Look what we won! No travel destination today. But we do have a great calendar from GoPetFriendlyBlog.com with lots of great photos of their dogs Ty and Buster at great pet travel destinations.

Look what we won from GoPetFriendly.com!

The calendar is titled “Travels with Ty & Buster”. This month for June, Ty and Buster are pictured at Bar Harbor, Maine. It’s a great photo of them chilling out on some nice lush green grass in front of the scenic harbor. There are also photos of them in Stowe, Vermont, Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Newport, Rhode Island.

One of many great photos of Ty & Buster in the GoPetFriendly.com calendar. Click the photo to visit their blog and see more photos of Ty & Buster in Woodstock, Vermont.

Another thing I love about the calendar is that in many of the photos, Ty and Buster are wearing their Kurgo dog car harnesses!!! It’s so great seeing these guys traveling safe as they visit so many wonderful pet travel destinations across the continent.

Do you want a Ty and Buster calendar? You can win one too. Just enter the Friday Photo Challenge which is held EVERY Friday on GoPetFriendlyBlog.com. This week, enter HERE. Then visit their blog regularly for other photo challenges.

Eureka! I think I’ve found a great and relatively nearby pet travel destination. I love nature, I love history, and I love a little fantasy. And Eureka Springs, Arkansas has it all!

For fantasy, check out Castle Rogue’s Manor. I called them yesterday and confirmed that friendly pets on leashes are allowed. This is a scenic castle built from the native trees of the Ozarks, including black walnut and Arkansas red cedar. The following photos were taken by our friend Flea at the Jones Natural Chews blog.

For history, check out the following two videos of pet friendly places.

Pea Ridge National Military Park

Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway

For nature… Well, Eureka Springs is situated in the Ozarks. There are nature trails galore! Hike to some interesting rock formations - Pivot Rock and Natural Bridge. Or go check out the Beaver Dam just west of town.

This pet travel destination is only four-and-a-half hours from where I live. Hmmm. Perhaps I should put the dog car harnesses on Maya and Pierson, hop in the car, and go to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. What do you think?

Carmel is the Ultimate Pet Travel Destination

No, that’s not my Maya in the photo above. I wish it was. I think she’d really like to visit the beach in Carmel, California. I bet your dog would too. Carmel, California was voted Best City for Pet Travelers by GoPetFriendly.com‘s readers in 2013. Here’s why.

Check out how much fun these dogs (and people) are having at Carmel City Beach where dogs are allowed off-leash.

Garland Ranch Regional Park looks like a great place to take a nature walk. Check out this video of a beautiful dog named Lilly at Garland Ranch Regional Park.

Didn’t get in enough walking? Take your dog on a two hour walking tour through gardens, cottages, and more with the Carmel Walks walking tour.

There are also a lot of fun places to shop in Carmel. Several shops at the Carmel Village shopping area along Ocean Avenue are pet friendly. The PortaBella restaurant has a dog friendly outdoor patio on Ocean Avenue. There are a number of other restaurants in Carmel that have dog friendly outdoor patios, such as Cafe Stravaganza, Forge in the Forest, Plaza Linda, and Flaherty’s Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar.

After all that walking, relax with a nice glass of wine at Taste Morgan.  This is a winery where well-behaved leashed dogs are welcome.

Oh, we forgot to mention pet friendly accommodations. There are a number of them in Carmel, California. The Lodge at Pebble Beach is the only pet friendly accommodation we found on DogFriendly.com that doesn’t charge any additional pet fees.

I don’t think I’ve covered everything there is to do with your dog in Carmel. If you want to know more, check out DogFriendly.com and GoPetFriendly.com. If you’ve already been to Carmel with your dog, tell us about it. Or tell us your favorite pet travel destination. Don’t forget, wherever you travel, be sure your best friend travels safe.

I had a chance to visit New York City for the first time last year. Since I couldn’t take my dogs on that trip, I thought I would share a blog post about pet friendly New York by our favorite Beagle, Maggie, at WagTheDogUK.

Here are some photos of dogs that I took while I was in Manhattan.

