I was still pretty new to blogging in August last year. I heard about a cool conference called BlogPaws. BlogPaws is a conference for pet bloggers that brings you workshops and lectures on subjects that helps you be a better, more successful blogger.
Last year the conference was on the east coast. I wanted to go so bad but there was no way I could spend thousands of dollars to fly there from Seattle and put myself up in a hotel for the weekend. I watched from afar instead and learned about the details of the conference from my fellow pet bloggers that posted about it afterwards.
This year BlogPaws is being held in Salt Lake City, UT…which is way closer to Seattle! I am still on a budget but I decided we are going no matter what this year! This will be a grand adventure.
My car is a gas guzzling SUV. By my standards, it is a luxury to road trip in because I can bring a lot of stuff with me and sleep in it at rest stops. However, fuel efficiency trumps that so I am going to rent an economy car and drive there. I can picture is now screaming down the highway in a teeny, tiny car.
It is 13 hours to Salt Lake City from Seattle. I can’t take a lot of time off work so we will drive there the day before the conference. I drove by myself straight through from Las Vegas to Seattle once (which is 22 hours) so this will be a piece of cake.
The conference is at the Sheraton Hotel but we are going to camp for the weekend. Our home for the weekend will be a tent. I already made my reservations at the KOA campground. There is a shower at the KOA, and myself, Chester and Gretel are seasoned campers, so the accommodations will be affordable, fun and work just great (aka. I won’t show up to the conference smelly).
The only piece of the equation I don’t have yet is an actual ticket. I planned to get a ticket during the early bird pricing window but missed it. Now tickets are $50 more. Now I am procrastinating because I am lamenting about the price of the ticket and kicking myself for not buying one sooner.
Lucky for us, our friend Sugar the Golden Retriever is giving away a ticket to BlogPaws. There are a few things you have to do to enter to win. One of them is to write a blog post on what interests us most about the conference and how and/or what ways we will inform Sugar and his humans about the conference, since they can’t go to themselves.
The program for the conference hasn’t been published yet so we don’t know exactly what the workshops will be about. By the looks of the program for last year there will be talks on how to better reach your readers, how do define your niche and place in the pet blog world, how to increase your search engine ranking and how to use your blog to make a difference. I am interested in all of those things.
What I do know about the 2012 conference is that the keynote speaker is Betsy Saul, Petfinder.com‘s Co-Founder! I have heard great stories about how she started Petfinder and about her success. I also found Gretel on Petfinder so it is near and dear to my heart. I can’t wait to hear her speak!
At this point I am almost more excited about the adventure of going to BlogPaws than the actual conference itself (although I will be really excited about that as soon as I know what the workshops will be and I can start planning for which ones I will attend). As for how and/or what ways we will inform Sugar and his humans about the conference, this will be the super fun part I am talking about.
Since we are making a road trip out of this and camping we will be sending out Tweets and posting on Facebook about our travels the whole entire time. We love posting pictures whenever we can too. You will get to watch our progress and excitement grow as we get closer and closer to the conference.
You will also get real-time updates on what is happening at BlogPaws. I will post on Facebook and Tweet any super great little tidbits that I learn about during the workshops. I look forward to meeting a lot of my bloggy friends there too and you bet I will be sharing pictures of all the friends we see there!
When we get back we will post about our adventures on the way there, the conference and our adventures on the way back (we are hoping to fit in a hike to one of Utah’s highest mountains too). I will post at least once for each day so, at a minimum, you can look forward to 4 posts about our road trip and BlogPaws.
I am so excited about this adventure! It won’t trump me getting married in August but it will come in a close second. I sure hope we win that ticket from Sugar!
Oh that sounds like a great adventure! We hope you win that ticket from Sugar as well! We bet Chester and Gretel will love the trip. We can only imagine what sort of things you’ll learn from this conference.
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Jess, I so admire how you are living your life, and really appreciate your sharing it with us. I’ll see what I can do to get your ticket for you. I’d be happy to chip in along with others who follow you. A little bit from each of us would go a long way to that ticket!
OMG Bruce. You are too kind. The face that you actually read what I write and take the time to comment is all the thanks that I need! It’s people like you that make all of the work I do worth it.
I hope you are coming Saturday because I was going to give you a couple of Adventureweiner stickers.
I planned to climb Mt Adams with Chester and Gretel for charity (canine cancer) but will all that is going on I am not officially announcing it until I can make sure I can still fit in all of that training with my family responsibilities. If I can make it work, I will be looking for donations to that.
