Have Dogs, Will Travel
Given the option, I would take my pugs everywhere with me! After all, dogs don’t live as long as humans do, and unless you work from home, your dogs spend the majority of their lives waiting for you to return. Sure, sometimes they go to daycare or spend time at home with their pet sitters, but that’s not time I get to spend with them. Anyone who knows me well isn’t surprised to learn that I have spent a good amount of time traveling with my pugs. In fact, I haven’t taken a vacation without them in almost 14 years!
I got serious about taking my pugs traveling shortly after Finn was diagnosed with oral melanoma. Knowing his time was limited, I was determined to check off as many trips on my bucket list as possible with the time he had left. My plan was to attend pug rescue events in all 50 States. Sadly, he didn’t make it to Pug Round Up, one of our biggest cross country treks to Wyoming, but we visited some pretty incredible spots together and I want to share some of them with you.
Places I’ve traveled with my dogs
Canine Camp Getaway - If you’ve been following my blog posts, you’ll know this is where we began to experiment with a variety of dog sports to learn what each of our pugs enjoyed best. Canine Camp Getaway is now based in Gettysburg, PA in June and East Durham, NY during September. You name the dog sport, you can try it here. They offer great educational seminars presented by trainers and vets, as well as barks and crafts. Best of all, you can take your dogs everywhere, including the dining room.
The Paw House Inn - This place charges extra if you come without a dog, my kind of people! Located in Rutland, Vermont, they offer a plethora of nearby dog friendly trails to explore. Mitch, our very knowledgeable innkeeper, made our visit even better with fantastic suggestions of things to see in the area. We have been there twice, and stayed in the Bark Avenue Suite and Brooklyn’s Bungalow. Look for our entries in the guest register if you visit the same rooms or maybe even catch us there for Newt’s first visit, planned for Fall, 2024.
Dog Mountain - Home of the Dog Chapel and Stephen Huneck Gallery, Dog Mountain is located in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. We’ve made this journey a couple of times from the Paw House Inn, and it’s well worth the 2-hour drive for those who really love their dogs. I can’t put into words the emotion evoked when I entered the Dog Chapel. You’ll have to experience it for yourself, but it’s genuinely moving to be in that space.
Barkwells - With a motto of “Stay Weird,” we had to visit Mills River, North Carolina, near Asheville. We’ve made two trips to Barkwells and stayed in the Diva Cabin both times. I was so impressed with the beautiful property and am still trying to figure out how the housekeepers keep the cabins free of fur. Each time we arrived it looked immaculate. No fur, not one strand! Consider me mind blown. While there, we took some great hikes, visited the Biltmore Estate Gardens and Lake Lure. Bonus! We discovered some great local bars with dog friendly outdoor seating at Wicked Weed Brewery and Chemist Spirits.
The Dog Fountain at Berczy Park - Just over the border (for those of us in Buffalo, NY), is Toronto, Ontario’s famous Dog Fountain in Berczy Park. The three-tiered fountain features 27 cast iron dog statues, including several pugs. If you’re staying the night, I recommend the Kimpton Hotel for dog friendly accommodations. Their website boasts, “If your pet fits through the door, we will welcome them in,” and they live up to that. We’ve stayed at Kimpton Hotels in NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, and Toronto, and they have all treated our dogs like royalty! Don’t forget to stop at School, my all-time favorite brunch spot, where there’s a dog friendly patio. Other favorites include taking the dog friendly ferry ride across to Centre Island where you can stroll around, visit the amusement park and enjoy an impressive view of the city skyline.
Best Friends Road House - Best Friends Animal Society does some amazing work in partnering with animal shelters throughout the US. Their mission is to ensure all shelters maintain a no kill policy by 2025. The Best Friends Road House, just down the road from this incredible animal sanctuary, is located in Kanab, Utah. If you are traveling without your furries, you can have a sleepover with an animal from the sanctuary, but if you’re traveling with your pets, you’ll enjoy some of the best pet amenities. Rooms and suites include safety gates, cat trees, dog beds, sleeping nooks, built in cubbies and more. Their fenced in dog park is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen and our pug loved the splash water feature. They even offer free vegan breakfast (yay for me!). Unfortunately, we were not there long enough for me to volunteer at Dog Town, but we did get to visit Zion and Bryce Canyon.
Real Inn and Suites - Santiago and I have flown together a couple of times as he is the only pug in our family who behaves well enough to ride in an airplane. This past Spring we flew into Phoenix, AZ to meet our friend Linsday, President of AZ Pug Party and Rescue, who we drove with us to the Sedona Pug Social. The property at the Real was gorgeous and features a fenced family park with a breathtaking view of the red rocks. We also really enjoyed our stop at Sedonuts. (I could write a whole blog about the donut shops we’ve visited in our travels).
Traveling with dogs closer to Buffalo
Sadly, we’re not always on vacation, but there are always great places to travel with my pugs, closer to home. We love to support our local dog friendly establishments, and frequent local parks often. This list isn’t all inclusive, but it’s a solid start if you’re looking for some new places to visit with your dog.
Como Lake Park (Newton especially loves the Bark Park!)
Eternal Flame Hike