Lots of open space in Central Park. There is no designated off-leash area but there are off-leash times.

If you think New York is too crowded to have two big dogs, you’re wrong. These two pups enjoy it here.

Early AM, lots of people headed to Central Park to walk their dogs.

In the fast paced life, you can take your dog for a walk, stop at an outdoor cafe for a quick breakfast, and take care of business on your cell phone all at the same time.

The biggest dog in New York is Balto. I love this statue!

The beautiful weather we have been having lately really makes me want to go to the beach. I’ve been to the west coast and to beaches in Texas, but never to the east coast. There are a lot of nice beaches to the east. But one that stands out as a great vacation spot is Key West in Florida.
According to US News Travel, the best time to visit Key West is between March and May. The weather is relatively mild and it is the off-travel season, which makes hotel rates and other attractions less expensive. So what is there to do in Key West? Lots!
The first thing you need when visiting Key West is pet friendly accommodations. Choose between dog friendly hotels, vacation homes, or RV parks. Be sure to call your stay of choice in advance to verify their pet friendly regulations. Some may charge extra fees or have weight limits.
You can’t go to the Florida Keys without doing a little snorkeling, boating, or fishing. Thankfully, some boat tours are pet friendly! Check out this cool video from Lazy Dog Outfitters:

After a day of boating, do some leisurely shopping along Duval Street. Many of the shops are pet friendly. Have lunch at an outdoor cafe such as Louie’s Backyard. Louie’s Backyard is right on the beach. And next to it is a dog beach! Check out this video:

Still want more stuff to do? Go visit the Key West Tropical Forest and Garden. Then visit the pet friendly Key West Aquarium. I’ve called them and confirmed that friendly dogs on leashes are more than welcome to visit the aquarium. Here is a video of the things you can see there:

Other attractions include the Dry Tortugas National Park and the Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Another dog park is the Higgs Beach dog park. And other dog friendly outdoor restaurants include the Six-Toed Cat, Harpoon Harry’s, Old Town Mexican Cafe, and Dante’s.
Our two primary resources for this edition of Pet Travel Destination Tuesday is DogFriendly.com and GoPetFriendlyBlog.com. Have you been to Key West? I bet you have much better photos than we do. Please feel free to share and tell us your favorite pet travel distnation. And don’t forget, wherever you travel with your pet be sure they travel safe!

Thanks to Midwest Pet Bloggers on Facebook, our next pet travel destination is in Wisconsin. It was a tossup between Milwaukee and Madison, but since they are only an hour-and-a-half drive apart from each other, why not talk about both?

Both cities have a number of pet friendly hotels. Be sure to call the hotel you’re considering in advance to make sure they take all sized pets and whether or not they charge extra fees for pets. Some dog friendly hotels are friendlier than others.

I love nature walks and there are a number of state parks near Madison and Milwaukee. There is the Lake Kegonsa state park, Blue Mound state park, Governor Nelson state park, and, one that I find interesting for historical reasons, Aztalan state park. Aztalan state park features an earthwork mound constructed by the Mississippian culture about 900 years ago. More in Wikipedia.

Pets on leashes are welcome to the Wisconsin state parks. But if you prefer your dog be allowed to run off-leash, Madison has several off-leash dog parks. Milwaukee has a few too, but Madison seems to rule as far as off-leash dog parks go. There is the Brittingham dog park, Quann dog park, Token Creek pet exercise area, Viking park pet exercise area, Sun Prairie pet exercise area, Sycamore dog park, and still more in Madison. Milwaukee has Muttland Meadows, Brookfield dog park, and a couple of others.

After all that walking around, you’re going to want to stop for a bite to eat. how about stopping by a restaurant with an outdoor patio? Some of these restaurants with outdoor patios are pet friendly. A few in Madison are the Mermaid Cafe, Capital Brewery, Marigold Kitchen, and Hawk’s Bar and Grill. A few in Milwaukee are the Apollo Cafe, Beans & Barley, Crazy Water, Mimma’s, Brewed Cafe, The Palomino, Milwaukee Waterfront Deli, and the Community Bark Dog Wash & Coffee Bar. These are just a few. You can find more on the resource links listed below.