Wow! That sounds like it will be a great adventure. I’m hoping to go to BlogPaws this year too. I was thinking about driving out. My drive from Southern California would only be about 8-9 hours. Good luck winning the ticket! Hopefully we see you at the conference.
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I hope you get to come! I can’t wait to meet you!
Michelle recently posted…Is Your Pet’s Name Trendy?
I would love to meet you and Toby too.
I don’t see how you couldn’t win with this great post!!!!!
Elizabeth recently posted…Pets On Furniture #4
If we happen to be in Utah in August, we should meet up. That would be fun! I hope you win the ticket.
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That would be so great! I would love, love, love to meet you guys. You are not going to BlgoPaws?
What a great idea to camp out! I wanted to come up to the conference from CA but between the plane ticket, the room, and the price of the conference it was way out of reach for me too. Maybe you’ll have a camp buddy and another dachshund to hang out with!
Camping is $25 a night
Nice! I’m saving my pennies now!
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Good luck with the contest! You sure deserve to win. Sounds like a great adventure you have planned!
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Thanks. I hope I win too but I will find a way to make work anyway.
Good luck on winning! I’d love to go, too, but SLC is a little farther away from me. If I can win the lottery between now and then, it’s a done deal!
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If I win the lottery between now and then I will pay for you to go
I would sure like to meet you. I guess I need to start playing to win huh? Ha, ha.
I was too new to go last year and I REALLY want to go this year . .I hadn’t even considered driving – I need to look and see how long it would take from Portland! I LOVE that you are planning already – I hope I get to meet you there!!
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Less than from Seattle
Probably still at least 10 hours though. I hope you can make it so I we can meet too.
Oh, good luck!
I think that BlogPaws sounds like a lot of fun, but I was a new blog as well last year, and this year, Salt Lake City is far too far away (I’m in New York)!
This definitely sounds like the perfect adventure for you Gretel and Chester! My fingers are crossed that you win the ticket from Sugar! Good luck!
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Woof! Woof! GREAT! It seems that you have a wonderful plan to be our eyes n ears … LOVE it! Will keep you posted. Golden Thanks for entering the Blog Paws giveaway. Winner will be selected n announced on March 31st. Good LUCK! Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
SUGAR: goldenwoofs recently posted…WW: Tired n Exhausted = Take a Deep Breath, Meditate
Hey Jessie,
That sure is an adventure – glad you won’t be smelly as they have a shower!! Tee Hee
Blogpaws last year seemed so cool, I think you’re gonna have a blast, good luck in the competition!!
Your pal Snoopy
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Your road trip sounds like a blast! Don’t forget, you can use the GoPetFriendly.com road trip planner to find campgrounds, restaurants, and fun stuff to do along the way!
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I want you to win the ticket!! (Hear that, Sugar?! lol) I can’t wait to read about all of your adventures. So much fun!
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good luck
from a contest junkie!!
Oh, my fingers will be crossed for you. I went last year, but had to leave early due to hurricane Irene. I will be attending this year so I’d love to meet up with you!
I’ll put you on my list of people to get in touch with before the show to exchange numbers if you want.
Pam & Oskar (who doesn’t get to go to BP because he has no manners)
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Oh that sounds like fun! We’re hoping to go, but the flight from Vancouver to SLC is like $600! I guess I could fly out of Bellingham and save myself a couple bucks… may find a way yet! I would really love to be there!
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I’m sure you will have so much fun! (And I hope you win the ticket!) I went last year and it was so great to meet some of my favorite blogging friends in person. I wish I could go this year and meet you, but I have the opposite problem, since I’m on the East Coast.
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Can’t wait to meet you at BlogPaws. Since I’m flying from the East Coast, Honey won’t be able to join me this year. But I’m hoping I can get some puppy lovin’ when I meet Chester and Gretel. I’m sure they’ll love it too.
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Woof! Woof! ALOHA! We’ve arrived to our new home. Guess What? You WON!!!! Lots of Golden Congrats. Please send us an email. Lots of Golden ALOHA n Woofs, Sugar
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Oh, Wow! We feel fortunate that you picked us. We can’t wait to go – June can’t come soon enough. We promise to do you proud as your “eyes and ears”. Bummed we won’t get to meet you there though
Yes! We’re so glad you won! You’ll have so much fun!!!
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I had so much fun reading your post..Thanks for sharing with us..
Nice post. I wish I could go this year and meet you, but I have the opposite problem, since I’m on the East Coast. Thanks that you’ve shared this with us.
The conference itself is pretty affordable…..it’s the travel and hotel that crush your plans.