In an earlier post, I raved about Relais & Châteaux and their glorious hotels and restaurants, some of which welcome dogs as guests. A competitor, Grandes Etapes Françaises, owns ten 4-star châteaux and hotels in Alsace, Anjou, Burgundy, the Ile de France, the French Riviera, the Rhône Alpes, and the Val de Loire.… Read the rest
When I visited the Twin Cities a few weeks ago, I looked for dog-oriented local guidebooks at my favorite local bookstore and came away empty-handed. Curses, I thought, and I cursed again when Amazon too had no useful results to offer. … Read the rest
This memoir, written by Los Angeles-based author Michael Konik, describes his trip around Europe with his Belgian friend Sandrine and his white Lab/greyhound mix Ella Guinevere. Konik’s love for his dog is charming, as is his delight at seeing her in places she’d never enter in the U.S.… Read the rest
On our recent trip to Chicago, Chloe and I spent a couple of nights at the La Quinta Chicago O’Hare and here’s our report.
Dog’s-eye view: All of La Quinta’s properties are pet-friendly, and the desk clerk very matter-of-factly checked me and Chloe in.… Read the rest
Motel 6 has long accepted pets as guests — and thank goodness, because there are lots of Motel 6 properties, they’re generally dependable, and though they’re no-frills they’re priced accordingly. Now the prices are even more reasonable, since the American Kennel Club has struck a deal with Motel 6 and its extended-stay sibling, Studio 6: AKC-registered dog owners can now get a 10% discount on room reservations nationwide.… Read the rest
This post started as an idle stroll down memory lane: My college roommate has family on Block Island and took me there on a couple of day trips, and then I took my parents there on longer visits, so when I bought my first dog-oriented New England guidebook I turned to the entry for Block Island and found…well, very little.… Read the rest
I’m watching Chloe play with the insanely expensive felted ball I just brought home for her. It’s her second one — the first is doing just fine, but this one is destined to go into her travel suitcase. They are perfect travel toys, because you can fling them around a room or house and they won’t do any damage to the walls, and they’re quiet (so you won’t wake up the person in the neighboring hotel room).… Read the rest
To be honest, we’re taking a (temporary, I hope) break from visiting and eating at Relais & Châteaux properties. It’s a crying shame, because R&C collects and puts its imprimatur on the finest restaurants and the most gorgeous and charming and luscious hotels around the world — and it’s a French company, so they know what they’re talking about.… Read the rest
I just love this book! Canine Washington (by Cheryl S. Smith) is full of useful information about “where to play and stay with your dog” in Washington state, and it’s beautifully-organized. Each geographical location is clearly divided into helpful categories: dog parks, hikes and dog-tolerant parks, dog-friendly activities, dog-tolerant hotels and campgrounds, pet stores, doggy daycare and grooming, vets and emergency care, and shelters.… Read the rest
I just bought the 11th edition (2009) of this guidebook, published annually, and I’m thrilled to death. What a great book! It won’t keep you awake at night with a cliffhanger ending, but it’s densely-packed with really useful information. The bulk of it is a list of pet-friendly AAA-approved hotels across the U.S.… Read the rest