After a nice lunch break, you can do more sightseeing. Visit the capitol building in Madison. The grounds are pet friendly so long as you pick up after your pet and make sure he stays on a leash. There is also a pet friendly botanical garden at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. In Milwaukee, there are a few pet friendly boat rentals and tours. Check out Blue Max Charters, Milwaukee Boat Line, and Juneau Park Paddleboats. You can also walk along the Milwaukee Riverwalk.

Not all the places in this video are pet friendly. But as you can see, there is a lot to do here! Neither you nor your dog will get bored. I’ve only listed a few things. But you can find more fun dog friendly things to do with your best friend by checking out DogFriendly.com and BringFido.com. Also, check out a review of Milwaukee from Ty and Buster from GoPetFriendly.com. Remember, wherever you travel with your pet, be sure to travel safe and use a dog car safety device.

I am so glad spring is finally here! This warmer weather makes me think about vacationing again. And you know, I have to take Maya and Pierson wherever I go. This means looking for a friendly pet travel destination. This week I am looking at Charleston, South Carolina.

After a little research, I found a number of pet friendly places in Charleston. Firstly, there are several dog friendly hotels. The ones I would consider include La Quinta, Red Roof Inn, and Hampton Inn. There are also places for RVing and camping. If my dogs and I get hungry, we can eat on an outdoor patio at the Dog and Duck Food and Spirits, DIG in the Park, Firehouse Subs, and Danielle Island Grille.

I’ve covered the most important aspects of travel – lodging and eating. What about fun stuff? I like gardens and Charleston has quite a few dog friendly gardens. There is the Battery and White Point Gardens, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and the Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. Dogs are allowed on leashes but be aware that they probably are not allowed inside any of the buildings.

To get around, there are a couple of pet friendly carriage tours and other tours. Charleston even sports a pet friendly kayak rental. Let’s not forget about the dog friendly beaches and a number of off-leash dog parks in Charleston. Here are a super cute video of a dog having fun at the beach.

And check out these dogs having fun at the James Island County Dog Park.

Doesn’t Charleston, South Carolina look like fun? Have you been here with your dog? We’d love to hear about your experience. If you haven’t gone and decide to go, be sure your dog rides safe in the car with a dog seat belt or pet car seat.

(Our primary resource for these pet friendly activities comes from DogFriendly.com.)

Help dogs stay cool on a pet cooling mat.

Now that spring is here, I bet you want to be outdoors more. I bet your dog does too. Perhaps now that the sun is shining and the weather is warmer, you and your dog can go somewhere for a nature hike, visit the lake for a picnic or a swim, or go to that dog park you really love but didn’t go before because it was too cold outside and all the way across town. But before you and your dog head out the door, let me make one very important reminder about dogs in cars. And also, let me introduce a new product that is perfect for pet travel in warm weather.

I want to introduce the new pet travel product first. I’m excited about it because I think it is a great pet product for when we travel long distances with the dogs. See, the a/c of my car doesn’t get to the back of the car where Maya and Pierson are as easily as it blasts us in the front. So if I want my dogs to stay cool, I have to wear a coat and have the a/c on full blast. The new product we found is a pet cooling mat and it allows my dogs to stay cooler without me freezing my you-know-what off.

The Slumber Pet cooling mat is very easy to use. Simply put it in the refrigerator to let it cool down. And then take it out for your dog to lie on. Your dog can lie on it directly, or you can put it in their pet bed. Your dog can lie on it inside the house, outside, or in the car for pet travel in warm weather. (If you use the pet cooling mat outside, use it in the shade so that the coolness lasts longer.)

This pet travel product brings me to the point about safety I wanted to make. This product does not mean that you are allowed to leave your dog alone in the car while you run inside to get groceries and such. Never ever ever leave your dog alone in the car. The pet cooling mat can stay cool for long periods, but not if it is exposed to extreme heat (such as the extreme heat that builds up in a car).

