Welcome to Doggie Road Trippin’—where every adventure is better with your best friend by your side. 🐾🚗

Founded by Alexis Walling, Doggie Road Trippin’ is a dog-friendly travel community and guide to adventures, experiences, and destinations throughout the Northeast. But behind the road trips, recommendations, and wagging tails is a story that is deeply personal—a story about family, friendship, grief, healing, and the people & paws who help us keep moving forward.

After losing her father in 2016 and her mother during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Alexis found herself navigating life through an unimaginable amount of loss. It was her brother, Brian, who encouraged her to bring a dog into her life.

That dog was Buckley, an English Bulldog who quickly became far more than a pet. He became Alexis’s constant companion, adventure buddy, and a source of comfort during a difficult chapter of her life.

As Alexis and Buckley began exploring together, Brian saw something special in their adventures. He encouraged Alexis to share their experiences on Instagram (@doggieroadtrippin) and turn the dog-friendly places they discovered into recommendations that other PAWrents could enjoy too.

In 2021, Alexis began sharing their adventures. What started as a small “pet project” and a way to navigate grief grew into Doggie Road Trippin’ -  a community built around a simple belief:

Our dogs deserve a seat in the adventure.

Over time, Doggie Road Trippin’ became about so much more than finding places that allow dogs. It became about getting in the car, discovering somewhere new, making memories, meeting good people, and finding little moments of joy even when life gets hard.

And then, in November 2025, everything changed again.

Alexis unexpectedly lost her brother, Brian, to a sudden heart attack.

More than her brother, Brian was her best friend.

Even as adults living very different lives- Brian married with a family of his own and Alexis building a life filled with Buckley, friends, and adventures they remained incredibly close. They talked every day, bounced ideas off each other, and were always there to help, support, and look out for one another.

Their mom had taught them from a young age that no matter where life took them, they would always have each other. That brother-sister bond never faded.

Brian was also the person who encouraged Alexis to get Buckley and one of the first people to believe there was something special in the idea behind Doggie Road Trippin’. He saw the joy Alexis and Buckley found in exploring together and encouraged her to share it with others.

After losing him, the community Alexis had built with Buckley took on an even deeper meaning.

What began as a way to explore, connect, and find joy became another way to keep moving forward through grief.

Today, Alexis continues those adventures with Buckley, friends, and sometimes Brian’s children carrying with her the encouragement, curiosity, and love that Brian gave her. Every road trip, new destination, and shared memory is a reminder that the people we love continue to be part of our story, even when they can no longer be beside us.

That is what Doggie Road Trippin’ means today.

It’s about finding adventure when you need a reason to get out the door. It’s about making memories while you can. It’s about bringing your dog along instead of leaving them behind. It’s about community, connection, and finding people who understand that our dogs aren't “just dogs” they are family.

And sometimes, it’s about finding a little light during the darkest seasons of life.

Alongside Buckley, Alexis shares her own adventures, dog-friendly recommendations, and discoveries from family, friends, and Doggie Road Trippin’s team of Guest RePAWters. Together, they help PAWrents discover restaurants, hotels, breweries, beaches, parks, road trips, and experiences throughout the Northeast where their dogs are genuinely welcome.

Because you never know what a road trip might bring.

Maybe it’s a new favorite place.
Maybe it’s a memory you’ll treasure forever.
Maybe it’s a person who becomes part of your community.
Or maybe it’s simply a car ride with your best friend when you needed it most.

Doggie Road Trippin’ began because of love, grew through loss, and continues because there is always another road to take, another memory to make, and another PAWrent to welcome into the community.

So, wherever you are in your journey, come along for the ride.

There’s always room for one more PAWrent and one more dog in the Doggie Road Trippin’ community. 🐾❤️

Making memories. Finding adventure. Moving forward, one paw at a time.

When she isn’t hitting the road with Buckley, Alexis is a full-time Speech-Language Pathologist working with children in New Jersey. She holds a Master’s Degree from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola College in Maryland.

Meet Lord Buckley, the blue-eyed English Bulldog with a heart as big as his belly! Buckley is an adventure-loving pup who’s always up for a road trip, especially if it means snuggling in the car next to his mom, Alexis. When he's not traveling, you can find him napping the day away or catching some Z's in his mama's bed  - after all, he believes he’s entitled to the best spot in the house.

This food-loving pup has a serious passion for meatballs and isn’t shy about showing it. But don’t even think about offering him healthy snacks like blueberries, strawberries, or carrots - he’s got no time for that! His true love?  Swizzle sticks and a good puppuccino, of course.

Buckley is also a playful pup with a soft spot for his toy spider and the game of "Itsy Bitsy," where he’ll eagerly pounce on his little arachnid friend. On weekends, you can find him at his favorite local hangout, The Ale House in Hoboken, NJ, enjoying the good company of fellow dogs and dog lovers while sporting one of his bow ties from his personal collection. He's kind of known for his fashion. 

In short, Buckley’s the kind of dog who knows how to live life to the fullest—one nap, snack, and road trip at a time!