me, and I easily could have done another 10.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

Mom and Dad promised we’d come back again someday though, perhaps in warmer weather. I can’t wait to return to Asheville for more hiking adventures.

Pet Friendly Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina // Ammo the Dachshund

At the end of the day it was nice to snuggle up in my blankies at the hotel, it feels good to be worn out, and I did need to rest up, because soon it would be THANKSGIVING!

Check back tomorrow to find out how I spent Turkey Day with my family. Ammo the Dachshund