Even though the weather is not hot yet, it is warm enough to make the inside of your car hot, even if the windows are down. Don’t believe me? Go to the grocery store in the afternoon when the sun is out on a 60 degree day. I did that yesterday (without my dogs, of course) and by the time I got back to my car 30 minutes later, it was super-hot inside. If Maya or Pierson had been left in there, they might have had a heat stroke.

Heat is not the only danger of leaving your dog in the car. Someone could steal your dog. Trust me, this happens all the time. People take dogs from cars because they believe you are cruel for leaving them in there, because they want to use your dog as a bait dog, or for a multitude of other unsavory reasons.

Don’t leave your dog vulnerable to theft or to heat stroke. Always make sure someone can stay with your dog in the car, or just leave your dog at home. Plan trips to the park and such separately from your grocery trips and other errands. And don’t forget to bring plenty of water for your dog to drink!

The Best City for Pet Travelers Tournament being held by GoPetFriendly.com is still underway. It is now down to eight cities. Read a little bit about each of these eight cities, and then go cast your vote for your favorite pet travel destination.

Portland, OR
Besides a number of off-leash dog parks, Portland, OR has several pet friendly rose gardens and other gardens. It also has a few dog friendly wineries. More on our blog post at http://www.petautosafetyblog.com/?p=667.

Aspen, CO
Take your dog for a pleasant outdoor walk downtown. Then ride the pet friendly sky car of the Silver Queen Gondolas to the top of Aspen Mountain. There is much more for you and your dog to do on top of the mountain. Read more on our blog post at http://www.petautosafetyblog.com/?p=1885.

Carmel, CA
This city has quite a few pet friendly beaches, parks, tours, restaurants, shops, and hotels. My dogs have never been to the beach, so this is one city we’d love to visit.

Charlottesville, VA
Many of the estate tours, including the ones of Thomas Jefferson’s estates are dog friendly outside. Dogs aren’t allowed inside, but well-behaved dogs are welcome to tour the outside areas. Charlottesville also has a number of pet friendly wineries.

Fredericksburg, VA
This city beat out one of my favorites, Sedona, AZ, and I see why. Fredericksburg has a number of pet friendly attractions like the Chancellorsville Battlefield and the outdoor areas of George Washington’s Ferry Farm and Kenmore Plantation and Gardens.

Bend, OR
This city has a number of off-leash dog parks. Dogs are also allowed, on a leash, at the outdoor areas of Peterson Rock Gardens and Sunriver Nature Center.

Annapolis, MD
Take your dog to the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Historic London Town and Gardens. Annapolis also has dog friendly boat tours, such as Watermark Cruises, and boat rentals, such as Annapolis Small Boat Rentals.

Charleston, SC
This city also has dog friendly beaches and off-leash dog parks. It also has quite a few pet friendly hotels and vacation rentals, a number of pet-friendly stores and restaurants, and a several pet friendly tours and attractions such as the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Tour Charleston Ghost Tours, and Fort Moultrie National Historic Site.

The only one of these places I have been to is Portland, Oregon. So this is the city that has my vote! But the others look like a lot of fun too. Go vote for your favorite pet travel destination at GoPetFriendly.com.

Where is your favorite dog friendly destination?

Vote for the Best Pet Friendly City at GoPetFriendly.com

Where are some great dog friendly places to visit? Find out at GoPetFriendlyBlog.com. They are currently running a competition where people can vote for their favorite pet friendly travel destination. Rather than have a judge determine the winner, it is us dog lovers who get a say. So go check it out and cast your vote, then keep going back to find out which cities the dog lovers liked best.

The winning cities and towns are now narrowed down to 32 places. Some of those pet friendly places are Park City, UT, Bar Harbor, ME, Seattle, WA, Aspen, CO, Key West, FL, and more! The only two places on this list that I have been to are Portland, OR and Sedona, AZ. Personally, I hope Sedona, AZ wins! It was the best pet travel destination I have ever been to - http://www.petautosafetyblog.com/?p=689.

Sedona, Arizona has a lot of hiking areas that are great for you and your dog.

Where are the pet friendly places you’ve been to? Go cast your vote at GoPetFriendly.com today!