We traveled a lot with a 70-pound mellow sweetie, and it was easier than you would expect.
A lot of hotels are pet-friendly now. Dig through the reservation sites for the fine print on hotel pet policies. There’s a big variation in fees. On our last trip, we saw $0-$150, but on average it was $25. Most hotels require that you don’t leave the pet alone in the room, and we always honor that, but that creates the biggest downside to traveling with dogs - eating fast food pickup in the hotel room instead of going to a restaurant. We recently stayed in a hotel, and a dog in a nearby room barked the entire time his family was out. He was probably upset to be left alone in a strange location. I’m extremely tolerant of dogs, but it was annoying, and I felt bad for the dog.
Our dog rode in the backseat. We would pack stuff on one side of the floor and top it with a travel dog bed making it level with the backseat to extend the area he had to stretch out. We also kept his leash, poop bags, treats, water, and water bowl handy in the back seat with everything else in his hotel bag. Have a towel or dog wipes for muddy paws.
Our dog didn’t need any more bathroom breaks than we did. Lunches were usually picnics in a local park or rest area.
Our dog enjoyed traveling, and he was a fun travel companion. I hope you find the same joy with yours