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Hundreds of gingerbread cottages all in a row | thepupdiary.com

6 Jun

A fairy tale land came to life! That is how we felt in the Campmeeting Association campground in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. Over 300 beautiful cottages – some dating back to the 1800s – are home to year-round and seasonal residents. The colorful cottages, now listed in the National Register of Historical Places, are a short walk from the dog-friendly Steamship Authority ferry.

What started as a religious tent settlement back in the 19th century has turned into an interdenominational community. Some of the cottages have remained in the same family for generations. (Mom said we probably can’t live there since we are so noisy!) But we did meet a cute Westie who was sitting on his porch as his parents did some renovations around their house. They stopped their work when they saw us and came to meet us. They love terriers as much as mom does!

A little Westie on the porch

A little Westie on the porch

Campmeeting Association on Martha’s Vineyard

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Dog-friendly weekend getaway to Washington, D.C. | thepupdiary.com

22 May

We love to travel and explore! Whether we have a week, a weekend, or even just a day, there are plenty of dog-friendly places to visit!

At a distance of about 4 hours by car, Washington, D.C. is the perfect location for a weekend getaway from New York City. Here is how we do it!

At the dog-friendly FDR Memorial in DC

At the dog-friendly FDR Memorial in DC

Getting there: We always rent a car since there are 2 of us and we have a lot of stuff! Too bad Amtrak does not allow pups because that would definitely be our preferred way to travel! The car ride down to D.C. takes about 4 hours from Midtown Manhattan. Beware of the tolls! The round-trip fee is over $50 and an easy pass is pretty much a necessity to avoid the toll lines. We use our Kurgo booster seat to keep secure in the car.

Where to stay: There are dozens of pet-friendly hotels in the Washington, D.C. area. Most recently we stayed in the Tysons Sheraton in Virginia. We were hooked with the free parking, easy commute into the city and low hotel room rate! We tend to stay in Starwood properties when we travel on the east coast so we can get travel points and rewards. Trip Advisor has a great list of dog-friendly hotels. We also love Bringfido.com for travel and hotel information.

The Washington Monument is in the background

The Washington Monument is in the background

What to do: We like a combination of social events, outdoor activities, and city viewing and touring. When we travel to Washington, D.C. we always check Novadog Magazine event listing to see what dog events are taking place in the area. Washington has a big doggy social scene with black-tie events, baseball games, outdoor festivals, and more! The National Mall is dog friendly and is a great place for an (on leash) stroll to see the sites and monuments. The Eastern Market outdoor farmers market (Saturdays and Sundays) is a fun place to stop for snacks. Also check out some of the local pet boutiques. We love Howl to the Chief near the Eastern Market. Some of the Virginia wineries are dog friendly. We visited Barrel Oak Winery about 45 minutes from the city and loved it! Leashed pups are welcome at Arlington National Cemetery. Capital River Cruises welcome pups. And Potomac Riverboat Company in Alexandria hosts Canine Cruises. Annapolis, Maryland is a beautiful place to visit if you have more time.

Resources: A recent article in The Washington Times has some great tips. BringFido.com lists restaurants and other sites to visit in the area. Dogfriendly.com has a Washington, D.C. city guide for pups.

Washington DC weekend dog-friendly getaway

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Maryland Westie Rescue Wine and Fleas | thepupdiary.com

21 May

While we were in the Washington, DC area this past weekend for the big Blog Paws conference (more on that later) we were happy to see there were many dog-friendly events taking place around town. (Novadog magazine is a great resource for dog events in the Washington area). One event in particular sounded pawfect — the 7th annual Maryland Westie Rescue Wine and Fleas! We have never seen so many Westies in one location! Not even at our New York City Tartan Parade!

Maryland Westie Rescue Wine and Fleas

Maryland Westie Rescue Wine and Fleas

Dog-friendly Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane, Va hosted the event. We loved the rolling green hills, the beautiful flowers, and the fields of grape vines. A doggy paradise! Mom enjoyed the wine tasting, the raffles and silent auction, and the boxed lunch. BOW also sells a variety of cheeses and other light fare. Our wine guy said Virginia has a warmer growing climate than the Riverhead, NY wineries (we love Martha Clara Vineyards) we tend to visit. Not sure if that is the only difference, but mom said the wines were delicious!

