On the Road Again: A Durango Adventure!
By Emma the White Dog
Hi friends!
Can you believe it is September already? Summer is winding down, but looking back at August, all I can say is… we were “on the road again!”
Dad and I packed up the SUV and headed north for a big mountain getaway to Durango, Colorado to visit my human brother, Rick! Since an eight-hour drive is a bit much for one day, we split the journey in half and stayed overnight in Holbrook, Arizona.
Now, staying in hotels is always a grand adventure for a pup. I consider myself a bit of a hotel connoisseur, though the sliding automatic doors and high-speed elevators took a little getting used to! There were so many fascinating new smells down every hallway, and my main duty was scouting out the absolute best patch of green grass outside for my daily business.
Emma checking into the hotel in Holbrook
Exploring Durango and Fort Lewis College
When we arrived in Durango, Rick had the wonderful surprise of giving me my very own official Colorado bandana! I wore it with pride all week long. Durango is such a lively town, nestled right in the Animas Valley. Did you know the river’s full historic name is El Río de las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio (River of Lost Souls in Purgatory)? Despite the dramatic name, the Animas River is absolutely beautiful, crystal clear, and full of energy! We spent time strolling along the Animas River Trail, watching the water rush by. By the way, the official river name explains why the nearest ski resort is named Purgatory.
Emma at the Animas River wearing her Colorado bandana
Durango itself has such rich history—it started back in 1880 as a bustling railroad town, famous for the narrow-gauge steam trains that still run through the mountains today. We walked through Rick’s lovely neighborhood, filled with towering trees, wide boulevards, and green parks.
While exploring a neighborhood park, I got to meet a group of delightful little kids participating in organized summer day camp activities. Coming from SaddleBrooke—where my neighbors are wonderfully friendly, but decidedly retired—it was such a fun treat to watch little humans running, laughing, and playing!\
Emma meeting the children at the park
We also explored the picturesque campus of Fort Lewis College. Perched high on a mesa overlooking the town, Fort Lewis actually began in the 1800s as a military fort and later an Indian boarding school before transforming into the vibrant public liberal arts college it is today. Although classes weren’t quite in full swing yet, the campus was buzzing with college students getting ready for the fall term.
The campus lawn was so lush and cool compared to our desert turf that I couldn’t resist dropping down for a full-body roll in that long Colorado grass! I made friends with several students, posed by the famous campus bell tower, and even inspected one of those electric scooters the students ride everywhere. I briefly considered taking one for a spin, but Dad said four paws on the ground is probably a safer speed for me.
Emma rolling in the long, cool Colorado grass
Emma with college students
Emma by the college bell tower
Emma next to a campus scooter
Family, Friends, and the Comforts of Home
The best part of the trip was quality time with family. We had a marvelous visit with Rick, and we even dropped by the local Community Arts Center to see Deb at her pottery studio! I supervised the creative process closely to make sure all the clay creations met high canine standards. Between art studios, park walks, and campus strolls, I even managed to make a few new four-legged friends along the way.
Emma with Rick
Emma visiting Deb at her pottery studio
Emma posing with a new dog friend in Durango
As wonderful as it is for a dog to venture out on big travel adventures, there is truly nothing quite like coming home. Stepping back onto our familiar trails, taking our routine golf cart rides, and sleeping in my own bed reminded me how much I love our desert life in SaddleBrooke. Exploration feeds the soul, but routine keeps the tail wagging!
Now that we are settled back into our home rhythm, let’s dive right into this month’s reader mail!
This Month’s “Ask Emma” Column
Dear Emma:
I recently saw you on a walk with your dad, and you seemed to be doing a lot of sniffing in a relaxed way. But at other times, you and other dogs seem to be walking fast and determined. Do dogs ever feel rushed and stressed?
— CuriousInTheDesert
Dear CuriousInTheDesert: A Tail of Two Walks
That is a paws-itively excellent question! You’ve caught me partaking in what my Dad and I like to call a “Sniffari.” It’s true—if you watch the dogs in our neighborhood closely, you’ll notice we have a few different gears when we’re out on our daily patrols.
To answer your first question: Yes, those relaxed, sniff-heavy walks are my absolute favorite. You see, a dog’s nose is our primary way of seeing the world. While humans have about six million scent receptors, my little Bichon-Poodle nose has hundreds of millions! When I’m ambling along with my nose glued to the ground, I’m not just dawdling. I’m reading the morning news. I’m checking to see if the Golden Retriever down the street passed by, figuring out which desert critters were out last night, and leaving a few “comments” of my own on the local message boards. This kind of walking is deeply relaxing and mentally stimulating for us.
But what about those times we look like we’re late for a very important business meeting? You’re highly observant to notice the shift in gears. Do we feel rushed? Absolutely. But here is the secret: the rush almost always comes from the human on the other end of the leash.
Dogs don’t wear watches. We don’t have deadlines for submitting newspaper columns (well, except for me, but Dad handles the details), and we certainly don’t care what time the golf group is teeing off. We live entirely in the present moment. However, we are incredibly in tune with our humans. When Dad is in a hurry, his energy shifts. His stride lengthens, his posture stiffens, and most importantly, there’s a subtle tension on the leash. That tension travels right down to my collar. My doggy instincts tell me, “Dad is on a mission, so I need to be on a mission too!” We hurry because our humans are hurrying.
Sometimes, a fast walk is purely environmental. Living here in the desert, if the morning sun starts heating up the pavement, my paws tell me it’s time to shift into overdrive and get back to the air conditioning!
So, do dogs feel stressed on walks? We certainly can, especially if our humans are treating the walk like a chore to be checked off a busy to-do list rather than a shared adventure.
My advice to all the dog parents out there? Take a deep breath. Let the leash go slack. Give us the gift of a ten-minute Sniffari. It lowers our stress, and honestly, I think it lowers your stress, too.
With love and wagging optimism, stay paw-sitive!
Emma 🐾
Have a question for me? I’d love to hear from you! Email emmathewhitedog@gmail.com, and I might answer it in a future blog.
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