I have taken a LOT of very long road trips alone, and now take them with my teenage daughter. I am always a tad nervous before but once I hit the road, it is wonderful and I have a lot of huge memories. I hope that you have a great time.

As to your questions ... I have taken some trips with small dogs. AAA puts out a thick book called "Traveling with your pet". The edition - 6th - that I have is copyrighted 2004. Personall, I like LaQuinta. They are pet friendly and have excellent breakfasts. Just personal preference....

You must have a roadside service. I belong to AAA, and upgrade to the 100 mile towing plan before taking long trips. As the others have said, make sure you have your car checked out extensively before you go. I have a mechanic that does it for free when I tell him that I what I am doing. You should have your car checked out en route as well, such as if you are staying with friends, or perhaps the half way point.

You really should drive just during daylight hours, though I have not always been the best at this.

You can get a devise to attach to your laptop to have continual internet access (everywhere but the middle of nowhere). I have done this before, but on our forthcoming trip may just stop at WiFi hotspots like McDonalds or Starbucks. My plan is, when I have a feel for where we will stay the night, to check out the hotel prices of LaQuinta (or whatever chains you may be looking at) within a certain radius. Obviously staying outside major cities is cheaper than staying within the city limits.

Personally, when driving alone, I find it hard to drive more than 400 or so miles per day. When I have someone to chat with, I can go much farther.

It does without saying that you need to have safety flairs or triangles and perhaps pepper spray.

Have a wonderful time!!!!!