Entrance to Barrel Oak Winery

Entrance to Barrel Oak Winery

Maryland Westie Rescue is an all-volunteer group of people who love West Highland White Terriers. “The mission of Westie Rescue is to facilitate the rescue and adoption of stray, abandoned, neglected, abused, and surrendered Westies of pure or mixed-breed lineage, and place adoptable Westies into permanent, loving homes.” We met some of their adoptable pups who attended the event. We hope they all find loving homes! And we will definitely visit Barrel Oak Winery the next time we are in town!

Maryland Westie Rescue Wine and Fleas

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Dog vacation on Hilton Head Island | thepupdiary.com

8 May

We love it when a vacation exceeds our expectations. And that is certainly true when it comes to our week adventure on Hilton Head Island! We thought the island was one big golf course. Instead we found dog-friendly beaches, great restaurants (some allowed dogs on their outdoor patios), beautiful scenery, hiking paths, lots of animal viewing (alligators- yikes!), and very friendly people. Oh, very beautiful sunsets, too!

Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island

Getting there: We drove from NYC . . . it took about 14 hours and we stopped in DC along the way. We loved the Kurgo Booster Seat we used as a safe car seat.

Where we stayed: We rented a house in the Land’s End area of the Island in the Sea Pines Plantation — the very end of the Island on a rustic beach with great animal viewing. The house was listed on VRBO, but is now for sale so no longer available . . . There are several dog-friendly hotels. We toured the beachfront Omni and it was nice.

Land's End House on HHI

Land’s End House on HHI

When we traveled: We traveled in the off season so we would have fewer doggy beach restrictions and fewer tourists, too! Dogs are not allowed on the beaches from 10 am to 5 pm during peak season which is Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. We also did not want the really HOT summer heat. Our May weather was pleasant and around 70 each day.

Activities: We hit the beach every day- HHI has over 12 miles of sandy beaches! Dogs were allowed around the clock since it was the off season. HHI has the ocean beaches and also more rustic Calibogue Sound and Intracoastal beaches. We watched the dolphins swim by several times each day. We saw the horseshoe crabs crawl back to the water each day. We saw alligators, crabs, jelly fish, and many other small critters. The Sea Pines Plantation has a beautiful nature area where leashed dogs are welcome to hike with their owners. Many shops on HHI allowed the dogs and we found a few restaurants where dogs could dine with us outside. We love Hudson’s on the Docks and ate there 2 times for great seafood! We were also lucky to visit with our doggy friends, Millie LaRue, Tulip, Addie Mae, and Katie at their house on the Island!

Meeting up with Millie LaRue!

Meeting up with Millie LaRue!

Day trips: Savannah, Georgia is about an hour drive from HHI and seemed very dog friendly. Shopping, walking tours, boat excursions, outdoor restaurants . . . Savannah is a beautiful city to visit for a day trip.

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Product review: Kurgo Skybox Booster Seat | thepupdiary.com

6 May

The Kurgo Skybox Booster Seat we got a few weeks ago worked perfectly on our recent road trip to Hilton Head Island!

Ginger loves her Kurgo seat

Ginger loves her Kurgo seat

The seat can accommodate pets up to 30 lbs. Here is our feedback:

What we love about the Kurgo Skybox Booster Seat
-Super easy and quick to install in your car. Simply slip the straps around the car seat and headrest. (Took me less than 1 minute to install.)
-Easily collapses for storage. Yay! No bulky item taking up closet space!
-Adjustable strap to attach to Ginger’s harness to keep her in the seat.
-Washable liner
-Enough room in the seat for Ginger to sit or sleep. (I think a dog over 15 lbs would not be able to sleep in this due to the seat size. Ginger weighs less than 10 lbs.)
-Keeps the pups safe and secure in the car!!

What we would change about the Booster Seat
-The metal structural support is great . . . but there should be added padding to that part of the seat so it is softer for the pups.
-While it was super easy to install, it did take me longer to remove it from the car. (Only a minute or two.) It was harder to pull the straps up over the seat.

Bottom Line: Great car seat option for small dogs. Ginger loved it!
Cost: $60
Where to buy: Kurgo.com

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