Search results for 'pets'

Susie wants to let everyone know about an amazing boutique hotel in Glen Ellen, California – the Olea Hotel, which only has twelve rooms, three of which are pet friendly.

Susie has for the moment declared a truce with all rabbits to focus on the need to have a safe holiday season with pets and their human companions. Whether it is Easter, Passover or Holy Week, there is a plethora of extra activity and extra holiday goodies to keep an eye on. Susie, like most dogs, has a set policy, if it falls on the floor it is legally mine. This means humans who have pets need to be especially watchful over what does fall on the floor or is accessible to their pets – whether they are dogs, cats, ferrets, pigs, iguanas and so on.

Want to combine luxury for both you and your pet? Bardessono in Yountville, California is the place for you and your best friend. In fact for the one-time pet cleaning fee of $150 you can have up to two pets stay with you in your room.

When you pull up to the Moonrise Hotel, you have the feeling that you just arrived in Miami’s South Beach, well, except for the beach part. There’s an art deco/neon sign kind of vibe – very funky and cool and very George Jetson! This is such a find in St. Louis that it’s worth a trip to this city even if you have no reason to be there. Now, there’s plenty to see in St. Louis, so I’m sure you will want to visit anyway.

If you are unable to take your pet or pets with you on a trip or vacation, who can you trust with your best friend? Although you may take your pet with you on trips, there will be times when this is not an option – or at least a good option.  One good example is international travel, where taking your pet may put it at undo risk aboard an airplane in the luggage compartment. Even though many airlines arrange for a heated and oxygenated area for traveling pets, there are other issues that might make this a poor idea especially on long flights. 

What’s green, near music and loves your pets? The answer is – the Hutton Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a charming boutique hotel located about 15 minutes from the airport in the West End/Midtown Area. They have a car that can transport you to downtown and you are about 15 minutes away from Music Row. You are also a quick and cheap cab ride away from just about anywhere. The Hutton has been named Nashville’s greenest hotel and I know we as Boomers have become very conscious of this. They have dual flush commodes, a recycling program and bamboo furnishings and flooring.

“Come with me to the Casbah!”

Who said those immortal words, in which movie, or book?

They certainly capture the magic of what lies ahead when you chose to visit this beautiful city on the water.  For such a small country, Morocco is blessed with several “major” cities, all with their own real and distinctive feelings and fabulous flavors.

Looking for an incredible place to enjoy luxury accommodations for both you and your pet, the Allison Inn & Spa in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a great place to stay. The Inn is listed as one of the top pet friendly hotels in the United States.  There is a one-time fee of $50 per pet whether you stay a night, weekend or spend a week enjoying the Spa and Oregon’s wine country.

One of Susie’s many male admirers brought an interesting and unique product to our attention that she would like to share with her many friends – Bowser Beer. What a great idea! Of course this beer is non-alcoholic and does not contain any hops which are toxic to dogs. In other words, do not give your dog human beer; instead buy him/her a supply of Bowser Beer.  

Some of Susie’s Canadian friends brought an interesting place in Canada to our attention.  Dog Paddling Adventures is a group that offers adventures for dogs and their humans in Ontario province during every season of the year.

Generally, I write about hotels that stand still, however, this time, you get to take your hotel with you! If you can drive a car, you can captain a boat on a canal. After a short demonstration and briefing, you get the keys to your own floating Villa. You don’t ever have to worry about getting seasick, because these boats are so stable, you won’t spill your morning coffee. 

Raise your hand if you love, wine, great food and truffles. Well, then this is the place for you. Le Moulin du Roc is a unique property overlooking the Dronne River in the Perigord region of southwest France. It is just northwest of Bordeaux between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees – go ahead and look it up on Google maps – we have a link to the maps at the bottom of the homepage. This area is well known for its truffles – in fact, there is even a Truffle Museum, so you really must check it out.

As pet-friendly travel becomes more and more common we can expect the trend to even move to the cruise lines.  A 2005 court ruling requires all cruise lines to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act which opens the door to allow trained service pets to accompany their disabled owners on cruises. This is a start towards more open acceptance of pets on cruises.

Susie has been concerned for some time of stories she has heard about pets taken on airline flights. A recent news item has brought this concern to the front again as the DOT (Department of Transportation) has just expanded the rules requiring the reporting of incidents involving live animals during flights.  The rules only apply to dogs and cats. These new regulations will take effect on January 1, 2015.

One of the most exciting experiences in Japan is the opportunity to witness or even be a part of a local festival. I did this two summers ago in Kyoto City, Japan. Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan from 794 to 1868, and it is still known today as the cultural capital. Saved from bombings during World War II, its1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines, 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and numerous palaces, gardens, museums, and machiya(traditional merchant houses), are well preserved and continuously being renewed and restored. Kyoto is home to three of the most famous festivals in Japan. These include: the Aoi Matsuri or Hollyhock Festival, held every May 15, the Jidai Matsuri or Festival of Ages, held every October 22, and the grand Gion Matsuri, which takes its name from the city's Gion geisha district, and runs for the entire month of July.

Susie and Beau both want all of our followers to have a happy and safe Fourth of July with their pets. Many of the activities centered on the birthday of our nation are safe and enjoyable for both pets and their humans.

Its Memorial Day weekend and we’ve traveled a couple of notches south to vacation near Mammoth Cave National Park in Cave City, KY. The national park offers only primitive campsites (which means no electric service) so we are staying a few miles down the road at an RV resort. In this part of the country, the term “RV Resort” is loosely applied and commonly means a giant family playground with lots of places to plug in a trailer. 

If you want a great Florida get-away for you and your dog at a reasonable price, check out the Low-Key Hideaway at Cedar Key, Florida. Cedar Key is an island off the west coast of the Florida peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico. Cedar Key is 57 miles southwest of Gainesville and 143 miles north of Clearwater and Tampa.

This coming week join us in celebrating “National Take Your Dog to Work Day” on Friday, June 20. If at all possible, take your dog with you on a short trip to your office or other place of work. Share your best friend with your coworkers and give him/her the opportunity to have another good socialization experience. 

If you and your dog want to have an incredible southwest adventure, this is the place. The Sunglow Ranch is rated in one list as one of the ten most pet friendly lodgings in the United States.

Susie has visited, heard from and covered a wide-range of pet friendly properties, restaurants and places. She has noted the places that are pet-friendly as well as the places that are pet-centric and human friendly, and she thought she had seen it all – until now.

Susie and Beau have new friends in South Florida - Miss Roxie, a blond tea cup Yorkie and her long time companion Miss April Kirkwood. They are bringing new insights to the Pet Patrol.

In the process of bringing Beau into his new home and as a member of the Pet Patrol, we have come across a neater method of potty training a puppy as well as giving us an idea to share for pet travel. Obviously cat owners are familiar with the ole litter box, and if they travel with their cat the litter box comes with to take care of their cat’s needs in the hotel room or RV. 

One of Susie’s doggie buddies out west told her about a giant Beagle wandering around in Idaho. You can’t help but wonder if Paul Bunyan and Babe are also nearby. We decided to check it out and discovered the Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood, Idaho where you can stay and relax comfortably in the doghouse – a bed and breakfast built as a giant wood Beagle. Susie’s daddy calls it the “Trojan Beagle.”