Starting mileage: 8,711

Ending mileage: 9,018

Gas purchased in Cozad, NE: $3.60 per gallon

On the road again. I pull out the map Saturday night and divide the next 16 hours of my trip into fourths when the term “flyover states” resonates. Many of the exits off Interstate 80 that takes me from Nebraska to Michigan do not have food or gas, much less a hotel.

American Express Travel is a great resource. I enter my destination, filter hotels that allow pets, and options are provided. I read the reviews which sway me from one hotel to the other. The rate AMEX provides has always been lower than the travel search engines like Expedia or Travelocity. I book pet friendly hotels in Cozad, Nebraska; Clive, Iowa; and Oglesby, Illinois.

I check into the Cobblestone Hotel and Suites. I’m greeted by a shy desk clerk and a jar of dog biscuits. A cute kid with straight blonde hair and bright blue eyes asks if he can pet Arden. I ask his name. “Elvis. My mom works here.”

Our room is nice. Two Queen beds with white bedding. It’s all we need