Some Great Pet Friendly Vacation Destinations

At Petswelcome, when we’re thinking about a pet-friendly vacation, many times we don’t have a particular city in mind. When the urge to get out of town hits, it’s usually a general sense of wanting to visit a particular type of landscape—one with beaches or lakes or mountains. Or maybe it’s an area that highlights a certain lifestyle—like the Florida Keys or the Hamptons—or one that produces a specific product, such as wine in Napa Valley. That’s because the desire to get away is often a state of mind and doesn’t necessarily align with the geographic boundaries of towns, cities or even states. And that’s where vacations destinations come in. They weren’t designated by local government zoning laws but, instead, are defined by their natural landscapes, as well as their unique cultural and recreational offerings, and therefore we think they best scratch that initial travel itch.

That’s why we have developed our new Travel Guide section, to let you throw a wider net when it comes to planning your next trip. All of these pet-friendly vacation destinations are made up of numerous towns and cities that offer unique takes on similar themes. Visit the Adirondacks, for example, and stay in a rustic hotel in Long Lake, or a traditional Adirondack “Great Camp” at Saranac Lake, or simply rent a cabin deep in the woods and you’ll be experiencing different facets of the same jewel, all which include mountains, pines and sparkling lakes.

So here are just a few of the pet-friendly destinations that our Travel Guides will be highlighting. We are going to be adding a lot more pet-friendly destinations, as well as places, events and things to do within each destination so that you will thoroughly be prepared for pet-friendly fun on your next destination adventure.

pet friendly cape cod beach
Cape Cod Herring Cove Beach

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Cape Cod is an elbow-shaped peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean in southeastern Massachusetts and offers plenty of pet-friendly hotels and lodgings.  A favorite summer haunt of rich Bostonians, it is comprised of an incredibly beautiful and quaint mix of small towns, including Sandwich, Barnstable, Dennis, Chatham, Orleans and, of course, dog-crazy Provincetown on the far end of the peninsula. AllFirst, there are Cape Cod’s beautiful beaches, many of them pet-friendly. These include the Cape Cod National Seashore as well as smaller town-specific beaches such as Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown.  Cape Cod also has fantastic seafood restaurants, of course,  such as the Central House at the Crown in Provincetown. You can also take your dog on a whale watching excursion with the Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown or simply mosey over to Wellfleet and hit the Flea Market on the weekend (also on Wednesday and Thursday in the summer). Whatever you decide to do on Cape Cod, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to do it with your dog.

pet friendly Florida gulf beach
A dog playing on one of the many Gulf Coast beaches.

Gulf Coast Florida

Another ocean location, the Gulf Coast of Florida, has many pet-friendly hotels and beaches that extend from Cedar Key down to Fort Myers Beach. There are also wonderful pet-friendly options for dining including Columbia Restaurant and Crab & Fin, both in Sarasota, and the Dock at Crayton Cove in Naples. And the natural beauty doesn’t end with the coastal beaches; there is the Everglades National Park, billed as the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States (best to take your pooch in a boat when exploring the park), as well as the Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge with over 53,000 acres of tidal flats, marshes, and forests. Whether relaxing, exploring, or indulging, Florida’s Gulf Coast is a fantastic destination to explore with your whole family.

pet friendly Napa Valley
A vineyard at sunset.

Napa Valley, California

Obviously, if you’re a wine geek, you’ll want to be heading to Napa Valley. What better way to spend a day than with your best buddy in tow, hopping from one pet-friendly winery to another? And don’t worry about pet-friendly lodging, Napa Valley has got you and your pets covered. And while wine is obviously the main attraction, there’s a lot of good eating, too, including Bistro Don Giovanni  and Angele Restaurant & Bar, both in the town of Napa. You can also visit specialty food producers that cultivate and sell artisanal olive oils and vinegars, such as Round Pond Estates in Rutherford. However, before you even head out on your various explorations, we suggest you visit Oxbow Public Market  which will give you a great overall feel for all the fantastic food, wine and fresh produce Napa Valley has to offer. A 40,000-square-foot space, including a scenic outdoor deck overlooking the Napa River, it hosts a multitude of local food producers and vendors, and exemplifies the commitment to sustainable agriculture and production of great food and wine that defines the Napa Valley experience.

 

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