In June of 2008, we lost our precious dog, Nelson, to brain cancer.  Nelson had been a loving pet and Willie's best friend/brother for 10 years.  On a day that we will never forget, our vet came to our home to end our days with Nelson, where he passed surrounded by people who loved him and his brother.  The saddness was overwhelming and hours of saddness turned to days of saddness that we seemed to not be able to escape.  So....we packed up Willie and a few belongings and headed to downtown Nashville to the Loew's Hotel.

We stayed two nights at the Loew's Hotel and found ourselves searching, spontaneously, for anything we could do with Willie.  The hotel, being pet friendly, provided us with a complementary pet gift which included treats, food and other items Willie loved.  The experience we had was inspirational and uplifting, even in our deep saddness, as people we did not know would stop and talk to us and love on Willie.  We had conversations with hotel staff, restaurant staff, business travelers staying at the hotel (those away from home missing their own puppies)...just about everyone.  After which, we realized, perhaps, we would not have ever had these conversations if Willie, our precious Willie, was not with us. 

As a result of this experience, we realized what a special element Willie added to our travel experience.  We realized that travel, even in you own town, takes on a whole new life when you are there with your dog.

Welcome to Dog Days of Travel.......