Angela and Venture
My Beagle Alice and I ventured to Prince Edward Island for a much-needed break in September 2020, and it sparked a dream.
We explored the national park and trails without any predetermined plan or agenda, allowing us to enjoy an unparalleled sense of freedom.
I wanted to reinvent the classic P.E.I. holiday for a couple of years, but real life (work and volunteer commitments) got in the way, in addition to Alice passing away. That dream was never realized – until now.
In March 2022, I decided to embark on an incredible journey - a cross-country journey in my car! Planning began. It was something I had always wanted to do, and now it was finally becoming a reality. My life changed again in June 2022 when I met my new companion – Venture (short for Ad-Venture, which we enjoy together). We started making plans to explore numerous trails together, and travel to three different provinces, each home to its own unique national park. It was a journey I was eagerly looking forward to taking with my furry friend!
We explored the national park and trails without any predetermined plan or agenda, allowing us to enjoy an unparalleled sense of freedom.
I wanted to reinvent the classic P.E.I. holiday for a couple of years, but real life (work and volunteer commitments) got in the way, in addition to Alice passing away. That dream was never realized – until now.
In March 2022, I decided to embark on an incredible journey - a cross-country journey in my car! Planning began. It was something I had always wanted to do, and now it was finally becoming a reality. My life changed again in June 2022 when I met my new companion – Venture (short for Ad-Venture, which we enjoy together). We started making plans to explore numerous trails together, and travel to three different provinces, each home to its own unique national park. It was a journey I was eagerly looking forward to taking with my furry friend!
That summer and fall were dedicated to researching car conversions on Facebook and YouTube, gathering all the necessary requirements for living in a vehicle. I also worked out ways to make sure Alice's Trail Waggin' Pet Services (the business I was leaving in New Brunswick) was taken care of while I was away for an extended period. It was a difficult time of preparation, but it needed to be done if I wanted my trip to be successful.
I announced my exciting journey - an adventure across Canada in an SUV accompanied by Venture – on July 4, 2022. I planned to explore 29 National Parks within 10 different provinces and 1 territory, all while writing a Therapy Dog Program. It was an ambitious objective, but one that I felt compelled to take on. That summer, I made my first attempt at building the platform for the Subaru Forester with the help of a knowledgeable friend who was also a licensed carpenter. For the rest of that month, I contacted businesses for possible sponsorship deals and ordered equipment ranging from power stations to bedding for living in the car during our journey. It was an exciting yet challenging time as I finalized my plans for the trip.
It all started to come together after that. In October, Global Pet Foods NB provided Venture with all the gear he needed for hiking and camping. My mother gave me a CAA membership two weeks later. My Parks Canada pass arrived soon afterwards. This was followed with another success - Borèal Pet Food sponsoring us with food and treats for our travels. We had our first overnight sleepover inside our newly modified Subaru Forester (with help from our friends at Kent Building Supplies) on Nov. 3.
After that came months of studying Canadian maps, tourism opportunities within cities/towns across Canada along with National Park details so we could plan realistic stops without having Venture cooped up too long in the car, this dream was becoming a reality. We even had an article published about us in local newspapers!
