We’ve been taking Otto on random car trips for a couple of weeks now, hoping to get him acclimated to riding in the car. Remi has always been a great dog to take on road trips, and we want Otto to feel the same way.

So, we rented a house for a couple of nights in Port St. Joe. Fortunately, those random trips paid off. Otto slept the entire drive to Port St. Joe. I’m not sure if it’s the noise, vibrations, containment, or something else, but he behaves much better in the car than he does at home.

We did make one stop to get gas, stretch our legs, and of course, for a photo opportunity.

Holly, in a black sleeveless top and shorts, shares a heartfelt embrace with Remi, her brown furry friend, on a sunlit patch of grass. Both of them smile.

Holly crouches in a black top, holding Otto, a sheepadoodle puppy tightly. Otto has his tongue out. Remi looks at both of them skeptically.

With just one full day at the beach, we had hoped to make the most of it. Unfortunately, spring weather on the Gulf is unpredictable. It rained, and rained hard, for almost the entire day.

There was a lot of lounging around. Holly colored, Remi slept and Otto stayed glued to the front window.

The rain slowed, but didn’t stop. It was starting to get late. We were bummed about it and wanted Otto to experience the beach.

With about an hour of daylight left, we decided to go out anyways. Fortunately, the rain had stopped by the time we got to the beach.

And as you might expect, Otto was very hyped about the beach. We’ve discovered that running on and digging in the sand is a lot of fun.

I don’t quite think we knew what to make of it at first.